June 13, 1904.]
100 officers. There were no casualties among Generals.
TOKYO, 5th June, 12.30 p.m. Admiral Togo reports that, according to a wireless telegram from the captain of the Chitose cruising off Port Arthur, four masts with wireless telegraphic instruments on one of them and a sentry-box were seen on the top of Laotishan. Great explosions were heard and dense smoke was observed rising repeatedly in the direction of Port Arthur during Saturday last.
RUSSIAN GUNBOAT BLOWN UP.
1OKYO, 6th June, 12.85 p.m. Admiral Togo reports that the Fifth destroyer flotilla, while engaged in blockad. ing Port Arthur at 7.40 p.m. on the 4th instant, witnessed a gunboat of the Gilyak type belonging to the enemy blow up and sink at the front of Chengtaushan, probably by striking one of our mines. Another Russian gunboat, some destroyers and steam-launches which appeared to be engaged in clearing mines outside Port Arthur hastily fled inside.
EXPLODING RUSSIAN MINES.
TOKYO, June 7th, 1.80 p.m. Admiral Togo reports that the clearing operations at Talienwan are satisfactorily progressing despite the rough sea, and 41 mines were discovered and exploded between the 3rd and 6th inst. A Chinese who formerly served the enemy as a pilot is now usefully employed by us. We discovered one safe channel for the navigation of shallow-draught ships.
JAPANESE OCCUPY SAIMACHIH AND SIUYEN.
TOKYO, 10th June, 7.40 p.m. General Kuroki reports that a detachment occupied Saimachih on the 7th inst.
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
PORT ARTHUR NEWS.
LONDON, 5th June.
[RUSSIAN OFFICIAL DESPATCHES.]
495
Russian messages per carrier pigeon for- warded to St. Petersburg, declare that the news from Port Arthur is very satisfactory.gram to the Tsar, dated May 3rd ----
General Sakharoff reports that a body of Cossacks on the 31st ultimo encountered the Japanese at Fenchuinling pass and dislodged them from a strong position on | the heights.
THE BATTLE ON THE YALU. General Kuropatkin sent the following tele-
- i
Thirty Cossacks were killed and wounded.
RUSSIAN SOUTHWARD MOVEMENT.
LONDON, 6th June.
All correspondents to St. Petersburg unite in affirming that General Kuropatkin has ordered a Southward movement to relieve Port Arthur.
According to the report of General Sassulitch. dated May 3rd, on the fight of May 1st at Turen-chen. (Chiuliencheng) the battle was fought in the following circumstances:
The 12th and 22nd Regiments and the 2nd and 3rd Batteries of the 6th Brigade of Artillery were the troops engaged. The battle began with heavy cannonading on our right flank by siege guns at Wiju and field batteries on the islands. After a lull the firing was resumed with extraordinary violence against the left flank of our main position at Turen-chen and our position at Potentytai. A fusillade was also begun by small parties of Japanese across the River Ai-ho.
The situation of the defenders of the positions became more difficu, especially at Potentytsi,
Some critics suggest that this nnanimity is intentional, and intended to conceal a general retreat Northward, which a strong which was bombarded on the front and both rearguard is demonstratively covering.
THE MANCHURIAN FRONTIER.
LONDON, 6th June.
The anxiety in St. Petersburg regarding the situation on the Manchurian frontier is increasing.
Owing to the restlessness of the Chinese troops it is feared that General Ma will lose control over the forces under his command.
MOBILISING RUSSIA'S FIRST ARMY CORPS.
LONDON, 7th June. The Tsar has ordered the mobilisation of the first Army Corps, which includes the St. Petersburg district.
General Kuropatkin reports a five hours' fight on the 3rd instant at Khotsiaputse, 18 miles West of Fenghwangcheng. The Japanese attempting to advance from a fortified position were driven back by Cossacks, assisted by field guns. Sixteen
Our casualties were three men killed and Cossacks were wounded. 24 men wounded.
The enemy left 23 killed on the field, besides two officers and five men who were taken prisoners.
General Kuroki's army, co-operating with the forces that landed at Takushan, occupied Siuyen on the 8th inst., driving the enemy towards Tomucheng and Kaiping.
The enemy consisted of 4,000 cavalry with 6 guns.
Our casualties were three men killed, and one lieutenant, one sub-lieutenant and 28 men slightly wounded.
THE RUSSIAN DEAD AT NANSHAN,
TOKYO, 12th June, 12.25 p.m. General Oku reports that Russian corpses have been found in the vicinity of Nanshan and carefully buried by the Japanese Mili- and Commission tary Administration gendarmes.
