End of First Year--Changes of a Year--Year of Disaster for
Russia--The Cause of the War--Japan Acts Swiftly--The Land
Campaign--Battle of Liao-yang--Battle of Sha-ho River--The
Naval Campaign--Vladivostock Ships Defeated--Siege of Port
Arthur--Port Arthur Surrendered--A Campaign Analysis--Gaining
Mastery of Sea--Japan's Main Ambition--The Rival Armies--The
Cost in Men--The Cost in Dollars--The Cost in
Ships--International Incidents--Lessons of the War--Chronology
of the First Year of War.
[Sidenote: End of First Year]
At this point it may be well to pause long enough to review briefly and
summarize what had been accomplished in a year of the most tremendous
fighting the world has ever known. One year of the Japan-Russia War had
gone into history. On February 5, 1904, diplomatic relations between
the two nations came suddenly to an end. On February 7, Japan seized
Masanpho, Korea, as a military base, and on February 8 and 9 were
delivered Togo's memorable blows to the Russian Asiatic fleet at Port
Arthur. Thus the curtain went up on what since has proved one of the
world's greatest war dramas.
The record had been one of uninterrupted triumph for Japan. The year
had yielded a score of battles, of greater or less importance. The
story of each had been defeat for Russia. Judged by the objects for
which Japan entered the struggle, her task was practically complete.
But Russia, humbled again and again, remained obdurate. The war was not
ended and could not be ended, declared those who seemed to speak with
authority, until the tide had turned and Russia was mistress of the
East, as she believed herself a year before.
What changes had followed Japan's victories, Russia's defeats?
[Sidenote: Changes of a Year]
A year before Russia in addition to her own vast Siberian territory
across all of Asia to the Pacific, was lessee of Port Arthur and the
extremity of the Liaotung promontory. Port Arthur had been rebuilt and
fortified, and the investments plus the value of the fleet in its
harbor was fully $270,000,000. Dalny had been built and fortified as an
auxiliary harbor to accommodate developing commerce. Here $100,000,000
had been expended. From these vantage points Russia looked out over
China and Japan and claimed dominance over the Orient. Her fleet stood
sponsor for the claim. For the defenses of Port Arthur impregnability
was claimed. It seemed that the Slav had completed a peaceable conquest
and was immovably intrenched, invulnerable against war, irresistible
for commercial gain.
Further eastward her agents had penetrated to the northern boundaries
of Korea. Slowly the Slav with his land-thirst was learning to covet
the Hermit Kingdom. Commercial domination, political preponderance,
each spreading in force and effectiveness, marked the first steps in
this direction.
[Sidenote: Year of Disaster for Russia]
This was a year before. A year later Japan's flag was flying over Port
Arthur and Dalny. Russia's fleet was destroyed. Her armies had been
driven step by step northward 250 miles to the Sha-ho River. Japan was
master in Korea. A protectorate had been firmly established, and
Russia's dream of predominance there had probably been dissipated for
all time. Japan's fleet was supreme in the Orient. With Russia's
covetous eyes no longer looking out from Golden Hill toward Pekin,
toward Seoul, toward Tokio, Japan had come into her own again.
This was the situation as the first year of the war drew to a close.
Japan's task, on the face of it, seemed accomplished.
[Sidenote: The Cause of the War]
Russia's aggressive policy in Manchuria and growing prestige in Korea
alarmed Japan. Events which in February, 1904, culminated in war began
ten years before when Port Arthur, won by Japan from China, was wrested
away and returned to China by intervention of the Powers, notably
Russia. The leasing of Port Arthur and vicinity to Russia and the
granting of railroad concessions completed the wrong which rankled in
the heart of Japan. Finally the Mikado's Government proposed to Russia
a settlement by diplomacy of questions of paramountcy and trade
privileges in Manchuria and Korea. Japan proffered recognition of
paramountcy in Manchuria for Russia in return for preponderance by
Japan in Korea. The "open door" in each territory was proposed with
right of railroad extension through Korea to join the Manchurian and
thence the Siberian roads.
Russia refused to discuss her attitude in Manchuria and juggled with
words relating to Korea. Negotiations ended when it became obvious that
Japan's demands were not to be granted.
[Sidenote: Japan Acts Swiftly]
War was the alternative, and Japan acted swiftly. On February 8 and 9,
at Port Arthur and Chemulpo, the Japanese navy dealt the first blows.
