From the Yalu to Port Arthur

The Origin of the War--A Glance over Three Centuries--Korea and Japan--War between China and Japan--Peace--Russian Intrigue--A Temporary Agreement--Russian “Instructors” at Seou...

Japanese Study of the Russian Army--Remarkable Confidential Paper--Concise and Accurate Estimate--Incapacity of the Russian Officer--Lack of Discipline--Kuropatkin “Not to be Fe...

The Plan of Campaign and the Japanese Leaders--Russian Defensive Triangle--Base Formed by the Yalu--First Point of Attack--Anticipated Early Fall of Port Arthur--Tardy Developme...

The Northern Advance--Kuroki at Pyn-gyang--Four Problems to Solve--Danger of Russian Move Southwards--A Thirty Miles Line--Terrible Roads--No Opposition--Halt for Supplies--A Ch...

En route for the Front--“The Men of Great Patience”--From Chinampo to Pyng-yang--A Dismal Journey--Dignified Korean Governor--Pyng-yang, its Smells and Abominations--Demon Worsh...

The Valley of the Yalu--Wiju, “the Stronghold of the West”--Japanese Concentration Complete--A Network of Rivers--Study of the Position--How the River Runs--Tiger Hill--How and...

Bridging the Yalu--A Memorable Feat--Daring Reconnaissance--Energy of the Engineers--The Island of Kontonto--Suitable for the Howitzers--Safely Landed and Screened--The Field Gu...

Preparing for Battle--Description of the Scene--Like Painted Canvas--View of the Russian Position--Reminiscent of the Tugela--Should be Impregnable--The Russians Reconnoitre--An...

The Passage of the Yalu--The Guns Begin to Speak--Japanese Batteries Unmasked--Two Hours’ Artillery Duel--Russian Retirement--Japanese Right Advance--Crossing the River at Night...

The Pursuit and the Lessons--Supports and Reserves in Play--A Detached Russian Force--Fierce Rearguard Fight--Priest as Leader--Capture of Guns--Russian Casualties--The Enemy’s...

After the Battle--A Moving Picture--Kuroki at Ease--Wounded and Dying--“Unser Vater”--The Realism of War--An Appreciation of the Japanese Task--Saving of the Living--Return to C...

“The Peace of the East”--Antung City--The Godmothers of Japan, Korea and China--Manchurians as Men--Japanese March through Antung--A Dutch Kitchen--Native Houses--The Privilege...

The March into Manchuria--Feng-Hoang-Cheng--“The Merciful Man has no Enemies”--The Governors of the Province--The Manchu as Soldier--A Beautiful Country--March to Kao-li-men--Ru...

In Memory of the Dead--A Shinto Service--Memories of Omdurman, Khartoum and Ladysmith--The Lost Origin of a Ritual--A Genuine Product of Japanese Soil--A Religion only in Name--...

Why the Japanese lingered at Feng-hoang-cheng--Many Reasons for Hesitation--Kuroki’s Caution--A New Factor--What the Russians ought to have done--An Interval of Forty-five Days...

Advance toward Liao-yang--Enemy Abandon Mou-tien-ling Pass--Evidences of Confused Retreat--Heaven-reaching Pass--Rain for Three Nights and Days--Splendid Defences Deserted--Effe...

Attack on Mou-tien-ling--The Japanese “Mother” us--“You must wait”--To-wan--Engagements at Dawn--The Guns Speak--Reinforcements Hurried Up--Inexplicable Retirement of the Enemy-...

Assault on Chaotoa--Important Strategic Position--Its Strength and Entrenchments--A Day of Desultory Fighting--Under Cover of Darkness--Attack at Dawn--Weak Point in the Russian...

The Advance on Liao-yang--A General Action--We Leave Mou-tien-lien--Axioms of War put to the Test--Kuroki and Kuropatkin Face to Face--The Ramparts of Manchuria--We Hold the Ene...

Attack on Yu-shu-ling--A Dramatic Encounter--An Isolated Engagement essential to the General Movement--Four o’Clock in the Morning--“The Enemy is upon us”--Russian Headlong Flig...

The Battle of Liao-yang--Preparing the Way--Increased Russian Activity--How Kuroki Drove Kuropatkin to his Last Defences about Liao-yang--Two Hundred Thousand Men and Three Defe...

The Russian Army Retires on Liao-yang--“To-day the Russians are very Obstinate”--A Dense Fog--Russians Retire on their Second Line--Five Months in the Mountains--The Freedom of...

The Assault on Liao-yang--The Sedan of Manchuria?--First Evidence of Permanent Russian Occupation--Kuroki’s Reasons for Retirement--Shou-shan--Hundreds of Guns Engaged--Our Infa...

