Progress of the Siege--Siege of Port Arthur--The Japanese
Progress--The Japs Attack Metre Hill--The Russian Fleet
between Two Fires--A Jap Hero--Tunnels and
Hand-grenades--The Japs Capture Urlungshan--The Surrender
of Port Arthur--"Great Sovereign! Forgive!"--The Japs
Occupy the Fortress--Discreditable Surrender--The End of
the Siege of Port Arthur.
[Sidenote: Progress of the Siege]
In spite of such distractions as the campaign in Manchuria and the
career of the Baltic Fleet, Port Arthur remained the real focal point
of the world-wide interest which the tremendous struggle in the Far
East had aroused. The progress of the siege, which had been veiled in
obscurity during the earlier months of investment, owing to the
severity of the censorship, was suddenly and frankly revealed to the
world in the late autumn, and from that moment the salient incidents of
this thrilling drama could be followed almost from day to day. Winter's
icy grip, which had brought to a pause the headlong train of the
campaign in Manchuria, caused no interruption to the implacable contest
for mastery between the heroic troops of General Nogi and the dauntless
garrison commanded by General Stoessel. Not for an instant was there
the least relaxation of effort on the part of the besiegers or of
endurance on the part of the besieged. Rather was the resolution of
both combatants screwed to a higher pitch by the knowledge that time
might be the deciding factor in the conflict. The departure of the
Baltic Fleet gave General Stoessel hopes of ultimate relief as the
reward for holding on, and threatened General Nogi with the
stultification of all his sacrifices. With Port Arthur remaining in
Russian hands, the recovery by her of the command of the sea must
always be a menacing possibility for the Japanese; while the fall of
Port Arthur meant not only the destruction of the last remnant of the
Russian Pacific Squadron, but the loss of the only practicable base for
any future naval operations. The whole Japanese plan of campaign must
rest on a more or less precarious foundation as long as Russia had a
fleet in being in Eastern seas, for the vital lines of sea
communication must be liable to severance. With the Russian flag swept
from its last refuge, Japan must remain invincible to the mightiest
armies that Russia could assemble in Manchuria.
[Sidenote: Siege of Port Arthur]
The story of the siege of Port Arthur has already been related in this
narrative up to the moment immediately preceding the capture of
203-Metre Hill--an event that marked the turning-point of the whole
protracted operations, and that proved to be the real beginning of the
end. Before describing in detail the action that led to this signal
victory for General Nogi's troops, it may be well to give a brief
résumé of the situation as it then existed.
[Illustration: PORT ARTHUR AND THE SURROUNDING FORTS.]
The investment may be said to have begun on June 26th, and between that
date and the end of October a series of more or less desperate and
costly assaults on the Russian outworks had carried the Japanese lines
closer and closer to the permanent defences with which the town and the
harbor of Port Arthur were secured from attack by land. In the great
attacks of August 28th and September 20th, some progress was made to
the east and north; but no great impression was made in the formidable
chain of forts; and even on October 30th, when another assault was
delivered, on the Keekwan and Urlungshan forts, the Japanese were
repulsed with the loss of 2,000 men. On September 20th a determined
assault had been made on 203-Metre Hill--the highest eminence of that
ridge which runs between Louisa Bay on the west and the great forts,
Itszshan and Antszshan, dominating the western approaches of Port
Arthur. The attempt was almost successful, but not quite, and all that
remained to reward the Japanese for their terrible sacrifice of life
was the possession of a height, a little to the north, known as
Namaokoyama, or 180-Metre Hill. This is due east of 174 Metre Hill,
captured in August. At the same time the Japanese, however, succeeded
in taking possession of the Sueishi lunettes, which defend the valley
through which the railway runs, and of Fort Kuropatkin, which commands
the water supply of Port Arthur. This was the position when, on
November 26th, General Nogi ordered another assault on the fortress,
with the especial object of capturing 203 Metre Hill. The possession of
this height was of immense importance to the besiegers--not because it
would threaten the great forts of Antszshan and Itszshan, but because
it would afford a complete view of every corner of the harbor, and
enable the fire of heavy guns to be directed on the last refuge of the
Russian fleet. More than that, the position would command the branch
line running from Port Arthur to Liau-tie-shan, whither the Russians
were daily conveying stores, as if in preparation for a last stand in
this inaccessible stronghold. Although not one of the permanent
fortifications, the defences of 203 Metre Hill were of the most
formidable kind. On the crest, and cut out of the hill itself, were two
redoubts on the two distinct peaks, each mounting heavy guns, while the
slopes leading up to them were traversed with trenches and wire
entanglements.