Korea was invaded by an army at once, and the march to the Yalu was
begun. Manchuria was invaded after the victory at the Yalu of May 1. A
dual campaign from that moment was developed. The supreme object was
the capture of Port Arthur. To facilitate that task the Russian armies
in Manchuria were prevented from marching to the relief of the garrison
there. Blow after blow was administered by the Japanese armies,
culminating in the great battles of Liaoyang and the Sha-ho River, each
a disastrous defeat for the Russians, each to be numbered among the
greatest military struggles of history.
[Sidenote: The Land Campaign]
Chronologically, the battle succeeding that of the Yalu, May 1, was
fought at Pitsewo, May 5. Here the second Japanese army defeated the
only Russian force opposing an advance on Port Arthur, until at Nanshan
Hill and Kinchow, May 26-27, the garrison of the fortress was
encountered in its outermost position. After the defeat at Nanshan Hill
the Russians withdrew to the outer perimeter of Port Arthur, giving up
Dalny without a struggle. At Vafangow, June 14-15, the Russian General
Stackelberg, who had been sent southward by General Kuropatkin to raise
the siege at Port Arthur, was defeated. His retreat northward amounted
practically to a rout. The Japanese victory, as succeeding events
proved, completely isolated Port Arthur, its defenders and the
besiegers, and the great drama of the siege went on without even an
attempt at interference on the part of Russia's Manchurian army.
The Japanese fought a brilliant campaign of a score of battles between
June 17 and July 31, which compelled the concentration of the Russians
at Liaoyang, and precipitated the great battle there. Motien Pass was
taken by General Kukori on June 17.
On June 30-31, after a tremendous struggle in the mountainous region
southeast from Liaoyang, Yangze Pass, likewise, was captured. The
Japanese armies, through these defiles poured into the vast basin
drained by the Liao River, and at Haicheng dealt Kuropatkin a severe
blow, which drove his lines northward to Liaoyang and compelled the
evacuation of Niuchwang.
[Sidenote: Battle of Liaoyang]
Haichang was a prelude to Liaoyang. After fierce fighting, the actual
struggle before this strongly fortified position began on August 25.
The Japanese army numbered 200,000 men against a probable 165,000
Russians. Generals Oku and Nodzu delivered fierce and incessant frontal
attacks from the south, while General Kuroki made a wide turning
movement north to encircle Kuropatkin and to cut off his retreat to
Mukden. The Russian General ultimately was compelled to meet this
turning movement by withdrawing his entire army across the Taitse
River, abandoning Liaoyang to the Japanese. General Kuroki was checked
and the Russian army was extricated from a grave predicament in a
masterly manner after a memorable retreat and rearguard battle of more
than fifty miles. The battle had been designed as a crushing blow to
the Russians, and would have proved such had Kuroki's turning movement
been completely successful. As it turned out the Japanese had won a
costly but indecisive victory. The Japanese losses are estimated at
30,000 men. The Russian losses were about 20,000 men.
[Sidenote: Battle of Sha-ho River]
General Kuropatkin fell back to Mukden and there rested and reinforced
his army. On October 4, he began a forward movement against the
Japanese, which resulted in a new disaster to his army, the battle of
Sha-ho River, October 8-18. The result of this long, sanguinary
struggle was again highly indecisive. The Russian advance was checked
at the Yentai mines, and thereafter Kuropatkin was forced step by step
to the Sha-ho River. After ten days of battle human endurance reached
its limit. Almost face to face, the exhausted armies halted.
Subsequently the opposing lines stretched out along a line, generally
northeast-southwest, for a distance of forty-five miles. The Russian
army was reinforced to about 250,000 men, while the Japanese army
numbered perhaps 300,000 men with reinforcements from Japan and from
Port Arthur.
[Sidenote: The Naval Campaign]
The opening of the war found the effective ships of Russia's Asiatic
fleet divided among Port Arthur, Vladivostock and Chemulpo. In the
battle of Chemulpo, February 8-9, the _Variag_ and _Korietz_ were sunk,
narrowing naval interest to Port Arthur and Vladivostock. On August 10
was fought the greatest naval battle of the war. The Russian fleet off
Port Arthur was defeated and dispersed, and Vice-Admiral Witoft was
killed on the bridge of the _Czarevitch_. The fragment of the fleet
which returned to Port Arthur never again assumed the aggressive, while
from that date until the surrender of the fortress Togo's squadron had
only blockade duty.
