RUSSIA AND JAPAN.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVI, Issue 125, 31 May 1904, Page 3

RUSSIA AND JAPAN.

_» Battle of Kin-chau. I FORTS SEIZED AND DALNY THREATENED. LONDON, May 28. Tokio despatches assert that the Russian losses at Kin-chau are estimated at two thousand. Forts at the junction of the Dalny and Port Arthur lines have been seized, and an assault on I'aluy commenced. AN OFFICIAL REPORT. SYDNEY, May 30. A cable message received by the Cousul-Gcneral states .—"The artillery made preparatory firing on Nanshan, and in the severest cannonading the last charge was made. With great difficulty a breach was opened, through which we gained the whole height and captured all the guns in the forts. A fortunate circumstance was the discovery of a mine wire on the eastern foot of ,Nan-shan. We cut this and prevented an explosion."

THE RUSSIAN STRENGTH. (Received May 30, 10.4fj p.m.) SYDNEY, May 30. The Japanese Consul has received a cable stating that General Oko reports that the enemy consisted of one division of the field army, with two batteries of field artillery, besides fortress artillery and marines. After the enemy were dislodged they retreated in confusion, burning the magazines at Ta-gang-shin. Sixtyeight field guns and ten machine guns were taken as trophies. THE STORMING OF NAN-SHAN. A BRILLIANT PERFORMANCE. (Received May 30, 10.20 p.m.) LONDON, May 30. Nan-shan Is a high and steep piece of ground, strongly walled and splendidly defended by seventy guns protected by emplacements. Besides these there were two quick-firing batteries of eight machine guns each. Loop-holed shelter trenches, rising tier upon tier around the hill, were manned by infantry with machine

At daybreak the Japanese field guns centred their fire on the emplacements, silencing the principal batteries and by eleven o'clock compelling the quick-firing guns to be withdrawn to Nan-kwang-ling. The Japanese batteries then opened on the trenches. Meantime the infantry were advancing within rifle range and gradually worked to within four hundred metres (436.2 yards) of the Russian lines, where they encountered extensive wire entanglements, pits and mines. An opening was discovered, enabling them to approach within two hundred metres. Here repeated rushes were made on the defenders, but failed, every ollicer and man being shot down within twenty yards of the first line oi trenches. The chief losses occurred here. All the afternoon the Japanese artillery maintained a continuous cannonade, and towards evening, with great difficulty, a breach was opened and the infantry impetuously stormed the second trench. The lines were broken, and soon the whole of the stormers swept up, capturing the whole height and expelling the defenders. It is believed that General Stoessell, commander of Port Arthur, with many of his garrison, were assisting. The Japanese casualties were about three thousand five hundred. GENERAL OKO'S REPORT. AN AWFUL FIELD. (Received May 31, 1.11 a.m.) LONDON, May 30. General Oko reports that, with the fourth division forming his right wing, the first division the centre, and the third division the left wing, he commenced the inarch on Kinchau and Nan-shan at midnight on Wednesday. The night was stormy, and intensely dark.

Kin-chau was soon captured, but the fog delayed the opening of an artillery attack on Nan-shan until five o'clock. Four warships in Kinchau Bay were co-operating, and all the Russian guns replied. After, three hours' fierce fighting the Russian lire slackened, and the Japanese infantry advanced to within from three to five hundred metres of the outworks. By eleven all the Russian open forts were silenced, and the quick-firing guns were retrained on to the high ground at Nun-kwan-ling, whence they were fired occasionally while a Russian gunboat at Dalny shelled the third division. The Japanese guns tried their hardest to destroy the defensive works, and silenced the batteries under cover of the infantry assaults ; but the Russians maintained a most obstinate defence from an exceedingly strong position. Still no breach was made, and a move followed for a dash. At five o'clock one third of the division had advanced so far as to be quite surrounded, whereupon the third and first divisions, leaping over their own dead, forced the batteries and forts, engaging in a hand-to-hand combat with pistol, sword, and bayonet, driving thu enemy pellmell out of the last of ihe defences by seven o'clock. The setting sun saw the rising sun of the Japanese flag waving from the forts commanding the neck of ihe peninsula. The Japanese pursued, and also siii-ll.d 'he fugitive troops, who slept on the battlefield. Over the hundred dead Russians were found on the held \ number of oflicers and men were captured, in addition to the captured guns. The spoils also included one locomotive, three searchlights one dynamo, and fifty mines, while many rifles and much ammunition were secured.

Conquest of Liao-tung, GHIM PREPARATIONS. (Received May 30, 11.5 p.m.) LONDON, May 30. Dalny has been practically evacuated, and all valuables, ammunition etc., removed to Port Arthur. The electrical engineers remain in order to fire the harbour mines. They will also destroy the remaining docks, and pierce the cruiser Hnyan with three torpedoes at Talicn-wan. Fourteen Japanese vessels are lying nine miles outside n/ Dalny in a position where they are likely to intercept the Russians. PORT ARTHITR'S DEFENCES. (Received May 30, 11.21 p.m.) St. PETERSBURG, Mav 30. Captain GakolifT, of the sunken battleship Petropavlovsk, interviewed in St. Petersburg, slates : ■• it will take a hundred and lifty thousand men, with magnificent artillery, to capture Port Arthur. The Harrison considerably exceeds twenty-live thousand, with a great number of detached forts—each involving a sanguinary battle, since it must be captured before the inner defences are reached. _ Even then, the captain adds, the citadel is impregnable. There are numerous 12-inch guns mounted on the land side, and combined with these is a perfect rangctlnding system. The fortress is provisioned for a year, lie states that the injured warships are almost repairqdi

CABLE NEWS.

United Press Association.—By Telegraph.—Copyright.