Capture of Liao-yang--The Supreme Moment at Hand--Truce of the Night--An Apparently Impregnable Position--Reckless Courage of the Japanese--Three Attacks and Three Repulses--An...

Kuroki Crosses the Tai-tsu--A Great Achievement--Kuropatkin’s Strategy Frustrated--Kuroki’s New Task--Absence of Favourable Conditions--River Crossed without Opposition--Manjuya...

Battle of Sha-ho--Kuropatkin’s Address to his Army--Reason of the Retreat--Now strong enough to abandon the Defensive and ensure Victory--Stringent Orders from St. Petersburgh--...

A Gallant Fight--The Weakness of Ponchiho--Umizawa Forced Back--Both Sides Reinforced--Desperate Measures Required--Oyama Orders a General Attack--Inferiority of Japanese Artill...

A Hard-won Victory--The Moment to Strike--An Inspiring Spectacle--How the Japanese Advanced--Assault on Temple Hill--Its Capture--Russians Prepare to Retreat--Ponchiho Surrounde...

A Forlorn Hope--Stirring Episode of the Battle--A Night Attack--Difficult Operation--Elaborate Preparations--A Horror of Great Darkness--Slowly Pressing Onward--Zone of Death--T...

Mukden in Sight--Storming a Hill--Four Roads Open to the Retreat--Our Failure to Envelop the Enemy--Its Reason--Caution Justified--A Feature of the War--Breakdown of the Russian...

The Story of a Famous Brigade--General Okasaki’s 4,000 Fighting Men--Their 3,889 Casualties--Unshaken Morale of the Brigade--Okasaki’s Career--What the Brigade Did--A Crowded an...

The Surrender--New Year’s Day--Flag of Truce--A Land of Silence--Incredible News--“Port Arthur has Fallen”--Stoessel’s Message--Fateful Council of War--Orders to Destroy the Shi...

The Two Leaders--Sketch of Nogi--The Meeting--Stoessel’s Honour Preserved--Nogi’s Bereavement--A Courteous Gift--Stoessel on his Way to Dalny--Inside the War-scarred City--The B...

Why did General Stoessel Surrender?--Port Arthur Capable of Further Resistance--Four Justifications for Capitulation Examined--Facts and Figures--The Last Days Less Glorious tha...

Japanese Guns and Horses--The One Advantage of their Guns--Their Predilection for Common Shell--Good Results--Tactical Deficiencies--The Cavalry--Difficulty of Forming Correct J...

For the origin of the war between Russia and Japan we must glance back over three centuries. After the famous expedition of 1592–8, Korea was bound to Japan by the closest ties....

The issues of war are not determined by numbers and bank balances. If victory depended on these factors the British Empire would never have been created. Our forefathers happily...

The soldier in the field is always an interesting study. The absence of those influences that regulate habits and manners in cities: the communism and openness of his life all t...

A glance at the map will show that the Russian defence lay within an irregular triangle, of which Harbin is the apex, and Port Arthur and Vladivostock are the angles at the base...

It was of supreme importance that Pyng-yang should be occupied without delay. Once in the possession of that city the Japanese could command three points for the landing of troo...

General Kuroki and his staff arrived at Pyng-yang on March 21st, and began to prepare for the advance. Four problems had first to be solved. At what point were the Russians like...

In Japan you must take the advice of St. Paul and follow after patience. No country teaches the lesson so thoroughly. In Tokyo the patience of hope gave place to the patience of...

Between China and Korea nature has thrown a barrier of mountain and river that looks impregnable. Behind this defence the Russians decided to make their first stand. The Yalu is...

It is always an interesting and instructive spectacle to behold the inventive genius of man engaged in a struggle with mighty forces, and to observe courage, skill and endurance...

To associate violence and death with the valley of the Yalu seemed a sacrilege, so tranquil it looked and so beautiful. The sun lighted up the dark ridges and gilded the tawny s...

The moment was drawing near when the armies would meet and the vaunted might of Russia would be put to the test. How would it fare with the Japanese? Victorious at sea, would th...

The night passed without alarm, and on the morning of April 30th the guns on the heights above Chiu-lien-cheng began to speak once more. Soon after dawn the Russian General disc...

Victory was won, yet work was not over. Reserves were called up to pursue, and guns forded the river in support. Advancing in three columns the Japanese strove to keep touch wit...

The battle was over, and in the courtyard of a Manchurian house sat victor and vanquished. It was a strange and moving picture, such as Verestchagin might have painted. In the d...

Within the limit of five degrees the earth offers no stranger contrasts than those of Japan, Korea, and China. The fairy who watched over the birth of Japan was of dainty form;...