[Illustration: HAULING GUNS UP A CAPTURED HILL AT PORT ARTHUR.]
[Sidenote: The Japanese Attack Metre Hill]
After his repulse in September, General Nogi had abandoned all further
attack on the west; but the importance of effecting a lodgment there,
together with his equal lack of success in the east, induced him to
return to his earlier plan. But this time the methods of attack were
changed. To prevent the concentration of the garrison at one point,
assaults were delivered simultaneously on the two opposite sides of the
perimeter of defence; and, instead of trusting to the mere weight of
numbers to overcome resistance, the resources of the military engineer
were drawn upon to facilitate approach to the critical points. At the
last assault the Japanese infantry had moved forward in close formation
over the open ground separating their forming point from the trenches
of the enemy, and they had been swept down in hundreds by the
concentrated fire from a dozen batteries. But early in November the
Japanese engineers set to work to construct parallels from the low
hills at the foot of the Metre range across the intervening valley and
up the southwest corner of 203 Metre Hill, dominated by that one of the
twin peaks which was known as 210. To construct similar approaches on
the northeast side was rendered impossible by the fire of the
neighboring fort Akasakayama. On November 27th fresh troops were
brought up for the attack, and a tremendous artillery fire was
concentrated on the summit of the Metre ridge. Field guns, firing
shrapnel, and naval guns and howitzers, firing enormous shells, poured
their deadly hail on the forts and trenches; but though they diminished
they could not utterly subdue the fire of the intrepid defenders, and
the Japanese casualties were very heavy as soon as their devoted
infantry, emerging from the parallels, endeavored to climb the steep
face of the hill. But after nearly seven hours' fighting the crest was
won, and the southwestern peak fell into the hands of the Japanese.
This success was the signal for an immediate and determined assault
upon the 203 peak, but it proved futile. A deadly fire from the
neighboring forts made the retention of the southwest peak impossible
for the gallant men who had won it. They were driven down to the
reverse slope again, and were thus unable to assist in keeping down the
fire of the garrison of 203 peak. An attack on the Akasakayama works
also failed, and thus the troops assailing the northeastern face of the
hill were exposed to a flank fire as well as to a direct fire from
above, and were driven back with heavy loss. But the Japanese managed
to retain their position just below the crest of 210, and here they
constructed trenches which made the reoccupation of the summit by the
enemy impossible. But the Russians still disputed possession, and the
opposing forces, behind sandbag defences erected within a stone's throw
of one another, maintained an incessant fight with bullets, bayonets
and hand-grenades. The proximity of the combatants compelled the
artillery on both sides to desist from taking part in the encounter.
The Japanese guns confined themselves to shelling the crest of 203 peak
and the reverse slope of 210, in order to prevent reinforcements
reaching the troops that still disputed the possession of that
eminence. At this moment occurred one of those tragic incidents which
throw such an ironic light on the best laid schemes of generals and the
noblest self-sacrifice of soldiers. A party of Japanese managed at last
to establish themselves in a trench on the slope of Akasakayama; but no
sooner had they attained this hard-won position than they found
themselves exposed to a merciless hail of shrapnel, not from Russian
guns, but from those of their own countrymen. The Japanese artillerists
had not observed the lodgment that had been made in the enemy's
trenches, and they persisted in their bombardment with such deadly
effect that their luckless comrades were compelled to relinquish the
advantage they had gained, and to make the best of their way back to
the main body under a double fire. On December 1st a renewed attack on
both the 210 and 203 peaks was made, but with no success; and during
the next few days the Japanese engineers were busy in extending their
parallels and trenches, in order to allow the assailing troops to
approach close to their objective before coming under fire; and while
this work was going on the Russian positions were subjected to a
furious and incessant bombardment. This bombardment reached its height
on the morning of the 5th, when every preparation for the renewed
assault had been completed. The Metre Hill, it is said, resembled a
smoking volcano under the storm of shell that burst over it. This
assault was to be a supreme effort, and every Japanese soldier who took
part in it was conscious of the responsibility devolving on him, as,
after saluting the regimental standards, he moved forward to take his
place in the ranks that lined the parallels and advanced trenches.
Early in the afternoon a simultaneous rush was made towards both of the
crests of the Metre range. The moment was one of acute suspense, and
with breathless anxiety the Japanese staff watched the far-off line of
khaki-clad figures swarming up the hillside and climbing over the
breastwork of the Russian trenches. The issue was not long in doubt.
