May 30, 1904.]
who play with them as a cat with a mouse or an angler with a fish; the fish may escape, once in a while, but at most he cannot catch the angler.
In a similar way, General Kuroki played with General Kastalinsky. One day there would be a Japanese reconnaissance just below Antung, it would be made to appear as if the crossing of the river was to be seriously attempted there. At break-neck speed messengers would chase up and down the Russian lines, getting ready to make a determined resistance here, and when the whole line was worked up to a fever-heat of expectation and a considerable degree of exhaus- tion with running hither and thither, news would be received that there was a small party of Japanese already across the Yalu twelve miles above Antung, near Li-tsu-yuen. Rus sian reinforcements had then to be hurried off in that direction, to prevent the enemy from getting a foothold; and when they got there, they would find that the Japanese had already gone back to their side of the river. Thus went the merry game of "Keep them guessing."
own
Ever since the Japanese advance scouts ven- tured into Wiju, to find out whether the place was really clear of Russians, the islands which have grown up in the sluggish Yalu below Wijn, and convert the river into a miniature delta, or at any rate a tangle of meandering loops and back reaches, formed a sort of happ. hunting ground where venturesome Japanese and Cossack scouting parties played hide-and- seek in deadly earnest. The islands spread out something like a string of boats moored off- shore, a line of them on each side of the river. with narrow streams (sometimes only dry sandy beds at low tide) between them and the big main stream in the middle. When the Russians left Wiju, and began entrenching on the opposite bank, they put outposts on all the islands; but the Japanese gradually crept forward till all the islands on the Corean side were in their possession. On April 21st, however, the Russians made a reconnaissance in considerable force among the Japanese islands. There had been some scores of junks collected at Antung for weeks past, and at day- light the Russians were seen crowding into these and crossing the central stream. It was a foolish thing to do, for they were not in force enough to stand any chance against a serious Japanese attack, and they were putting them- selves into a very awkward position. The Japanese very sensibly let the Russians land on the islands just below Wiju, and then about three times as many Japanese crept quietly round along the mainland, and got the Russians between cross-fires of musketry and made the
islands too hot to hold them. There was nothing for it but to scramble back aboard the junks, under a rain of bullets, and scull away to the opposite shore as fast as the boats could be driven. The retiring party could not do much firing back, until they were right off ahore, and even then it was quite ineffectual, as the Japanese could keep cover. About twenty Russians were found dead on one of the islands, and among those in the junks there must have been many that had been hit and were helped away by their comrades.
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CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
very extended line is obviously unable to have a very large force at every point, and so the Japanese simply ascertain what force there is at any place, and send an attacking party overwhelmingly superior. This is quite easy when the Russians leave themselves so poorly informed of the Japanese movements, al wait to be attacked instead of attacking. The Japanese had boats enou h for a force outnum- bering these Russian outposts by three to one, but the Russians never knew this until the fight was practically decided. The Japanese got across the water in the pitchy darkness of 3 a.m., and had landed on the Russian side before they were discovered. The firing immediately became brisk on all sides, but whereas the Russians were mostly aiming at random into the blackness of night, the Japanese had a fairly good idea where to aim. Artillery of course was out of the question in these circumstances, and as the Russians do not have such a deep- rooted tradition as the Japanese have against running away in battle, the islands were entirely left to the attacking party by seven o'clock that morning. From these islands, the Japanese pushed on and occupied the little town of Li-tsu-yuen, which is divided from Chulien. cheng by the tributary of the Yalu mentioned above, and threatens the north flank of the Tirer Head position.
ese
Then followed a little incident that might almost be called by-play. The Japanese made a feint of bridging the Yalu just below Li-tsu- yuen and well within range of Tiger Head fort. When the fort opened fire on the boats that were being ostentatiously got ready, the Japanese artillery replied vigorously, and there ensued a furious cannonade on both sides. It resulted in a little damage to native huts in the town of Wiju by Russian shells, and consider- able damage to the boats that were within the sight of the Russians. Meanwhile the Japan. were quietly going ahead with their real more. further down the river, behind the islands of Hushan and Sungkong, where the Russians col see nothing. Sungkong is nearest to the Corean shore, and runs parallel with it. along a very zigzag course, for about two miles or more. Hushan runs more or less parallel with the Manchurian shore. and lies partly abreast of Sungkong, partly further down towards Antung. From Tiger Head, the uthern ends of the two islands only can be seen, where the river splits into three. The Japanese had some small gun-boats creating a diversion below Antung, and pretending to mask a bridging movement there. Between these different alarms the Russians were completely outwitted. and the main body of the Japanese army moved over to Sungkong absolutely without the
Russians suspecting anything.
was
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From Sungkong to Hushan Island almost equally easy and by evening of the 30th April the Japanese army Was well established on the Russian side of the river and was silently creeping into position for a grand assault on the whole of the Russian defences at daylight next morning. It is a weird and exciting thing, this stealthy midnight manoeuvring right under the nose of the unsus- pecting foe. A stumble, a gun going off by accident, might ruin everything and cause a dreadful disaster. And how wonderful is the value of knowledge to know where the enemy's sentries are, and to feel that he has not equal
It may have been the intention of the Rus- sians simply to ascertain whether the Japanese were in considerable force or not; but if so, the information was obtained in a clumsy and cost-knowledge of his antagonist's position! ly way. It could hardly have been the inten. tion to effect a serious landing on the Japanese side, with a few unwieldy junks crammed with men, in face of a whole army well covered. The entire manœuvre seems to have been a rather unintelligent one on the part of the Russians.