Other naval operations there consisted of desperate dashes to the
harbor entrance by Japan's smaller craft and the sinking of merchant
ships in the entrance to the harbor. A sortie by Admiral Makaroff
resulted only in the flight of the Russians to port without giving
battle. The disaster to the _Petropavlovsk_ happened just as the flag
ship sped under the guns of Tiger's Tail and Golden Hill. Japanese
credited the destruction of the ship to their mine-laying operations.
[Illustration: COSSACKS IN RETREAT AFTER A RECONNAISSANCE NEAR
LIAO-YANG.]
[Sidenote: Vladivostock Ships Defeated]
The Vladivostock squadron was defeated August 14 in the Sea of Japan.
The cruiser _Rurik_ was sunk. The two other ships of the squadron
ultimately reached Vladivostock riddled with shells. Repairs were said
to have been completed. A renewal of the naval campaign would probably
involve an attack on the sole survivors of the Russian fleet. A final
naval engagement was the sinking of the cruiser _Novik_, of the Port
Arthur Squadron, which escaped after the battle of August 10. Cruisers
of Kamimura's squadron overtook her off Kamchatka, and the ship was
beached there, a complete wreck after a fourteen hours' battle. The
last act of the naval campaign was the destruction of the Russian
battleship _Sevastopol_ outside the harbor of Port Arthur. The
_Sevastopol_ took refuge under the Tiger's Tail. Repeated dashes were
made by Japanese torpedo boat flotillas and the ship was riddled. Her
final destruction, however, was accomplished by the Russians, who mined
the ship to prevent possibility of salvage on the fall of Port Arthur.
[Sidenote: Siege of Port Arthur]
Japan's greatest and only decisive achievement had been the taking of
Port Arthur. The investment and actual opening of the siege began May
30, when the Japanese occupied Dalny, with their lines spreading
westward to Louisa Bay, completely across the Liao-tung Peninsula.
Between May 30 and November 30 the Japanese were engaged in taking
position from which the attack on the main defenses of the fortress
could be directed. It was tedious work. Probably between 30,000 and
40,000 Japanese lives were sacrificed. In the meantime Fort Kuropatkin,
an outer defense north of the Urlung Mountain group of forts, had been
captured, while on the west the Japanese, after tremendous efforts, had
stormed and taken 203-Metre Hill. The final assault was delivered from
saps which had been driven through limestone, up the steep slopes of
the hill, a task of enormous difficulty which compelled the victors to
share laurels with the engineers who at prodigious cost in men and
labor made the assault possible. The capture of 203-Meter Hill gave the
Japanese an observatory which looked down on most of Port Arthur. Their
artillery, largely 11-inch howitzers, no longer fired at random.
Sighting was scientifically directed from the vantage point. Within a
week the entire Russian fleet had been destroyed and the whole city lay
at the mercy of the irresistible 11-inch shells flung over the
mountains with unerring aim.
From Fort Kuropatkin on the north the miner and sapper honeycombed the
mountain sides with zig-zag trenches, which inched toward the crests,
slowly, indeed, but surely. Outer works, one after the other, fell, and
higher and higher the Japanese lines crept upward toward the
fort-crowned summits. The climax came December 30. Vast mines under the
main Urlungshan fort were fired. Before the smoke cleared the Japanese
were flinging themselves over the shattered walls. In one grand climax
to all the bloody work of the siege they annihilated the defenders of
the fort and finally flung their flag from its battlements. With
Urlungshan on the north and 203-Metre Hill on the west in their hands,
Port Arthur lay completely at the mercy of the besiegers. The entire
northeastern groups of forts fell in a day.
[Sidenote: Port Arthur Surrendered]
Then came the end. On January 2, General Stoessel surrendered Port
Arthur to General Nogi. The city, forts and fleet, represented a value
of $270,000,000. The cost of the siege to Japan was $100,000,000. More
than 30,000 men were killed, while 70,000 who fell, wounded, increased
Japan's casualties to 100,000 men. Russia's original garrison of 38,000
men was cut down during the eight months by 11,500 killed and 17,500
wounded.
The terms of the surrender were deemed liberal. All officers were
offered freedom in return for their parole. Others were taken to Japan
as prisoners of war.
