WAR IN THE FAR EAST

Timaru Herald, Volume LXXX, Issue 12351, 19 April 1904, Page 2

WAR IN THE FAR EAST

RUSSIANS ON THE NORTH BANK OF THE YALU. THE POSITION OF JAPAN'S MAIN FORCE. United Press Association—Per Electric Telegraph—Copyright. Received 8.58 a.m., April 18th. LONDON, April 17. Tokio reports state that. twenty thousand Russians are on the north bank' of the Yalu. The Japanese main force at Wijn : is landing, at Chu-lien, a distance of forty miles from. Wiju. The Nisshin and Kasuga, Japan's recently acquired cruisers, toot part in Friday's bombardment. Two Japanese staff officers, attired' as Thibetan Lamas, were arrested whilst endeavouring to blow up with dynamite a railway bridge over the river Nonnr, on the Manchurian railway, ST. PETERSBURG, April 18. The Czar has directed the Nobles' Jarid Peasants' Banks to restrict 1 advances during the war. THE EIGHTH ATTACK ON PORT ARTHUR. CLEVER TACTICS BY ADMIRALTOGO. THE CLEAR CHANNEL COUNTERMINED. THE RUSSIAN SQUADRON TRAPPED. HOW THE PETROPAVLOVSK WAS, DESTROYED. Received 9.46 pJm., April 18th. LONDON, April 18. Admiral Togo observing that the Russian fleet constantly left and re-entered Port Arthur on the same course, evidentty-'iS order to avoid their.own mines, took bearing and sent his destroyers and torpedoes at midnight "of the 13th April to set several counter-mines along the clear channel. The> order was executed without interference;' during heavy rain,'the cloudy night inferfering with the Russian searchlights. Next morning Admiral Dewa, commanding the unarmoured cruisers Chitose, Yo- , shino|. Kasagl and Takasago decoyed the Russians into the open, fifteen miles southseast of Port Arthur. . The Bayan commenced the action at S o'clock by attacking Admiral Dewa at long range, the Novik, Askold, Diana, Petrapavlovsk, Pobieda, Poltava and others soon assisting. Admiral Dewa kept tardily. a«-_ swering the Russian, fire,, at the same tima retiring. Meanwhile the first Japanese squadron under Admiral Togo, comprising the Hotsuse, Mikasa, Shikishima and Fuji waited thirty miles off concealed by fog, until Admiral Dewa's .wireless signal to advance iras received when they dashed at full speed for the entrance to" Port Arthur, Recognising that they were trapped, probablv through discerning the battleships on the horizon, the Russians precipitately - retreated, chased by Japanese. The Russians reached the harbour entrance at 10.30, when the Petropavlorsk was dcstrpystV The whole squadron was thrown into cWv fusion. Another ship, probably the Por. bieda. touched a mine and was disabled. The Russians for an hour fired wildly, mostly hittincf the water. The Russians gradually re-entered the harbour by noon. Admiral Dewa's squadron sustained no casualties, and the Rus-~ sian loss', apart from that from the 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 Petropavlovsk lies south-east of Golden Hill, a mile outside the entrance. They ascribe much of the success of the mine* to Commander Oda's ingenuity and bravery-_ He commands the Koryomnru, the torpedodepot ship. LARGE RUSSIAN DESTROYER SUNK... ATTACK ON THE INNER HARBOUR, OF PORT ARTHUR. THE NEW RUSSIAN FORTa - : SILENCED. ADMIRAL TOGO CONGRATULATED* ON HIS SPLENDID WORK. „ . . ~ Received 10.27 p.m., -Apri^lß& '.* :•'',' C ~' - LONDON;-^ P ril,lß. . .V-

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. u ;«ttackea W EJa6- v " but owing to the long range were ded. ■■ The Japanese were unable to res- ; ■Cne ;the drowning Russians;- as -the BayarT •approached, but was soon repulsed. Later on the action became general; *> -j .During tlfeJflight' of :t&9f 14th* Admiral' v Togo says that a destroyer successfully exe-;; ■ cutei a mission st;th&, bar-"' bour. Later on th# Sussiatt fleet detected: thieo floating nines,, and sank them by gunfire. '/^Sb* i Kas*ga:at 10 o'clock in fee morning opened rui indirect cannonade. sf«iw enacting them tO'^ffchTelevated- land •works beyond-the, elevation of other ships. ■They finally silenced-the new forts wfcst '§ W'-Kiot'fehau;:,; -.:■'■ <■'. ■"*, S5 .C Admiral Togo attributes tile Japanese es- || cape from loss in these successive attacks sj>, - to the Mikado's .glMjious virtue aiid heasSjj renly assistance. . He applauds the bravery M -'tod ingenuity of Tils'.officers and men. f§ ■'- ,Comj»aiider. Ogasawara, on behalf, of, tie 1 %ss; stiflv 1 has, written; on :eulogy,: of Adi &: wherfje. lamented death is a H 3oss to'ihe world's navis?. ■.;...-,.■ ~ ®B»*TJCron' i of Marine,'in" ►congratulating Admiral Togo on the splen-, ~"^W'"results"of the''eightK* attack"'on' Port Arthur, urges him to persevere in liis great; •work, and considers that'the ultimate goal /(i»Tet distant.,,, . ■•'■■■ ■ V v .' * - v '-TJhe Mail" states that the last iombardment killed 100 Russians in Port ■ iArthur,' but the Russians 'declare that only a - few-Chinese were injured. The Russians claim that : their j ; foris,: damaged /two of the Japanese cruisers, ••; ~.' « . »* ..' ;A'»steamer, reaching jKiuohw&ngj:reports, is, i' seeing 26-warships convoyiligrlOO?Japanese' transports in the Gulf of Pechili, steaming in the direotion of. Kuichnn. ; A jater St.. . Petersburg telegwuntrejjorts- that the Ja- : panese had landed near Port Arthur, but ,-were repulsed. This s [at ement is not confirmed. . '"-- • ",

" ■**BiAofilNG OF THE POBIEDA.

A MEMORIAL SERVICE

Received 12 S3 2,m.. -April* 19th, \-. v. LONDON, April 18,, , •fit 't york " Herald" States timtthe* * -ToMedn just managed-to crawl into hw- *"' bow''and —as beached, * , . -■ - * * Admiral Alweieff has ordered the vessels "to remain inside Port .Arthur until* "*Ad«lit»l'Syrydloff arrives. •* A- memorial service for"ithose who'perished in the- Potropavlovsk was held 'on board the icebreaker Erfhak," which was designe,d-by the late, Admiral Makaroff.