WAR IN THE EAST.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVI, Issue 102, 4 May 1904, Page 3

WAR IN THE EAST.

RUSSIAN OFFICIAL REPORTS. HEAVY FIGHTING. JAPAN'S SUPERIOR ARTILLERY, RUSSIAN WARSHIP ASHORE.

LONDON, May 3. Russian official despatches report that the Japanese opened a terrific artillery Are on the Russian positions at Turen-tchen and Po-tienin-tzye at lour o'clock on Monday morning.

The overwhelming superiority of the enemy's artillery and his heavy losses' convinced General Sassulitch that it would be impossible to hold Turen-tchen and Schak-hedr.y ; consequently, he retreated in good order to a second position at Po-tienin-tzye and Tchingu. General Kuroki reports that thirty thousand Russians held a lour-mile front, and there was three-quarters of an hour's severe fighting before the heights from Kui-lien-Ching to Ma-kou-kusho-uku were stormed.

Dense fogs frustrated a Japanese naval movement at Vladivostok. ST. PETERSBURG, May 2.

The battleship Orel, just finishing, grounded on a sandbank at Neva. The Elmak has been sent to assist the tugs to get the vessel afloat.

JAPANESE AND RUSSIAN LOSSES.

TWO RUSSIAN GENERALS WOUNDED. RUSSIANS ABANDON AND BURN ANTUNG. LONDON, May 2. The Japanese casualties on Sunday amounted to seven hundred, and those of the Russians upwards of eight hundred. Generals Saasulitch ami Kashoalinekl were wounded. [The Japanese captured 28 quickfirers, numerous rifles, twenty officers and many men. The Russians forced to abandon it, burned Antung and retreated to Feng-heng-Cheng. The Japanese now control the estuary of the Yalu. General Kuroki reports that the Russians made two stands on Sunday. His strength includes all the third division and two i-egiments of tho Sixth division, with a cavalry brigade and forty quick-firers and eight machine guns. The whereabouts of Baron Oko's second Japanese army, also of the third army is unknown. A large Japanese fleet is off Takusban, a port near Wl-ju.

JAPANESE COMMANDER'S REPORT. A WELL CARRIED OUT PLAN. EXPEDITIOUS BRIDGE-BUILDING SYDNEY, May 3. The Consul-General for Japan has received the following cable from Baron Komura, Japanese Minister for Foreign Affairs The following is the report from General Kuroki "In order to prepare for the laying of bridges, dotachments of the Imperial Guards ■nd second division attacked the enemy on the islands in the Yalu, and. occupied them on the 26th. Ouricasualties were nine Imperials sligftly and sixteen seriously woundadrwbile there were none in the second division. The enemy retreated towards Kiu-liencheng, carrying many dead and wounded. According to a Russian cavalryman, who was taken prisoner, on the 22nd 33rd, and 27th, infantry regiments, together with Eastern Siberian sharpshooters, formed the van. Lieutenant Sengoloff, commanding the mounted scouts of the 22nd Regiment, corpses of which, found buried at Wiju, numbered 95. From noon of the 26th until next day the enemy tired Intermittently upon Wiju, but .were unanswered. On the same day two gunboats, two torpedo-boats, and two steamers were detached from the squadron, commanded by Rear-Admiral Thosoya, and proceeded up the Yalu, exchanging shots .with the enemy on Antun-sien. The enemy was silenced, while the detachment suffered no damage. On the 27th two infantry companies of the Imperial Guards reconnoitred Bushan, and one section was detached as far as Litzuyuen, whence the Oletny fled, leaving five dead. The enemy fired at long range from the neighbourhood of Kiu-lienrheng upon Wiju, without much efTect upon our preparation works. On the 29th the twelfth division commenced bridging at Sukuoin, and completed the work in the early morning of the next day, and the army crossed from 10.30 a.m. till noon. The enemy carried on severe fighting from all sides, but they were soon silenced, our losses being five officers slightly wounded arid two non-commi'ssion-ed officers and men killed and 22 wounded. At 8 p.m. on the 30th the bridge over the main stream was complete, and the army having crossed the river, advanced upon Kussan. Oil the 30th a detachment from the squadron advanced below Antun-sien, and fought at close range with 400 Infantry and cavalry, but after an >our the enemy retreated, with no cat'uaWes on our side. At daybreak on t£"® sst w commenced cannonading, au'd silenced the enemy's artillery on hill north-west of Yassukon. At ?/30 a.m. all the division advanced f'*>r the attack, and took possession °f tlte heights on the Ist., notwithstanding stout resistance. The second part of the second division and third division and Imperial Guards advani 011 three roads, driving the e' lem J r before them. At 8 p.m. we L " a Pf urec ' the line from Antun j sien to I'aushukon. The Imperial Guards surroui.'dcd the enemy on three sides, and afv several fights captured 20 guns, With horses and carriages. Over twenty officers and many men were mauf prisoners. The general .reserve corps advanoed upon the Liao-Yang road. The enemy is composed of the whole ot the third division and the 22nd and 24th Regiments of the fifth Infantry Division, sharpshooters, and General Mischendo's cavalry brigade. They fled towards Feng-huan-cheng. Our heavy field guns proved very effective. Russian officers taken prisoner say that two commanders of the army corps and divisions .were wounded."

NEWS BY THE 'FRISCO MAIL. JAPANESE ARRANGEMENTS THOROUGH. •RUSSIAN ARMY TO APPROXIMATE) HALF A MILLION.

(Per Mail Stetu mcr at Auckland.) AUCh> v -VD, May 3. 'Frisco news states „ that th ? com 7 taissariat arrangements thc " panese are marked with grt? thoroughness, and that the arn.'. v ' s equipped with everything scien *"' c •and photographic. The health of tl« e troops is good. The Russian military plans are not likely to mature before the end of the summer. General Kuropatkin demands that the men and guns placed at his disposal shall cover the extreme limits required to settle the campaign. The Russian plans are predicted on Napoleon's maxim, "God figftts on "the side of the heavier battalions." Tbeßussfaa anny Is designed to million.

CABLE NEWS.

United Press Association.—By Telegraph.—Copyright.