[Sidenote: A Campaign Analysis]
Following the movements of the Japanese armies and fleets, it was easy
to recognize the objects in view from the start, and to see that the
campaign had been conducted with singular fidelity to the plan adopted
at the beginning. The results were quite as complete as could
reasonably have been looked for. There can be no doubt that a year
before Russia had no serious thought of war; her policy was clearly one
of bluff and diplomatic evasion and delay. With great foresight the
Japanese Government had seen that war was inevitable and the sooner it
came the better would be the position of Japan in the struggle for
supremacy in the East. Her preparations had been made as carefully and
completely as those of Bismarck when he chose his time to force war
upon Louis Napoleon; and she moved with even greater celerity and skill
than the Germans showed in the attack upon France.
[Sidenote: Gaining Mastery of Sea]
Japan's initial problem was to gain the mastery of the sea at the
outset as an absolute essential; without it the employment of land
forces would either be impossible or carried on at an enormous and
perhaps fatal risk in the transportation of troops from the Japanese
islands to the mainland Asia, or in supplying and reinforcing them when
landed. The sea must be cleared of hostile warships before the war
could really begin; and the complete success with which this problem
was solved at surprisingly small cost rivals the brilliant achievements
of the British navy which deprived the first Napoleon of any chance of
success in war outside the European mainland, ruined his campaign in
Egypt and made hopeless an attack upon the British Islands.
[Sidenote: Japan's Main Ambition]
Reviewing the results of the whole campaign, we can see that the main
objective was the capture of Port Arthur; this largely from the
military point of view, still more largely from the standpoint of
sentiment, national pride, prestige with the world at large, and from
considerations of statecraft. Japan had taken Port Arthur once before,
from China, and was obliged to relinquish it to Russia. Its recapture
this time no doubt meant more to the Mikado's subjects than any other
result of the war; whatever else might happen, that was triumph enough.
To the outside world Japan could hardly present a more striking proof
of her prowess than the reduction of this fortress supposed to be
impregnable; while in the final settlement at the end of the war its
possession would mean an immensely important diplomatic point of
vantage. From the strictly military viewpoint, the loss of Port Arthur
took away from Russia the only hope of an effective naval base to which
her Baltic fleet could safely resort, and from which she might hope to
rebuild her shattered sea power. Vladivostock being manifestly
ineffective, from its position to the north of Japan, as well as
because it is ice-bound during a great part of the year. Oyama's
campaign is thus seen to have been chiefly to give General Nogi a free
hand at Port Arthur, keeping Kuropatkin well away from the chance of
relieving the fortress. If the Russian army could be destroyed or
seriously crippled, so much the better; but Oyama had evidently been
quite content to take no risk of disaster to himself by trying to do
too much.
This seems to explain the apparent slowness and the ineffectiveness of
his movements at times. He seems to have been satisfied to keep
Kuropatkin simply in a position where he could do nothing to raise the
siege of Port Arthur.
The avowed purpose of Japan in beginning war was simply to drive Russia
out of the Chinese dominions, which it had agreed to evacuate in the
autumn of 1903, but had failed to carry out the agreement. The first
year of war ended with the accomplishment of that purpose in as forward
a state as could have been reasonably expected.
[Sidenote: The Rival Armies]
It is estimated that during the year Japan in all has had 490,000
fighting men in her armies and navy. Of these 100,000 invested,
besieged and captured Port Arthur. Three hundred thousand made up the
armies in Manchuria. Sixty thousand are along lines of communication
and in garrison at strategic points, while naval forces at bases and
with the fleets numbered about 30,000. On land Japan's united armies
were commanded by Field Marshal Marquis Oyama, while right, centre and
left--each a completely organized army--were commanded respectively by
Generals Kuroki, Nodzu and Oku.
The Port Arthur army, then dwindled from 100,000 men to a mere garrison
and police force, was commanded by General Nogi.
The united Russian armies were commanded by General Kuropatkin.
Prominent divisional leaders were Generals Stakelberg, Gripenberg,
Linevitch and Mistchenko, the latter commanding the Cossack forces.
Port Arthur was defended by General Stoessel, then homeward bound on
parole to undergo court-martial, though commanding the world's
admiration for the defense of Port Arthur.
At sea Admiral Togo and Vice-Admiral Kamimura had led the Japanese
fleets to uninterrupted victory. Russia's naval commanders had been
Vice-Admirals Makaroff, Wirenius and Witzhdoft, while Rear Admiral
Rozndestvensky commanded the Baltic squadron.