Meeting with scarcely any resistance, the storming parties swept on
until they reached the crest of both peaks, and found themselves at
last in undisputed possession of the long-coveted position. The
explanation of this unexpectedly easy victory was not far to seek. The
bombardment of the previous three days had been so severe that it had
been impossible for the defenders to live under it. The 500-lb. shells
from the howitzers had blown the place to fragments, and except for
three men taken prisoners, every soul who manned the guns and trenches
had been killed or forced to fly to the forts in the rear. Torn and
mutilated bodies, mingled with piles of débris, lay about in hundreds,
and the scene was rendered the more appalling by the presence of
corpses, in every stage of decomposition, which had been lying on the
ground since the attack on September 20th. But the Japanese were not
left long in undisturbed possession of the ground they had won. General
Stoessel, realizing as fully as his enemy the importance of 203 Metre
Hill, made desperate efforts to recapture it. Six separate
counter-assaults were delivered, and for hours the fiercest and most
sanguinary hand-to-hand fighting raged. But the Japanese had stronger
reinforcements than their adversaries, and their numbers and gallantry
prevailed at last. After losing nearly 3,000 men, the Russian General
realized that the case was hopeless, and left his enemy in possession
of the stricken field. Immediately their position was assured the
Japanese dragged up their guns and proceeded to pound the neighboring
height Akasakayama, from which the Russians were forced to retire with
all speed. While this substantial and, as it turned out, decisive
victory was being won in the west, an equally determined assault was
proceeding in the east against the great forts of Urlungshan,
Sungshushan and East Keekwanshan. The Japanese carried their parallels
within charging distance of the front of the forts, and then began to
mine. Having reached a point beneath the counterscarp, they exploded
their mines, and then rushed into the breach thus formed. But the
Russians, though losing heavily by the explosions, were prepared for
the emergency. They had machine guns placed in position to command the
outer defences, and the assailants only gained the breach to be mown
down by a hail of bullets. In this assault the Japanese had recourse to
the traditional weapon of their ancient chivalry. Under the lead of
Generals Nakamura and Saito, trained bodies of swordsmen of the famous
Samurai, or warrior-caste, charged into the imminent deadly breach,
endeavoring to close in a desperate hand-to-hand encounter with their
stubborn foe. But even the traditional gallantry of Japan's knighthood
was spent in vain in this enterprise, and the parapets of the forts
remained inaccessible to assault. But the Japanese, whose resource in
this protracted siege had only been equalled by their indomitable
determination, had by this time learned the secret of success against
such tremendous fortifications as those with which Port Arthur was
begirt. Since gallantry and the sacrifice of life could not prevail,
patience and ingenuity must be tried, and the engineers were called
upon to carry further still the sapping operations which had already
breached the outer works. As in the adoption of those deadly
hand-grenades, which played so important a part in all the battles of
the siege, so in the construction of parallels and the tunnelling of
mines the world saw a return to the practice and methods of the 17th
century. To find a counterpart to these huge forts of Port Arthur, with
their scarps and counter-scarps, their glacis and cuponniéres and
ravelins, one has to go back to the system of the great military
engineer Vanban, who carried the science of fortification to its
highest perfection. There was only one assailant to which these mighty
works were not impregnable--and that assailant was the explosive power
of dynamite. This resistless auxiliary the Japanese made speed to
enlist in their service.
[Sidenote: The Russian Fleet between Two Fires]
Meanwhile, leaving the sappers to their insidious task on the east, the
Japanese artillerists were swift to take advantage of the new position
won for them on the west. From the summit of 203 Metre Hill, the whole
town and harbor of Port Arthur lay revealed, and the remnant of the
Russian fleet which lay sheltered there could no longer escape the
searching attentions of the Japanese shells. The great howitzers,
firing their 500 lb. projectiles, and the big naval guns were quickly
moved into position, and, directed from the observation station on 203
Metre Hill, they began to drop shot after shot on the helpless
men-of-war. So perfect was the command, that it was possible for the
besiegers to count every day the hits they made, and to specify the
particular ships against which they had been recorded. One after
another these mighty vessels succumbed to the incessant pounding that
they received, and in a few days the four battleships _Retvisan_,
_Peresviet_, _Pobieda_ and _Poltava_, and the armored cruiser _Bayan_
were reported sunk or damaged so as to be unseaworthy. Only the
_Sevastopol_ remained, and she temporarily escaped to the outer
roadstead, with consequences that will be related presently. These
ships were the real objective of the siege. Their disablement preserved
Japan from her most serious menace; but next to that consummation,
their capture was a point of primary importance. The Japanese naturally
desired not only to render these powerful vessels useless to their
adversaries, but to make them useful to themselves. Accordingly, having
made sure that the ships were injured beyond the power of the Port
Arthur docks to repair them, the besiegers were careful to inflict no
further damage on them. By the 12th the Japanese gunners had attained
their object, and the _Sevastopol_ was the only seaworthy survivor of
the Russian squadron; and attention was forthwith turned to her from
another direction. Admiral Togo, whose fleet had been cruising outside
Port Arthur to shut off the natural avenue of escape for the wretched
Russian fleet, now directed his torpedo-boats to attack the battleship
_Sevastopol_ as she lay at her moorings in the outer roadstead. Her
position was exactly that which the whole Pacific squadron had occupied
on the fateful night of February 6th, when the first stroke of war was
delivered, and Russia's best two battleships were put out of action.
