THE WAR.

Waikato Argus, Volume XVI, Issue 2631, 5 May 1904, Page 2

THE WAR.

Full Particulars of the Yalu Engagement Japanese Capture Muchwang Russia to Spend .£15,000,000 on Warships BY TKLEQRAPH—PRESS AB.SOCIATIOI. —COPKSJGHT.)

FIGHTINGON THE TALU RUSSIAN DESPATCHES GLAD THE YALU HAS BEEN" CROSSED NO SERIOUS FIGHTING TILL MIDDLE OF MAT London, May 3 In the course of a despatch to the Czar, General Kuropatkin, commanding the Russian troops in the Far East, expresses satisfaction that i he Japane:e have crossed the Yalu. Their having taken this course, says the Commander - in - Chief, lengthens their l ; oes of communication, while the Russians are nearer their b".se. A mejiber of the Russian general staff has stated tb it the engagements p.t the Yalu were merely skirmishes, and that General Kuropatkin will not accept a serious batile till the middle of May, when he will have half a million men at his disposal. SERIES OF RUSSIAN RETREATS DEADLY ARTILLERY FIRE London, May 3 The Russian army on the Yalu made a second stand at Yoshoro on being driven from Kiu lien-cheng. They took up a position on the hills to the north-west of the latter place, but retreated f.t 2 o'clock in the afternoon. By 6 o'clock the Japanese held a line extending from Antung to Languru and Lisliukan. At Hamatan the Japanese Iml- - Guards enveloped the Russians on three sides, and after some sharp fighting at clo?e range captured three guns and much ammunition. A captured Russian officer states that the effect of the Japanese artillery fire on Saturday was tremendous. Generals Sasulitch and Kashlalinski were wounded by shells. General Kuroki has telegraphed to Tokio that the Imperial Princes and the officers and men of his army are in excellent spirits. BRITISH OFFICER'S VIEW SUPERIORITY OF JAPANESE ARTILLERY London, May 3 Captain Frederick Tudor has challenged the Russian statement with regard to the Yalu. He attributes the Japanese success to the quantity of their artillerry, and especially in the matter of naval guns. BLOCKING PORT ARTHUR JAPANESE TRANSPORT MISSING RUSSIAN REINFORCEMENTS London, May 3 Russian reports from Tientsin state that Admiral Togo again, unsuccessfully, endeavoured to sink merchantmen in order to bottle up Port Arthur. The Japauese transport Haginovro Maru is overdue at Gensan, and it ;s feared she has been sunk by the Russians. The soldiers on board the transport Kinshu Mara burnt all the documents in their possession, and removed their shoulder straps in order to prevent the Russians from ascertaining the name of their regiment. Guns and stores necessary for the rearmament of the Russian army have been despatched. The first contingent of volunteers has left Sc Petersburg for the East. Intense patriotism was displayed by the people present at the departure of the contingent. DALNY TO BE EVACUATED THE RUSSIANS PREPARING TO LEAVE London, May 3 Fugitives who have reached Chifu, on the Shantung Pcuinsnla, report that the Russians are preparing to evacuate their port of Dalny (or Talienwan), some 50 miles to the north-east of Port Arthur, and an important station on the Mauchurian railway. LATER. FURTHER PARTICULARS OF THE ENGAGEMENT HEAVY CASUALTIES MANY OFFICERS KILLED , i (Received May A, 4.M6 p m.) ' Sydney, May 4 ' The following further report in connection with the recent fighting ' on the Yalu from Field-Marshall ' Kuroki was cabled to the Japanese Consul on the afternoon of the Ist: c 'The enemy offered a stubbc... ! resistance during the pursuit, adding 300 to our casualties. ' They fought bravely to the last, r but finally two companies of artillery t after losing most of their men and [ horses raised the white flag and t surrendered. \ ' The officers were taken prisoners. ' It is asserted that Division Gene- c ral Kasiiitarinsgy a.nd. the com- t man.lers of tho llth, and I2th in* t fantry regiments, and of the artil g lery battalion and, sharpshooters WQre killed, i

