SIEGE OF PORT ARTHUR.

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

SIEGE OF PORT ARTHUR.

BOMBARDMENT CONTINUES. . (Received September S, 10.44 p.m.) London, September 5. ■ The bombardment of Port Arthur continues, and the Russian line near Pali-slhwang has been slightly weakened. ;'' ; _ . ■;.. TUB CRUISER DIANA. TO BE DISARMED. (Received September 5, 10.44 p.m.) London - , September 5. Advices from the French port of Saigon, where the Russian cruiser Diana took refuge aftei. the battle of the 10th ult., say that the Russian Admiralty' has ordered that the vessel shall be disarmed. SEARCHING FOR CONTRA- ' BAND. '■■'?;'■ : ; GUNS IN BUNKERS. London, September 4. The Russian cruiser Don is now lying off Cie3 Island, at the entrance to the bay on which stands the town of Vigo, on the north-western coast of Spain, awaiting the departure of a British steamer which is suspected of carrying guns in her coal bunkers. NAVAL EXPERT'S OPINION, I -■■'••■ '■■-■•-'■■''■■■ ■ \ RUSSIA BEATEN BEFORE BLOW ' STRUCK. WILL SUE FOR PEACE. | (Received September 5, 11.28 p.m.) ; ( ' Brisbane, September 5. Commander Oolquhoun, who represented the Times iD the naval warfare off Fort Arthur, and was on board one of the Japanese warships throughout, has returned to Australia. He predicts that the Russian defeat at Liao-yang will lead to overtures for peace within a couple of months. He questions whether Russia could feed half-a-million men in Manchuria, and considers that Russia was beaten before a blow was struck. Her strategy, in the first instance, was bad, and the disposition of her forces wretched. BATTLE OP TASHI-CHIAO, - GRAPHIC DESCRIPTION. FIERCE AND STUBBORN IuGHTING. fjFBOIC THE daily MAIL.] ' . vNiucHWAKo, July 25. The battle near Tashi-chiao yesterday began at dawn, while it was still dark, and the fighting was of the. most fierce and stubborn description. \ * ' ■ The Russian attack ' opened with fire from throe central batteries, and compelled the Japanese to alter the line of their advance, which at first was /du* east of Tashi-chiao. One battery north of Tapingshan became the target of the concentrated Russian fire, while the new. movement of the Japanese was being earned out, and it must have sustained severe damage. ■>■?''■"..;:"V.V\''-' ■■'.v.v While this duel between numerous Rub. sian batteries and one Japanese battery was proceeding, the Japanese retired to the lulls, and to Miose looking on from a distance appeared to suffer a renulse. Puffs of white smoke and red/ flashes denoting bursting shells and shrapnel came from the Russian guns in ceaseless succession. The Japanese 'fire at' the time was of a spasmodic nature, which ceased at noon when a fresh .Russian battery wast of Tashi-chiao disclosed itself and .thundered across the intervening valley to the next hill. ' .At two o'clock in the afternoon three rings of smoke that followed the crest of the mountain fihghtly north-east of the Russian position mdicated that' the Japanese were stationed at e new point. : These rings increased nd spread out in vast half-circles. The ridges of the highest surrounding hills soon showed a hue confused and broken of Japanese, who began a descent to the next range. Surprised ■by this • unexpected strategy, the Russians moved 10 guns to the top of a long, low hill, the/dark brown colour of which stood out with startling conspicuousness i from the green grass and the white and red rocks that filled out the landscape. .■■,■;■■' - : ; "■*'. '■■■ ; ■■■ , A terrific cannonade ensued for 20 minutes, and it became impossible to follow the progress of the : fight because of the thick clouds of smoke. , Presently there came a breeze, and the curtain lifted, showing tne Japanese line 10 miles from Tapingshan on a precipitous height to the east, dominating the whole country. The Russian guns were ; still firing, and appeared to be making good practice. The noise was tremendous. There was one continual roll of thunder, punctured each moment by thuds that shook the earth. ■ ■;././/-: v. ■ . : .:!■. As . the sun set there came about a dramatic development over one of the many ridges which abound in this mountainous country.' j From a hill directly above the persistent Russian gunners, who were holding the last position east of Tashi-chiao with indomitable pluck, batteries of Japanese artillery, the existence of which had not been suspected, suddenly poured a tremendous fire on them, and in the meantime Japanese infantry descended the hill at a great rate from all sides. The Japanese now attacked, but not for two hours more did they silenoe the Russian guns, which kept or firing until the Japanese artillery, which had been reinforced, gained a position immediately opposite them. Then the Russians retired upon Tashi-chiao. ?• In company with many other people I watched the fight from a tower on the outskirts of Niuchwang. The atmosphere was clear, permitting us to see this splendid spectacle. We were able to follow every move of the battle, though naturally it was impossible to make out the course of the fighting in detail. . , . This morning my courier ' arrived with some interesting particulars which he had gathered while hidden among the reeds in the valley between Tapingshan and Tashichiao. ■ -\ ' The Japanese, in three divisions, came up from the east and the south. Heavy firing started at half-past seven in the morning and reached its climax between eleven and twelve, when the Japanese were compelled to alter their line of advance. Reinforcements for the Russians, numbering 5000 men, arrived at this time from Haicheng with 10 guns, and these temporarily stopped the Japanese division advancing from the south-east. •« It was not until the Japanese attacked along their whole front that the Russians retreated. The Japanese artillery was immeasurably superior, and their shrapnel was frightfully destructive. The Russian gunners went down in hundreds, but. the guns were fought with magnificent bravery. The battle was a perfeot hell of smoke and flo ft . . ... It is difficult to compute with accuracy the casualties, but they are. estimated at many thousands. Two trains loaded with wounded left in the evening. The division which suffered the most was that of General Kondatororitob, which bore i th« brunt of the battle. , ... . '■;_ . The Russian force probably numbered 30 000, but was outgeneralled, and its artillory was inferior. Ths Japanese had twice as many guns. The Russian shots -nassed ovei the heads of the Japanese. In spit© of tbi'; they compelled the Japanese to make three distinct movements. There were two lines, one from the southeast, the other from the south-west. Finally the Japanese concentrated upon a position due east of Tashi-chiao, ana the Russians retreated when the Japanese fire from a single lino extending 10 miles at close range silenced the last efforts of the defending force. A. united torrent of shells followed the Russians in their retreat from Tasbi- , dhiaft; :> ; ;