But this time the advantage of a surprise attack was out of the
question. The commander of the _Sevastopol_ well knew what to expect,
and had taken his precautions accordingly. An enormous boom had been
constructed round the hull of the warship, and an elaborate system of
netting had been hung from it to defy the approach of any torpedo. On
the other hand, however, the fire of the shore batteries was no longer
a substantial auxiliary in repelling torpedo attack; and the whole
organization of the port defences was more or less impaired, if not
destroyed. On the night of the 12th of December, and thrice again on
the night of the 13th, the intrepid torpedo-craft of the Japanese fleet
steamed into the roadstead and fired their terrible engines of
destruction at the ill-fated battleship. But the boom proved on these
occasions an impenetrable defence; so the attack was again
renewed--this time in a blinding snowstorm. Two flotillas were engaged.
The one lost its direction owing to the snow and the glare of the
enemy's searchlights; but the second flotilla reached its mark, and
discharged torpedoes at the _Sevastopol_, on which at least two took
effect. The boats became separated in the storm, and one never returned
to the main fleet--being either sunk by a shot or swamped by the very
high seas that were running. To add to the difficulty of the
enterprise, the weather was bitterly cold, and the decks of the vessels
were coated with ice from the freezing of the spray that broke over
them. When morning broke, those who had been engaged in this desperate
enterprise were rewarded by the sight of the _Sevastopol_ perceptibly
down at the stern. A few days later the vessel was so disabled that she
had to be run aground. The spirit in which this daring attack was
carried out may be gathered from the following extracts from Admiral
Togo's official dispatches:--
"While retreating, one torpedo boat was struck several times. Her
commander, Lieutenant Nakahara, and five other men were killed. The
boat lost her freedom of motion, and Lieutenant Nakahara's boat went to
the rescue. Notwithstanding a heavy fire, she continued her effort to
save the disabled vessel. When she had her in tow, the hawser was
severed by the enemy's shells, and Lieutenant Nakahara's boat was also
hit, and one man killed. Subsequently several shells hit and almost
disabled Lieutenant Nakahara's boat, and forced him to abandon his
sister ship, which was in a sinking condition. Lieutenant Nakahara,
however, steamed back and rescued the crew, who were abandoning the
boat. Commander Kawase's boat, of the same flotilla, was struck by a
shell, which killed one man and wounded Lieutenant Takahashi and two
sailors. Lieutenant Shoro's boat was also hit, one man being killed and
five wounded. The boat was temporarily disabled, but the ships
commanded by Lieutenants Wataehe and Mori stood by her and rescued all
the men. The other vessels, bravely facing the enemy's fire, succeeded
in delivering their attacks without sustaining damage.... It is a
source of satisfaction that our torpedo attacks were delivered without
the least confusion; each boat rendered material assistance to her
comrades. The skill in manoeuvring and the bravery displayed by our
officers and men inspire me with a deep feeling of satisfaction and
confidence."
[Sidenote: A Japanese Hero]
Commander Yezoe's flotilla was under repairs when the attack was
planned. He succeeded in putting one of his torpedo-boats into fighting
condition, and steamed to the rendezvous, where he found that the other
flotillas had already left. His entreaty that he should be permitted to
join in the attack was granted, and steaming alone through the blinding
snow, he succeeded in locating the _Sevastopol_. Approaching close
enough to hear the Russians talking, he fired a torpedo, and then,
going in still closer, he discharged another torpedo at the battleship.
