THE WAR.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 12735, 19 April 1904, Page 3

THE WAR.

RUSSIA AND JAPAN. ATTACK ON PORT ARTHUR. GRAPHIC DETAILS. ADMIRAL TOGO’S SUCCESS. (Received April 18. 9.46 p.m.) LONDON, April 18.

Further details are now available of the recent successes of the Japanese squadron off Port Arthur. Admiral Togo, observing that the Russian fleet constantly left .and reentered Port Arthur on the same course, evidently in order to avoid their own mines, took bearings and sent destroyers and torpedo-boats at midnight on the 12th instant to set several countermines along the clear channel. The order was executed without interference during heavy rain, the cloudy night interfering with the Russian searchlight. Next morning Admiral Dewa, commanding the unarmoared cruisers Chitosa. Yoshino, Kasagi. and Takasago. decoyed the Russians into the open. Fifteen miles south-east of Port Arthur the Bayan commenced the action at 9 a.m., attacking Admiral Dewa at long range.

The Norik, Askold, Dkma, Petro* paulovsk, Pobieda, Poltava, and others were soon assisting. Admiral Dewa kept tardily answering the Russian fire, at the same time retiring. Meanwhile the first Japanese squadron, under Admiral Togo, comprising the Hatsue, Mikasa. Shikishima, and Fuji waited thirty miles off, concealed by a fog, until Admiral Dewa’s wireless signal to advance was received, when it dashed at full speed for the entrance to Port Arthur. Recognising that they were trapped, probably through discerning the battleships on the horizon, the Russians precipitately retreated, chased by the Japanese.

The Russians reached the harbour entrance at 10.30, when the Petropaulovsk was destroyed. The whole squadron was thrown into contusion. Another ship, probably the Pobieda. touched a mine, and was disabled. The Russians for an hour fired wildly, mostly hitting the water. (Received April 18. 10 p.m.)

The Russians gradually re-entered the harbour by noon.

Admiral Dewa’s squadron suffered no casualties. The Russians’ loss, apart from that caused by mines, is considered to have been slight. Admiral Togo’s battleships failed to get within gun range. The Japanese state that the wreck of the Petropaulovsk lies south-east of Golden Hill, a mile outside the entrance.

The Japanese ascribe much of the success with mines to Commander Oda’s ingenuity and bravery. He commands the Koroyo Maru, the torpedo depot shin. (Received April 18, 10.27 p.m.)

Another Japanese destroyer flotilla, employed on a special mission, encountered at dawn on the 13th outside the south-east promontory of Port Arthur, a large Russian destroyer and sank her in ten minutes. The flotilla attacked another off Liaotishan, but owing to the long range was unable to prevent her from reentering the harbour. Two Japanese sailors were wounded.

The Japanese were unable to rescue the drowning Russians, as the Bayan approached, but they soon repulsed the latter.

During the night of the 14th. Admiral Togo says that a destroyer successfully executed a mission at the mouth of the harbour. Later on the Russian fleet detected three Russian floating mines and sank them by gun fire. The Nisshin and the Kasuga, at 10 o’clock in the morning, opened a cannonade on the inner harbour, their high-angled guns enabling them to reach the elevated land works which were beyond the elevation of other ships. They finally silenced the new forts west of Lic'jtishan. ■?

Admiral Togo attributes the Japanese escape from loss in their successive attacks to the Mikado’s glorious virtue and heavenly assistance. He applauds the bravery and ingenuity of his officers and men.

Commander Ogasawara, on behalf of the naval staff, has written a eulogy of Admiral Makaroff. whose lamented death in the Pelropaulovsk he describes as a loss to the world’s navies. Yamnmoto, Minister of Marine, in congratulating Admiral Togo on the splendid results of his eighth attack on Port Arthur, urges him to persevere in his great work, and considers that the ultimate goal is yet within distanre-

The “Daily Mail” states that the last bombardment killed a hundred Russians in Port Arthur, but the Russians declare that only a few Chinese were injured.

The Russians claim that the forts damaged two Japanese cruisers. {Received April 19, 0.53 a.m.)

The ‘‘New York Herald” stales thatthe I’obieda just managed to crawl into the harbour, and was beached. Admiral AlexieS has ordered the Rwsian vessels to remain inside until Admiral Skrydloff arrives. A memorial service for those who perished on the Pelropaulovsk Was held aboard the icebreaker Ermak, which was designed by the late Admiral Makaroff.

JAPANESE TROOPS. (Received April 18, 10 p.m.) LONDON, April 18. A steamer which has reached Niuchwang reports haying seen twenty-six warships convoying a hundred Japanese transports in the Gulf of Pechili, steaming in the direction of Kinc'nau. A later St. Petersburg telegram reports that the Japanese landed near Port Arthur, but were repulsed. The statement is not confirmed.

GENERAL ITEMS. LONDON, April 17. The Czar has directed tbe Nobles and Peasants’ Bants to restrict advances during the war.

Two Japanese staff officers, attired as Thibetan lamas, were arrested while endeavouring to dynamite a railway bridge over the Nonni, on the Manchurian railway.

Reports from Totio state that 20,000 Russians are on the north hank of the Yalu.

The Japanese are reinforcing the troops at V. iju, and landing additional men at Chulien, a distance of forty miles.