[Sidenote: The Cost in Men]
The year's fighting had been enormously costly in men, and only
estimates could be given. The total number of killed was estimated at
125,000, of whom 65,000 were Japanese and 60,000 were Russians. The
wounded numbered approximately 265,000, and with the missing the total
casualties were swelled to 400,000 men. Of the wounded a very large
percentage recovered. The Japanese losses exceeded the Russian,
particularly at Port Arthur and in the battle of Liaoyang, the Russians
being protected by fortifications which the Japanese attacked from the
open. At the battle of the Sha-ho River the casualties were nearly
even, the armies fighting under the same conditions. The accuracy of
the Japanese artillery and rifle fire is accountable for the fact that
the Russian loss is not far less, proportionately.
Of casualties among her more prominent leaders, Japan has been
remarkably free, while Russia has suffered heavily. Among her fallen
leaders were Generals Rutkozsky, Krondrachenko, said to have been the
real defender of Port Arthur, and General Count Kellar. Admiral
Makaroff went down with the _Petropavlovsk_ at the entrance to the
harbor of Port Arthur; Admiral Witoft was killed on his flagship in the
naval battle of August 10. A loss in which all the world shared was
that of the Artist Vassili Verestchagin, who perished with Makaroff on
the _Petropavlovsk_.
[Sidenote: The Cost in Dollars]
The actual outlay of both nations for the first year of the war was
about $800,000,000. Russian expenses were $500,000,000 and Japan's
$350,000,000. To Russia's losses must be added the value of
fortifications, property of all kinds, stores and munitions captured by
Japan at Port Arthur, Dalny, Niuchwang, Haicheng and Liao-yang. These
represent an outlay of approximately $500,000,000, in which is included
the value of the ships destroyed in the harbor of Port Arthur. Russia's
provisions for war expenses to the end of 1905 comprehended a total
expenditure of $850,000,000. Japan's total outlay for two years was
estimated to fall $200,000,000 below that figure. Both countries had
negotiated foreign loans running from seven to twenty-five years, so
that another generation would still feel the financial burden of the
war then in progress.
[Sidenote: The Cost in Ships]
The war had spelled complete disaster for Russia's Asiatic fleet except
for two patched ships of problematical effectiveness then at
Vladivostock. Russia had lost thirty-five vessels of war of all
classes. Of these the chief were: Battleships--_Petropavlovsk_,
destroyed by mine at Port Arthur; _Retvisan_, _Pobieda_, _Poltava_, and
_Peresviet_, sunk by guns from 203-Metre Hill; _Czarevitch_, disarmed
at Shanghai; _Sevastopol_, blown up by the Russians at the fall of Port
Arthur.
Cruisers--_Boyarin_, _Bayan_, _Pallada_, _Varyag_, _Rurik_, _Rossia_,
_Lena_, _Novik_, _Giliak_, _Bogatyr_, sunk, beached or destroyed;
_Askold_, _Diana_, _Gromboi_, disarmed in Chinese ports.
Gunboats, etc.--_Korietz_ and _Yenesei_ and twelve others including
torpedo boats and destroyers, destroyed.
Japan's losses in battle were confined to torpedo-boats and
torpedo-boat destroyers, sixteen of such craft having been destroyed in
attacks on Port Arthur. The battleship _Hatsuse_ was sunk, as were also
the cruisers _Usiyako_, _Saiyen_ and _Yoshino_. Three transports were
sunk by ships of the Vladivostock squadron.
[Sidenote: International Incidents]
On the outbreak of the war Mr. Hay, Secretary of State, proposed to the
Powers that, jointly, they agree to guarantee the neutrality of China
and call upon the belligerents to restrict the war zone accordingly.
Counter charges of violations had been made by Russia and Japan. It was
conceded that China had earnestly striven to fulfil her obligations
under trying circumstances.
On July 17 Russian auxiliary cruisers stopped, searched and seized
neutral ships in the Red Sea, precipitating a grave crisis in which
Great Britain took a conspicuous part. On representations of the
British Foreign Office, Russia released captive ships and recalled the
ships. The fact that they had traversed the Dardanelles for a warlike
purpose was the basis of the protest.
On October 22, the Russian Baltic fleet, passing through the North Sea
en route to the Indian Ocean, fired on the Hull fishing fleet. Two men
were killed, a number were wounded and one trawler was sunk.
[Illustration: THE GARRISON OF PORT ARTHUR LEAVING THE FORTRESS.]
The firing was alleged to have resulted from an attack on the Russian
ships by Japanese torpedo-boats. After a week, in which war seemed
certain, the question of culpability was entrusted by consent of both
Governments to an international commission, to sit at Paris. A German
vessel was also fired on by the Russian fleet, but Germany accepted
Russian explanations and the owners were indemnified.