A shell from the _Sevastopol_ struck Commander Yezoe in the abdomen,
and cut his body in two. His remains were saved and brought back to the
fleet.
[Sidenote: Tunnels and Hand Grenades]
The complete destruction or disablement of the remnant of the Russian
fleet seems to have had a dispiriting effect, as well it might have, on
the defenders of Port Arthur, for from this moment the vigor of their
resistance to assault perceptibly waned. In proportion the confidence
and resolution of the Japanese increased, and before long their
unremitting exertions were rewarded with another substantial success.
Hitherto their assaults on the eastern defences of Port Arthur had met
with but little success. In spite of all their sacrifices the great
permanent forts stood firm; but by the middle of December their new
methods of sapping and mining achieved the long-desired breach in the
iron ring, and East Keekwanshan fort was captured. A mine had been
tunnelled right up to the parapet of the fort, and in the afternoon of
December 18th the mine was exploded, bringing down an avalanche of
earth and masonry that filled up the ditch in its fall, and made a rude
but practicable staircase up the deep counter-scarp into the interior
of the fort. The Japanese troops, lying ready in their trenches, sprang
forward to the breach before the garrison could recover from the
discomfiture of the explosion, and poured into the inner works,
flinging their terrible hand-grenades at all who opposed their
impetuous charge. But after the first surprise, the Russians recovered
and stood their ground, and by turning machine guns on the assailants,
held them for a time at bay. While the issue still hung in the balance,
however, General Samejuna, at the head of the Japanese reserves, flung
himself into the fighting line, and a last great charge swept the fort
clear of its dogged defenders. The fight lasted for no less than ten
hours, and immediately it was won the Japanese entrenched themselves to
make their hold secure. The attack, in this case, was entrusted to two
bodies of volunteers, who, in calm anticipation of their probable fate,
had fastened to their clothing badges of identification, so that the
corpses should be recognizable in spite of the disfiguring effects of
the explosion of hand-grenades. One-half of these devoted men charged
from their trenches too eagerly after the mine had been fired, with the
result that most of them were buried beneath the falling debris. The
nature and extent of the mining operations which made the capture of
East Keekwanshan practicable may be gathered from the fact that two
tunnels 40 feet long had been dug out, and that both tunnels terminated
in four branches, in each of which a separate mine was laid. Four
quick-firers, five field guns, and four machine guns, and a large
quantity of rifles and ammunition, were among the spoils that fell to
the victors in this assault. Only twenty men of the garrison escaped
down a covered way, which they blocked behind them by the explosion of
mines. The fort captured, though not one of the strongest of those on
the eastern ridge, was yet of great importance to the besiegers,
because it opened the way to the greater forts beyond, and this success
was speedily followed by others on the other side of Port Arthur.
Operating between Pigeon Bay and the Metre range, the Japanese captured
several minor heights on which the Russians had mounted guns. Thus they
continued to advance steadily to the isolation of the western defences;
and the only comfort which the anxious authorities in St. Petersburg
could enjoy was that to be derived from a dispatch of General
Kuropatkin, in which the Commander-in-Chief in Manchuria announced
that, according to Chinese reports, the garrison of Port Arthur had
recaptured 203 Metre Hill, "with the guns placed there by the enemy."
The Chinese do nothing by halves, not even lying.
[Illustration: JAPANESE ELEVEN-INCH MORTAR BEFORE PORT ARTHUR.]
[Sidenote: The Japanese Capture Urlungshan]
Undismayed by this announcement, the Japanese continued their
investment with increasing severity, and on December 28th, or four
weeks after the capture of 203 Metre Hill, they achieved the great
triumph of wresting the mighty Urlungshan from its stubborn defenders.
