THE PORT ARTHUR DEFENCES.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 8100, 27 August 1904, Page 4

THE PORT ARTHUR DEFENCES.

A writer in the Melbourne "Argus"— who, it may be mentioned, went through the siege of- Ladysmith— on August 10 made the following comments on the situation :— "As we are dependent mainly upon rumour for news, it Is difficult to form » correct estimate as to the positions now held by the Japanese. For example, heavy fighting is said to have taken plaoe ab Wolf Hill, and the message adds thafc thia It'll commands the western harbour and enfilades the western forte. A cable message published on August 7 stated that the Russians had been driven to these permanent forte, and that all the outwork 3 bad been abandoned. There is a Wolf Hill and a White Wolf Hijl, and doubt arises as to whioh of them is referred to. Wolf Hill is en the north-west of Port Arthur, and is said to be six miles dietanfrom the main ring of Russian forts. iTurth-r, it was stated a month ago thafc the Japanese had stormed it. White Wolf Hill is immediately tp tho south of the larger or western port. Its position obviously commands that port, and ifc would enfilade the Itu forts immediately to tha northward, which are the important western defences of Porfc Arthur, and frequently described as fche real key to the fortress. The high plateau overlooks . all the forts on the eastern aide, and is sometimes called fche Table H-iglits. It was upon thin point that the Japanese made their chief attack; | when they captured the fortress from the Chinese. An outstanding fo?t is on thei oast of Taku. Mountain—the western exiremity of the Lung-wang-tung range. Ifc, too, was said to have been stonnedl by the Japanese early in July — but there was some doubt on the point. Taku Hill isjthrea miles nearer the main defences than Wolf HUI. "The line of- forts to the east of Port Arthur, named 'The Ridge,' are sometimes called the Nrlung group, and those further north Keekwane forts. The harbour of Port Arthur faces almost "due south, and is entered by a narrow channel, thre*quarters of a mile in length, the navigable width of which 13 nowhere more tb_n..tw» hundred and fifty yards, and falls ih one place to Usa than one hundr-d yards. On the right of this channel is the small easfc port, five hundred yards in length by three hundred and fifty in -width, in which are fche dockyard and dock, and opposite the entrance of this port the channel takes a very sharp turn, almost afc right angles, to the left, leading to the much larger west port. This is the natural harbour, oval in shape, two miles in' length from east to west, and one mile in width from north to south. Its anchorage capacity for largo veesels .is, however, limited, on account of the shallow water throughout the greater part, though, since it. acquisition by the Russian's, its capacity has been considerably increased by extensive dredging operations. The Russian fleet invariably anchors in the small eastern port to the south of the town. Between the west port- and the entrance channel a low-lying spit of land rens northward from the coast, which is known by its Chinese ham© of tho 'Tiger's Tail.' The narrow entrance and the sharp turn, affording only the smallest space for manoeuvring, render both the entrance and the exifc from, or to the sea a matter of greafc difficulty for ships of large l size. "Owing to tbe configuration of the land, Port Arthur was considered to be easy of defence. The harbour is girdled round with hills, varying in height from 250f fc to nearly 500 ft, and, with this assistance from Nature, what was regarded as an impregnable enceinte of forts was -.. -made stretching from the eminence of Golden Hill, or Hwang-chin-shan, commanding the

v outer roadstead, right round the rear of j tlie town, and even down the back of the j Tigers Tail, co as to enfilade the roadstead, or reach an enemy at sea attempting an assault upon high-placed defences. At immense outlay, guns of great power were . carried vrp these hills and mounted in the : forts, while a forest of smail quick-firers was placed nearer the waters edge and i in other advantageous positions for sw-eeo- j • ing th» waterway or repelling a Sank attack ashore." i