[Sidenote: Lessons of the War]
Some of the practical lessons gleaned from the actual warfare were
these:
(1) That torpedo-boats were craft of immense possibilities, capable of
even greater development.
(2) That the destroyer had proved a failure; of the 24 vessels of this
type in and before Port Arthur not one made a hit.
(3) That battleships were necessary to successful naval warfare.
(4) That "team work" in armies, as exemplified in the Japanese
movements, was a matter of primary importance.
(5) That short range fighting was decidedly not a thing of the past, as
had been believed.
(6) That the use of hand grenades promised to introduce a new and
particularly horrid form of attack and defense.
(7) That modern fortifications were impregnable to direct assault,
however effective a preliminary bombardment.
(8) That the success or failure of sieges of modernly fortified
positions depended upon the effectiveness of the engineer, miner and
sapper.
(9) That the floating mine was an instrument of destruction against
which the most powerful ship was helpless.
(10) Wounds inflicted by modern arms heal readily. While the war had
demonstrated anew that one man in five was killed in battle, it had
shown that an amazing proportion of the wounded were soon back on the
firing line. The clean wound of the steel rifle projectile yielded to
treatment even when vital organs were pierced. The medical records of
the war were among its most notable features.
[Sidenote: Chronology of First Year of War]
February 5--Japanese and Russian representatives at St. Petersburg and
Tokio given their passports.
February 7--Japanese seize Masanpho, Korea as a troop base.
February 8-9--_Varyag_ and _Korietz_ destroyed in Chemulpo harbor, and
Togo attacks Port Arthur fleet.
February 10--Czar declares war. Japanese occupy Seoul.
February 11--Japan declares war. The United States announces neutrality.
February 12--Sinking of the Russian mineboat _Yenesei_; 96 lives lost
March 1--Kamimura's squadron bombards Vladivostock.
March 27--Kuropatkin reaches Mukden. Japanese take Chongu.
May 1--Kuroki crosses the Yalu, driving back Sassulitch.
May 4--Japanese take Feng-hwang-cheng.
May 5--Japanese land at Pitsewo and begin to invest Port Arthur.
May 11--Russians evacuate Dalny, destroying the town.
May 26-27--Battles of Nanshan Hill and Kinchow; loss, 5130.
May 30--Japanese occupy Port Dalny.
June 14-15--Oku defeats Stackleberg at Vafangow; loss, 11,000.
June 17--Battle of Motien Pass; Russians driven back.
June 18--Japanese take Kinsan Heights.
June 30-31--Battle of Haicheng; loss, 5700.
July 17--Russian cruisers seize neutral vessels in the Red Sea.
July 25--Russian forces driven out of Niuchwang.
July 31--Kuroki wins the Yangze Pass; General Count Keller killed.
August 10--Sorties from Port Arthur harbor. Russian fleet dispersed and
in part destroyed. Vice Admiral Witoft killed.
August 14--Kamimura defeats Vladivostock squadron; _Rurik_ sunk.
August 17--Stoessel refuses to surrender Port Arthur.
August 30-September 4--Japanese, under Oyama, defeat Kuropatkin at
Liao-yang; 365,000 men engaged; loss, 35,000.
September 11--Baltic fleet sails from Cronstadt under Rozhdestvensky.
October 8-18--Kuroki defeats Kuropatkin at Sha-ho River. Total
casualties, 61,000, with 23,000 killed.
October 20--Armies go into winter quarters in and before Mukden.
October 25--Kuropatkin replaces Alexeieff in supreme command.
October 22--"The Doggerbank outrage". Two British fishermen killed.
November 30--Japanese take 203-Metre Hill by storm, losing 12,000.
December 30--Japanese capture Urlungshan fort.
January 2--Stoessel surrenders Port Arthur to Nogi.
The siege of Port Arthur takes high rank in the history of all war. Its
capture was the most brilliant achievement of Japanese arms, and its
defense perhaps the most glorious page in Russian annals. Invested on
May 5, 1904, the fortress held out till failing ammunition forced the
surrender of January 2, 1905--242 days. Direct attacks opened on August
19. City, fort and fleet have been valued at $270,000,000; all were
destroyed, at a cost to the besiegers of $100,000,000 and more than
30,000 lives; fully 70,000 Japanese were wounded in the various attacks.