As the boats cleared away from the shore, the Russian cannon on the Tiger's Head hill boomed sullenly, and a few shells came over towards the Japanese islands, but fell short. The islands are over three miles downstream from the fort, and the Russians seemed unable to make good practice at such a long range.
On the 26th the Japanese sent a body of several hundred troops scross the Yalu at a point about four miles above Wiju, and attacked a chain of small Russian outposts on some low islands there, at the junction of a large tributary of the Yalu. This move again illustrated the enormous value of the superior Japanese Intelligence Department. Any belli- gerent trying to act on the defensive along a
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uear the Russian lines as they could get with- out being observed, and spread themselves out, ready to advance in open order all along the line as soon as the artillery fire should cease. The Russian line had been drawn back some distance, varying from half a mile to a mile and a half, from the river bank, which had been found too much exposed to the fire of the Japanese artillery at Wiju and the islands. besides the gun-boats, which kept coming up past Antung.
The withdrawal of the Russian main line of defence had left the Tiger Head position some- what exposed, and if the line could be rolled back a little more, the fort would be left isolated, and would either be abandoned or out off and captured. For cannon without infantry to protect them can do nothing at close quarters.
From about 2 a.m. the Japanese were on the move, quietly lining up to storm the Russin trenches, on the low land stretching back from the river a mile or two, gradually rising to gently undulating hills around Chuliencheng. with an abrupt headland whore Tiger Hill over- looks the river. The land is all under cultiva tion, and the fields are all clear at this season. There are a few trees here and there, but the best cover is afforded by the little watercourses, mostly dry, and the innumerable little declivities from field to field, characteristic of Far Eastern agriculture. It is by no means easy to make one's way about these fields in the dark, but slowly and carefully, it was accomplished in perfect_order.
A few minutes before five o'clock there was enough daylight to begin shelling, and the Japanese began before the Russians were pro- perly awake. The attacking force of course knew precisely what ranges they had taken up, and so they got in a good many well-placed shots before the Russians were able to get the right range for reply. Then the shelling was fast and furious, for the next two hours, with- out a moment's lull. To be in the midst of a wholesale bombardment, where there are 100 or 150 guns on each side, is at first an awful ex- perience; then bewildering; then wearisome, and finally almost absurd. At first the roar and crash, the volleys and thunders seem quite overpowering. But after five or ten minutes, one cannot help noticing that the world still exists despite the terrific tumult observes that the enemy appears to live through it. As time passes, the enormous physical impression created by the shock to the ear drums grows less, and the calm percep- tion of the comparative smallness of the damage grows clearer. Thus, for in- stance. I say to myself, We are not getting hurt much, and the enemy also seems to continue as if not much hurt." Yet, while it was true that the Russian artillery did hardly any damage to the Japanese, we found afterwards that the Japanese had indeed been far more effective.
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About half-past seven the Russian guns had mostly ceased firing, and the infantry in the long lines of trenches seemed to have retired some distance into the hills behind Chulien- cheng. They were still not far away, and were keeping up a tremendous fire, but it seemed a little further off than it had been at first. General Kuroki therefore ordered a general advance. and gallantly did the Japanese soldiers respond. It was their first big fight with European troops, and every man was keen to show that he was not afraid of Europe or of all
the world.
The Russians also were full of dogged dater- mination. This was the very thing they had excelled in. traditionally, this sticking to their trenches and taking punishment unflinchingly. Brilliance in attack was no Russian moujik's strong point, but stolid, patient, heroic immor- ability in face of attack. So they held their fire till the Japanese were within 500 yards, and then the whole Russian line blazed forth from
end to end. It was here that the Japanese lost terribly, but they too have their traditions, not of passive resistance or dogged defence, but of fierce, furious onslaught in the face of certain death. And magnificently they lived up to their traditions. Taking open order and mak- ing the most of every little bit of cover, they crept on, inch by inch, firing carefully, Boer fashion, from behind every little mud-heap in the fallow fields, every little hollow and hum- mock, and each man vying with his neighbonr in the persistent advance up the slope of the hills to get at the famous Russian troops.
It was fortunate for the Japanese “Tommies" that they had clever Generals, who had managed to out-manoeuvre the enemy. Slowly but surely it was seen that the Japanese left wing had quite outflanked the Russian right and was curling round it and crumpling it back. It took time; to walk the distance, with no battle in full swing, would be a matter of 40 or 50 minutes, and when one is dodging bullets all the time it takes The Japanese force was divided into four sec- hours. When he thinks fit, a Japanese will ad- tions, the fourth being the reserve; this com- vance without thought of dodging bullets, but prised chiefly the troops that had done the pre- this was not the time for recklessness; this was liminary fighting of April 28, 29 and 30. The the time to remember that a soldier is more use- other three sections were directed to advance | ful alive than dead as a rule. So they went in parallel columns, under cover of night, as slowly.