This, the greatest and most formidable of all the eastern forts of Port
Arthur had defied many previous assaults, and had cost the army of the
Mikado many hundreds of gallant lives. But like the northern fort of
East Keekwanshan, it succumbed to the irresistible persuasion of
dynamite. At 10 o'clock in the morning of December 28th, the mine which
had been laid beneath the parapet was exploded, and the Japanese rushed
in through the breach. Under the cover of artillery fire from the rear,
the assaulters then constructed defensive works; and having thus
established themselves and received reinforcements, they rushed forward
again and captured the heavy guns of the fort. From this point another
charge had to be made before the defenders could be driven out
completely; but by half-past seven in the evening the task was
accomplished, and the whole fort was in the hands of the Japanese,
whose losses amounted to at least 1,000 men. The spoils included four
big guns, seven smaller guns, thirty quick-firers, and two machine
guns. The tunnels for the mines which were exploded under the parapet
had to be cut through the solid rock, and no less than two tons of
dynamite was used for the exploding charge. The result was that half
the garrison of 500 men were killed on the spot. Next to the great
Urlung fort, Sungshushan was the most formidable permanent work on the
eastern ridge, and three days later this fell to the Japanese in much
the same way. On the morning of the last day of the expiring year,
dynamite mines were exploded beneath the parparet of the fort, and
within an hour the whole fort was in the secure possession of the
Japanese. Over 300 of the defenders were entombed in one of the
galleries by the explosion, and of these only a half were rescued by
the victors, the remainder perishing miserably. Other forts in the
immediate vicinity fell almost immediately afterwards, and it became
evident that the whole of the forts on the eastern ridge were
practically doomed. Nothing now could stay the victorious onslaught of
the Japanese, and the capitulation of Port Arthur, which but a little
while before had seemed so remote and conjectural, now loomed in the
immediate future. But even yet the world was hardly prepared for the
end which was imminent. Up to the last, General Stoessel's dispatches
had been confident and defiant, and it was thought to be quite likely
that even yet he would reveal some hitherto unsuspected resources.
[Sidenote: The Surrender of Port Arthur]
In his somewhat rhetorical dispatches to the Czar, General Stoessel had
repeatedly declared his determination to fight to the death, and
although the signal successes of the Japanese during the month of
December had evidently reduced very largely the resisting power of the
garrison, the general expectation was that the hopeless struggle would
still be carried on, and that Stoessel and his troops would in the last
resort retire to the fastnesses of Liau-tie-shan. While deprecating
this desperate counsel, as involving the useless shedding of blood, the
world would have applauded its heroism. But as it happened, other
counsels prevailed. On the morning of the first day of the new year
General Nogi received a letter from General Stoessel proposing
negotiations for capitulation, and the proposal was immediately
accepted. But operations were not at once suspended. The Japanese
attacked the same morning the Fort of Wantai on the East Ridge, and
captured it after only slight resistance, while several of the forts in
the vicinity were blown up by the defenders. In further recognition of
the fact that all was lost save honor, the Russians then proceeded to
explode mines on all the warships in the harbor, in order to ensure
that they should be useless to the enemy into whose hands they were
about to fall. Of the destroyer flotilla, only four vessels remained
serviceable. These put to sea on the night of January 1st, and,
managing to evade the blockading squadron, reached Chifu, where they
were immediately dismantled. Then at last a truce was proclaimed, and
for the first time for six long months the thunder of the great guns
rolled no longer about Port Arthur. Immediately news of the proposed
surrender was received in St. Petersburg, the Mikado magnanimously
expressed his high appreciation of the loyalty and endurance displayed
by General Stoessel on behalf of his country, and gave orders that all
the honors of war should be extended to him.
On January 2nd the capitulation agreement was signed, its essential
terms being as follows:--
The whole fortress, ships, arms, ammunition, military buildings,
materials and other Government property were to be surrendered. The
Japanese reserved free action if those objects were considered to have
been destroyed or injured after the signing of the agreement. Plans of
forts, torpedoes, mines, military and naval officers' lists, &c. were
to be delivered over. Soldiers, sailors, volunteers and other officials
were to be taken prisoners, but, in consideration of the brave defences
they had made, military and naval officers and civil officials attached
were to be allowed to bear arms, keep their private property of
immediate necessity of daily life, and also to return to Russia upon
parole not to take, till the end of the war, arms or action opposed to
Japan's interest. Forts Itszshan, Antszshan and the others outstanding
were to be surrendered to the Japanese before noon, January 3rd, as a
guarantee.
[Sidenote: "Great Sovereign! Forgive!"]
The whole world was filled with sympathy and admiration for the gallant
soldiers whose valor and endurance had withstood so long such heavy
odds and such a fearful strain. These feelings were intensified by the
lurid accounts which, now that concealment could no longer be of
service, were published of the awful sufferings of the garrison during
the later stages of the siege. An officer of one of the destroyers that
escaped to Chifu on January 1st thus described the conditions which had
compelled surrender:--
"Port Arthur falls of exhaustion--exhaustion not only of ammunition but
also of men. The remnant left was doing heroes' work for five days and
five nights, and yesterday it had reached the limit of human endurance.