“The merciful man has no enemies.” This was the legend that met the eye of General Kuroki when he dismounted to receive the welcome of the Governor of Feng-hoang-cheng. Despite...

The tidal wave of war that swept us over the Yalu left us stranded on a hill side in Manchuria. Upon the slope of the hill was outspread a forest of green boughs, in the shade o...

The priest stood on the mountain facing the multitude. In his uplifted hand was a pine branch hung with strips of white paper--emblems of the soul’s purity. Swish! Swish! Swish!...

When the priest of Shinto had bowed before the shrine and the last offering had been made, the soldiers marched away. But the service for the dead was not ended. Out of the litt...

The Japanese have been blamed for not taking advantage of their victory at the Yalu to press North without delay. There were many reasons for hesitation. In the first place they...

The advance of the First Army toward Liao-yang, long expected, carefully prepared, began on the 24th of June. The Second Division, under General Nishi, moved along the Pekin roa...

At dawn, on the 18th of July, we were roused by the sound of rifles and the hurrying feet of armed men. A dense mist lay over the valley of Lien-chen-kwan, and out of the darkne...

At Chaotoa the Russians had a position of the highest strategic importance, from which they could threaten the advance of our right wing upon Liao-yang or Mukden. Bridge Head--a...

By the light of the moon we mounted our horses and took the road once more to Mou-tien-ling. The valley lay before us folded in the death-like slumber that precedes the dawn. Ag...

For dramatic incident, not less than tactical interest, the attack on Yu-shu-ling--to which reference has been made in describing the general advance on Liao-yang--is worthy of...

During the last days of August every soldier felt that he was nearing the end of the first phase of the war, and that a decisive battle was impending. Three armies were concentr...

Although the centre of their right flank had been forced, there appeared no urgent reason for the Russians to withdraw beyond the river. There were hills in front capable of def...

On the morning of August 30th, when we looked down upon Liao-yang we believed that this city of the plain would be the Sedan of Manchuria. A crescent of steel was drawn about it...

The supreme moment was at hand. Thousands who lay down to rest in the trenches were destined never again to look on the face of the sun. The night was clear and no sound of stri...

The part assigned to General Kuroki in the attack on Liao-yang was worthy of his brilliant record. For five months his army had marched and fought in the mountains, driving back...

Exhausted by long hours of continuous combat upon a few handfuls of dry rice, the Japanese were unable to make any progress. To add to their troubles the field wire failed and G...

On October 8th General Kuropatkin issued an address to the army in Mukden giving reason for the retreat from Liao-yang, and announcing that the time had come to roll back the ad...

The weak point in the Japanese line of defence was on the right near Ponchiho, twenty miles East of General Kuroki’s main position at Yentai. To this flank General Umizawa had r...

Now was the moment to strike and to strike hard. Out of the South came a double line of men. They stretched Westward across the brown sunlit plain--a far-flung battle line. War...

The end was drawing near. Under cover of darkness attacks were made on Bastion Hill and the heights to the South-east. They began at one in the morning and were attended with so...

On the brown plain to the North-west of Temple Hill rises a rocky mound--the scene of one of the most stirring episodes in the battle of the Sha-ho. The Chinese call it the Thre...

We were riding over a hill near the Sha-ho. The dead lay upon the slope like livid stains on a green carpet. In the trench--a deep scar across the brow of the hill--was a tangle...

Having struck their blow the Japanese made strenuous efforts to envelope the defeated and demoralised enemy. Four roads were open to the retreating armies. On the East they were...

The record of the Okasaki Brigade covers almost every important action in which General Kuroki was engaged. It bore the brunt of fifteen great fights and won laurels that can ne...

The reader is now asked to transport himself on the magic carpet of his imagination to that great fortress at the Southern extremity of the Kwantung Peninsula, whose occupation...

The first day of the New Year was drawing to a close when a Russian officer came riding toward our outposts. A Cossack mounted on a shaggy pony carried before him a flag of truc...

General Nogi is a grim old warrior--a silent, sombre, passionate man. Every line of his spare figure and dark face, and every hair of his grizzly beard, stands for strength and...

It may seem ungenerous to attempt to pluck a few leaves from the laurels that adorn the brow of General Stoessel. But even contemporary history--ever indulgent toward splendid f...

In all respects, save one, the Japanese field guns are inferior to the Russian. They have a shorter range; their projectiles are lighter; they are less mobile, and they are not...

Children are the true hero-worshippers, and it is their nature to set up their high altar on the gory battlefield--the gorier the better. If you want to fathom the depth of “ori...

I tell the story as it was told to me by an officer of General Kuroki’s Staff. On a bare hill-top, strewn with the debris of war, lay fourteen wounded soldiers. Through the long...