The number was 10 officers, and 664 men, besides about 30 buried by Japanese troops in the neighbourhood of the camps.
(REUTER'S SERVICE.]
GENERAL STOESSEL'S REPORT ON THE BATTLE OF NANSHAN.
LONDON, 4th June, General Stoessel's report of the battle of Nanshan, hastily pencilled, was sent by junk to Yingkow and from there telegraph- ed. It says that the Japanese fire, especi- ally from the gunboats and destroyers, annihilated the batteries at Kinchau. Before evacuating Nanshan he ordered the guns to be blown up, but his orders were only partially carried out, owing to the necessity for a prompt retreat.
THE RUSSIAN BALTIC FLEET.
LONDON, 7th June. Naval experts are convinced that the Baltic fleet, whose date of departure is constantly deferred, will never reach the Pacific; even if it starts.
A CHINESE REPORT.
LONDON, 9th June.
A Belgian Legation telegram from Liao- yang, received in St. Petersburg, says the Chinese report that the Japanese on the 6th instant made several simultaneous land and sea attacks on Port Arthur and were repulsed with severe loss. '
THE JAPANESE ATTACK ON
SAIMATSE.
LONDON, 9th June. General Kuropatkin reports that a Japa- nese brigade attacked Saimatse, North of Fenghwangcheng, on the 7th instant. In view of the numbers of the enemy, the Russians retired losing 100 in killed and wounded.
RUSSIANS FALLING BACK.
LONDON, 10th June. Reuter's correspondent at Mukden con- firms that General Kuroki has begun a for- ward movement in force; and the Russians officially admit that they are falling back before a superior force.
ENGLISH AID TO RUSSIAN HOSPITALS.
LONDON, 10th June. The English Red Cross Society has sent £2,000 for the Russian sick and wounded.
flanks.
Thirty Japanese guns were pitted against our battery at Potentytei, which, after having silenced the enemy's mountain battery, directed its fire on the Japanese infantry and sustained few losses, so long as it was not obliged to take up another position owing to the withdrawal of our infantry from the bank.
The Japanese under our fire made continual attacks with fresh troops, but without having recourse to the bayonet. Japanese bodies lay in heaps at the fords of the river.
Simultaneously with the attack at Potentytsi an attack was being made on the left flank at Turen-chen, and the Russian trenches had to be abandoned under the enfilading fire of the Japanese. Our reserves several times mingled with the first line, thus enabling it for a long time to maintain its position. Finally all the supports were brought up into the firing line, but, owing to their great distance from the main reserves, it was impossible for them to reach the advanced force in time. Our men retired from the principal position to another position in the rear of Turen-chen, followed by the concentrated fire of the Japanese, who could not make up their minds to come down from the crest which they occupied, and to face the fire of our batteries and Poulemetts. They dug fresh trenches, and opened a heavy artillery fire on our new positions, and began to turn our left flank towards Echingou.
Two battalions of the 11th Regiment and the 3rd Battery of the 3rd Brigade of Artillery, belonging to the main reserve, were ordered to Lao-fan-hou. They occupied a position with a double firing line, thus permitting our advanced line, which had suffered heavily, and our wounded, to retire.
The battalions of the 11th Regiment, both flanks of which were turned by the enemy. several times advanced with fixed bayonets, and The rpeceded by buglers, to clear a passage. Japanese, however, declined a hand-to-hand conflict, and recoiled. In front of the regiment was the chaplain bearing a cross.
He was struck by two bullets. It was only by advano- ing on the Japanese with the bayonet that the 11th Regiment was able to extricate itself. On the arrival of a battalion of the 10th
Regiment all the troops were able to beat a retreat.
The losses of the 11th and 12th Regi. ments were very great, and are not yet exactly known. In the 11th Regiment the killed included Colonel Laming and Lieut-Colonels Dometti and Raievsky. The 12th Regiment lost nine company commanders wounded.
killed or
The 2nd and 3rd Batteries of the 6th Brigade, having lost the greater number of their men and abandoned them after rendering them and horses, could not bring away their guns, useless. For the same reason the six guns of the 3rd Battery and 'eight poulmettes could not be brought away, and they were also disabled. The mountainous nature of the country render- ed it impossible to save the guns by means of drag ropes.
Up to the present 800 wounded, including fourteen officers, have been brought into the hospital at Fengwangcheng. Their eventual transport elsewhere is fully assured.
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