In the casemates of the forts one saw everywhere faces black with
starvation, exhaustion and nerve strain. You spoke to them and they did
not answer, but stared dumbly in front of them. Lack of ammunition
alone would not have prompted any attempt to arrange terms. Lack of
ammunition has been common in the fortress during the past months. Many
forts had nothing with which to return the fire of the enemy. The
Russians sat in the casemates firing no more than one shot to the
Japanese 200. Then, when the assault came, they repulsed the enemy with
the bayonet. But the men themselves, feeding for three months on
reduced rations, were so worn that it is marvelous that they stood the
final strain so long."
In his last dispatches, written just before the capitulation, General
Stoessel himself said:--
"The position of the fortress is becoming very painful. Our principal
enemies are scurvy, which is mowing down the men, and 11-inch shells,
which know no obstacle and against which there is no protection. There
only remains a few persons who have not been attacked by scurvy. We
have taken all possible measures, but the disease is spreading. The
passive endurance of the enemy's bombardment with 11-inch shells, the
impossibility of reply for want of ammunition, the outbreak of scurvy,
and the loss of a mass of officers--all these causes diminish daily the
defence.
"The tale of losses of higher officers is an indication of the enormous
losses which we have sustained. Of ten generals, two, Kondrachenko and
Tserpitsky, have been killed; one, Raznatovsky, is dead; two are
wounded, myself and General Nadeine; and one Gorbatovsky, is suffering
from contusions. The percentage of other superior officers who were
killed or died of disease or were wounded several times is enormous.
Many companies are commanded by ensigns, and on an average each company
is at present composed of not more than sixty men."
It was stated that of the original garrison of 35,000 men, no less than
11,000 had been killed, while 16,000 were sick or wounded, and 8,000
remained in the forts, of whom, however, 2,000 were unable to fight.
These are the words in which General Stoessel announced to the Czar the
surrender of Russia's "impregnable stronghold":--
"Great Sovereign! Forgive! We have done all that was humanly possible.
Judge us, but be merciful. Eleven months of ceaseless fighting have
exhausted our strength. A quarter only of the defenders, and one-half
of these invalids, occupy twenty-seven versts of fortifications without
support and without intervals for even the briefest repose. The men are
reduced to shadows."
Even the Japanese were at first impressed with the same view of the
situation, for they reported that of 25,000 combatants, 20,000 were
sick or wounded.
[Sidenote: The Japanese Occupy the Fortress]
The greatest good feeling prevailed between the two armies after the
surrender had been completed. The soldiers fraternized freely, and the
Japanese did all in their power to deprive the situation of all trace
of humiliation for their vanquished enemy. General Stoessel and General
Nogi lunched together and exchanged fraternal compliments, but the
bearing of the two men was strongly contrasted. There was a note of
theatricality in the Russian's conduct which was significant. Having
mounted his favorite charger and shown its paces to the Japanese
victor, he begged to be allowed to present it to him--a proposal which
General Nogi put by with the matter-of-fact observation that the horse
already belonged to the Japanese Army, and that he could not accept it
as a personal gift. But still all the world rang with praises of the
heroic Russian garrison; and the German Emperor, with characteristic
impetuosity, constituted himself a sort of supreme umpire, and with a
great flourish of trumpets presented to the leaders of the two
contesting forces in this historic siege the Prussian Order, "Pour le
Merite." The Russians marched out of Port Arthur on the 7th of January,
and the Japanese entered on the following day; and then the reports as
to the condition of Port Arthur suddenly underwent a remarkable change.
It slowly leaked out that the surrendered force amounted not to 20,000,
most of whom were _hors de combat_ from wounds or disease, but to
48,000, of whom 878 officers and 32,000 men were still available for
the defence of the fortress. There were also discovered no less than
80,000 tons of coal and enough rice and flour to provision the garrison
for two months. The troops, moreover, discovered no sign of starvation
or exhaustion. They were found to be in splendid condition and well
fed. Even the ammunition was very far from being exhausted. For the
guns in the forts 82,670 rounds remained; 30,000 kilogrammes of powder;
and 2,266,800 cartridges for rifles. "There are no signs of privation,"
wrote one correspondent. "The surrender is inexplicable." The town
itself showed few signs of bombardment; and the only serious deficiency
in stores was in meat and medical comforts. Then the sinister report
came that the real weakness of the garrison was in the conduct of many
of the regimental officers, who habitually applied for leave when
attacks were expected, and left the command to sergeants. It was also
declared that General Stoessel, far from having been coerced by his
staff into surrender, had himself overridden their protests against
capitulation. The real hero of the siege, it appeared from the same
account, was not General Stoessel at all, but General Kondrachenko, who
was killed by a shell on December 18th. After that calamity the spirits
of the garrison never recovered. One of the Russian Admirals who was
made prisoner at Port Arthur is responsible for this version of the
facts, and his view was summarized in the following words: "It is
difficult for a Russian officer to talk about the end. It was worse
than a mistake, it was a disgrace. The fortress could easily have held
out another month. We had food and ammunition sufficient for that
period, and if Kondrachenko had been alive we should have held out for
months longer. In Kondrachenko the garrison lost not only a leader, but
the one man who had the power, through his tremendous earnestness, to
control General Stoessel."
