THE RUSSIAN RETREAT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 12653, 6 September 1904, Page 5

THE RUSSIAN RETREAT.

RAILWAY NOT YET REACHED.

PROSPECTS OF RUSSIAN ESCAPE.

(Received September 5, 18.44 p.m.) London, September 5. Leaving a force to protect his right flank, General 'Kuroki on Saturday swung sharply westward to reach the railway and: envelope Liao-yan , The Standard says that up to nine o'clock on Saturday night General Kuroki had not succeeded in completely occupying the heights commanding the railway. The enemy in that quarter ( was being steadily reinforced from Mukden, and the bulk of .General Kuropatkin's- troops will possibly escape to the north. "'{'; RUSSIAN ARMY DIVIDED, 23,000 TO THE WESTWARD. London, September 4. Reports from St. Petersburg say that there are rumours abroad that the First Siberian Army Corps of gj",O0O men, under .General Stakleberg, had been cut off from the rest of the Russian army and is isolated to the west of Liao-yang. It was reported a week ago that General Staklebera had been dismissed. In -;. a report published yesterday General Kuropatkin spoke of the First Siberian Army Corps having been driven to the westward. JAPANESE BAYONET ATTACK. CAPTURE A FORTIFIED POSITION. / (Heceived September 6, 10.44 p.m.) London, September 5. During the severe fighting that took place to the north of Liao-yang in the approach, by General Kuroki to the railway, the Japanese captured at the bayonet point a strongly fortified position to the westward of Sikwantun.

NODZU NORTH OF THE RUSSIANS. (Received September. 8, 10.44 p.m.) London, September 5. General Kuroki's right wing is now near Yentai, and General Noda;u is pressing the Russians from the north.

BATTLE NEAR YENTAI, THE RUSSIAN REPORT. HEAVY LOSSES ON BOTH SIDES. (Received September G, 12.60 a.m.) . " London, September 5. A Russian despatch says the fighting on Friday began simultaneously on both banks of, the Taitse River. The Japanese, who were in superior numbers, advanced down towards the Yentai mines. Twelve Russian battalions courageously sustained the attack all day, but were ultimately compelled to yield, and proceed to a position to the westward . The Japanese on the left bank continuously bombarded the fortifications of Liao-yang. The Russians made r. counter attack, and occupied several villages between them and the original position. They found the slopes and plair that had been occupied by the Japanese strewn with corpses, in some places heaped up. The Russian, losses also were heavy. •

RUSSIAN LOSS OF GUNS. AN EXPLANATION. (Received September 6, 10.44 p.m.) London, September 5, The loss or guns by the Russians in the recent battles is attributed to the heavy state of the roads, and the impossibility of getting the gunsover them.'