' The killed and wounded also ineluded many other superior officers. ' A large number of refugees subsequently returned and surrendered. ' The total of the prisoners numbered 30 officers and 300 subordinate officers and men. RUSSIANS ENTIRELY ROUTED JAPANESE CASUALTIES TOTAL 796 ; GALLANT ATTEMPT TO BLOCK PORT ARTHUR EIGHT FIRESHIPS SUNK . JAPANESE TORPEDO BOATS ; DESTROYED I (Received May 4, 11.13 p.m.) London, May 4 ■ The Russians did not raise the white flag until after two batteries 3 had lost, most of their men and i horses and oroken the breech closing ) apparatus of their guns. Field-Marshal Kuroki considers that the Russians were entirely routed, because after the fight many came in and surrendered. The Japanese killed and wounded totalled : Guards 130 Second Division ... 350 Third Division ... 316 1 Total 796 Admiral Alexieff repor-s that on Monday night eight fireships. carrying quieb-firing guns made a de<ermined attempt to block Port - rthur. All were sunk by the forts, mines or torpedoes. Several Japanese were killed, and thirty were rescued from the sinking ships. . Admiral Alexieff states that two Japanese torpedo boats escorting the fireships were destroyed. e JAPANESE CAPTURE NIUCH- * WANG i f MORE RUSSIAN TROOPS FOR 3 THE FRONT s PURCHASE OF CRUISERS AND SUBMARINES £15,000,000 ASSIGNED FOR THE PURPOSE London, May 4 The Chronicle's Chefoo corres--3 pondent states that the Japanese [ landed at ICiukow (Kin chau) on a Sunday, and captured Niucliwang 0 on Monday evening, She Russians ' falling back to protect the railway. ' General Kuropatkin requests that the goods traffic be stopped, and more troops and transports are to be sent immediately. The Daily Express asserts that } the Russian Treasury has assigned £15,000,000 for the purchase of cruisers and submarines from France and Germany. THE LATEST. i [ THE YALU ENGAGEMENT ) j FIERCE ARTILLERY t BATTLE DIFFICULTIES OF FORDING ; THE RIVER i RUSSIANS DRIVEN FROM ' THE TRENCHES r '. (Received May 5, 7-38 a.m.) London, May 4 General Sassulich reports that j the 12th and 22nd regiments., with . the second and third batteries of the ' the sixth brigade of artillery, were • engaged at Twientchen on Sunday. The battle began with a heavy cannonade from Wiju, and the siege guns and field batteries on the islands upon the Russian right flank. 1 After a while firing was directed with extraordinary violence on the left flank and the main position at Twientchen and Potientsky, assisted I by bodies of Japanese across the Aiho River. ' The situation of the defenders ! became most difficult, especially at Potientsky, which was bombarded from the front and both flanks. Thirty Japanese guns were pitted against one battery at Potientsky. The latter silenced the Japanese mountain battery, and then fired on the infantry, itself sustaining few losses until the withdrawal of the infantry compelled it to take up & fresh position. Despite the Russian fire, the Japanese made continual attacks. Their bodies lay in heaps at the fords of the river. Simultaneously with the attack on Potientsky, another one was made on the left flank, compelling, the abandonment of the uussiarij trenches at Twientchen Reserves several times reinforce! the first line, enabling it for a lott'r time to maintain i>s position. Finally all tho supports were brought into the firing line hut owing to the distance from tb lP main reserves, it was impossible i 0 reach the advance force in timt». The Russians retired f ro m their principal position in tbe rear of Twientchen,. follower 7, by a concentrated fire from th. e Japanese, who hesitated to uV.j. ndon , h( , cre , t o{ the hill in the frtce of the n US3 i AQ batteries. lhe Jar, anese dug f rosn trenches, opened r k | l(4aV y artillery fire or; the new 1 .ussian position, and bi-jsan to turr . the Ru*sian left flank towurds S'Vningou. Two battalions of the llth regiajoijt, with a battery tolonging to *

reservp, took a fresh position at Laounhou, enabling the advance line, winch bad suffered heavily and contained many wounded, to retire. When the flanks of the regiments were turned, the Russians several times tried the bayonet hut the Japanese declined a uand-to-hand conflict and recoiled. capturlTof NIUCHWANG UNCONFIRMED BATTLE COMPARED TO THE TUGELA London, May 4 The reported capture of Niuch•wang by the Jupanese is unconfirmed, Mr Maxwell, 'he correspondent of the Standard, in describing the fight on the Yalu, pays before the battle the position exactly resembled the Tugela. The Russians had every advantage. The Japanese claim that, besides twenty-eight quick-firers, they coptured twenty field pieces. Russian prisoners testify that the new Arisku guns decimated them. The Russians, before burning Antung, expelled fifteen thousand of the inhabitants at the point of the bayonet.