[Sidenote: Discreditable Surrender]
This view, startling and disconcerting as it is, was strongly confirmed
by Dr. Morrison, the famous Peking correspondent of the London _Times_,
to whom special facilities for inspecting Port Arthur were afforded
immediately after the surrender had taken place. He was immensely
impressed with the stupendous strength of the positions held by the
Russians, and of the incredible heroism displayed in their capture, but
he could find no explanation for the surrender. There were, he said,
25,000 able-bodied soldiers, and several hundred officers unscathed by
wound or disease. Only 200 officers were killed all through the siege,
and of those found in hospital a number were undoubted malingerers. As
to the failure of ammunition, Dr. Morrison pointed out that thousands
of rounds were fired off aimlessly for two days before the surrender,
that thousands more were thrown into the harbor, and that yet a large
quantity was found in store by the Japanese. The largest of the naval
magazines was discovered "full to the roof" with all kinds of
ammunition. Food was plentiful and the new town was uninjured by
bombardment.
"Those who have witnessed the condition of the fortress," Dr. Morrison
summed up, "contrasting the evidence of their eyes with the astounding
misrepresentations of General Stoessel, had their sympathy turned into
derision, believing that no more discreditable surrender has been
recorded in history."
[Illustration: THE EVACUATION OF PORT ARTHUR.]
[Sidenote: The End of the Siege of Port Arthur]
If it is difficult to disbelieve statements of this kind coming from
several independent and well-accredited sources, it is painful to have
to accept them. But whatever record leap to light, nothing can detract
from the splendid gallantry and dogged tenacity of the Russian common
soldiers who fought in a manner worthy of the greatest traditions of
their race. Thanks to their qualities, such a redoubtable foe as the
Japanese had been held at bay for six months, and his victory had only
been obtained at a cost of life truly appalling. Officially the
casualties of the besieging army were put at 55,000 from first to last;
but this number was probably very largely exceeded. Heavy as was the
price that had been paid, however, it was not too heavy for the
advantage obtained. First there was the satisfaction to the national
sentiment of pride in recapturing the fortress which, after having once
been won by force of arms, had been filched away by diplomatic
intrigue. Next there was the wresting from the enemy of the emblem of
his dominion in the Far East, and the only base on which his naval
power could rest. The loss of Port Arthur was to Russia not only the
loss of a great fortress but the denial of all access to the sea.
Finally, and most immediately important, was the capture in a more or
less battered condition, of five battleships and two first-class
cruisers, which might at any time have helped to turn the balance of
naval power against Japan. An examination of the derelict warships
revealed the fact that in spite of all the hammering they had received,
four might possibly be repaired and added to the navy of Japan. The
_Sevastopol_, the _Retvisan_, and the _Pobieda_ were injured beyond
hope; but the _Peresviet_, the _Poltava_, the _Pallada_ and the _Bayan_
were possibly recoverable. So ended one of the most memorable sieges in
the history of the world--to prove that, in spite of all the inventions
of scientific warfare, no defences that can be constructed by man are
impregnable to man when he unites, like the Japanese soldier, the
qualities of fearlessness, discipline, patriotism and high-training.
[Illustration: AFTER TWELVE MONTHS.
The battle of the Sha-Ho, October 10 to 18, began by a Russian advance,
but ended in a victory for Japan. The rival armies then settled down
into winter quarters, and, save for an occasional skirmish, remained
quiet until the end of January, when the Russians made a futile attempt
to turn the Japanese left at Sandepu. The siege of Port Arthur,
meantime, was carried on vigorously. High Hill (203 Metre Hill) was
captured on November 30, East Keekwan Fort on December 18, and
Erlungshan ten days later. On the last day of the year Sungshushan was
taken, and on January 1 the fortress surrendered.
The shaded portion shows the Japanese advance.]