Chapter XIII: The Attack on Port Arthur

Russia’s great naval base in the Far East was intended to be an impregnable fortress assuring freedom from molestation to a Russian fleet taking the offensive and requiring a harbour at which to coal and repair. The Viceroy’s policy seems to have been determined upon the assumption that Port Arthur afforded an absolutely safe retreat for the Russian fleet, even though the railway were cut and land communication destroyed.

The plan of campaign, providing Japan attacked in force--Russia never intended to make war--was for the land forces to retire north until sufficiently reinforced to make a successful advance at the best season; the garrison left at Port Arthur to hold the fortress from attacks on the land side, and shelter the fleet from the enemy’s vessels should they approach the port. The Russian fleet was intended to manœuvre within the limits protected by the guns of the forts, to entice the attacking ships to approach, then destroy them one after the other; to make sudden, unexpected raids on the enemy’s transports, convoys, and, where there was a prospect of success, also on the opposing fleet. As the enemy’s fleet became weakened by losses through such engagements, and repeated assaults on the fortress, the Russian fleet would with increasing boldness take the offensive.

The Russians were confident that the fortress, well supplied with ammunition and provisions, could hold out successfully until, at the right season, Russia could take the offensive, and relieve the pressure upon Port Arthur, and raise the siege if the place were really invested by the enemy.

The scheme of defence broke down in three ways. First, the opening attack of the Japanese so crippled the Russian fleet, that it never ventured to take the offensive, and could render only limited direct assistance in defending the fortress when the forts were attacked from the sea. Secondly, the key to the defences of the peninsula was passed on to the Japanese by the inability of the Russian forces to hold the isthmus--a position was lost which could not be retrieved without the co-operation of a fleet. Thirdly, the Russian reinforcements were not obtained soon enough to give the Russians the required superiority to enable their forces to take the offensive at the most favourable season.

From the first Port Arthur had to protect the whole of the fleet; to resist the attacks of an undivided fleet of the enemy; and later to repulse attacks on the land side made simultaneously. Not once did the Russian fleet forsake the shelter of the forts, until it made a dash to escape to neutral ports; it made no attempt by going forth to draw away part of the enemy’s attacking fleet, even for a time--made no attempt to ruin or weaken the strength of that attacking fleet by counter attacks, which, though they might have entailed heavy losses of Russian ships, would yet have caused the Japanese victory to have been too dearly bought. The fleet co-operated in the defence, it is true, and showed to greater advantage in coast defence, for which it was not primarily intended, than it did in such work, as maintaining communications, which it had been expected to perform.

The torpedo attack of February 8 was disastrous, but it might have been made much more effective than it was. To the enemy’s fleet, bombarding the port on February 9, the Russian fleet made some slight show of resistance; in fact the _Novik_ seemed ready to attack all the Japanese without assistance, and, but for her speed--twenty-seven knots,--she would certainly have been cut off and captured or sunk. That engagement showed to the Japanese the strength of the Russian fleet at Port Arthur, and confirmed their belief that they had put two battleships and a cruiser out of action.

So far as can be learned, the firing from the forts that day in no way injured the Japanese vessels.

The chief forts defending the entrance to the harbour are those immediately to the north, on the mountain known as Golden Hill. These comprise three distinct batteries: the Golden Hill fort on the summit; the electric battery on the summit of the rocky crags above the entrance to the fort, and the Middle Batteries, which connect the two forts, making a practically unbroken line of guns from end to end of the hill, and at three different elevations. The guns on Wieyuen fort and Tiger’s Tail, to the south, are neither so large nor so well manned as the best batteries in the fortress. The fort on Liaotishan, at the extremity of the peninsula and White Wolf Hill to the north of it, complete the chief of the sea batteries, the batteries capable of attacking if the enemy’s fleet should attempt to reach the harbour.

After the first attack it was the object of the Port Admiral to get the damaged vessels into a sheltered position behind the Tiger’s Tail, then to repair them as soon as the docks were available. The commandant of the fortress had to strengthen the garrisons in the forts on the land side, and put an army of defence into the field to the north of the town lest an attempt should be made to land a force at Dalny, Talienwan, Kinchow, or Port Adams.

The enemy’s fleet left the harbour without appreciable molestation for a fortnight. Within that time the injured ships, except the _Retvizan_, had been towed to safe moorings; the land forces had been stationed wherever it was thought a landing might be attempted, and the fort garrisons were increased. Better than that--the numbness and paralyzing effect of the unexpected bombardment had passed away from the naval, military and civil population.

The enemy’s fleet showed in the offing from time to time, but probably merely in order to draw the fire from the forts. At night lights would be seen to seaward and fired upon. Sometimes these lights disappeared after they had been shot at, and Russians believed they had sunk ships of the enemy. Some time later torpedo-boat destroyers, when scouting, ascertained that these lights were dummies on rafts and triangles, drifting in and across the entrance with the tide. It was a clever ruse to draw the fire from the forts, and also to accustom the Russians to harmless lights being shown at the entrance to the harbour.

The Viceroy and his naval, military and diplomatic corps left Port Arthur for fresh headquarters at Mukden on Sunday, February 21. General Stoessel was then in supreme command of the fortress and of the army in the Kwan-tung peninsula; Admiral Stark in command of the fleet; Admiral Grevy in charge of the port, harbour, dockyards and naval departments.

During the night of February 23-24, the approach of the enemy was signalled from Liaotishan, and at about half-past three the forts opened fire. One of the approaching vessels, an old transport, the _Tenshin Maru_, was sunk by shots from Golden Hill, and went down in deep water about three miles to the south-west of the harbour entrance. Thereupon the other vessels steered out, and, exhibited by the search-lights from Golden Hill were followed by a heavy cannonade, and were repeatedly struck. One, the _Bushu Maru_, ran aground and was made a wreck by the Russian shells, and apparently blew to pieces from the explosion of boilers, or of her magazine. The third vessel came in towards the entrance, but was sunk outside by shots from the grounded _Retvizan_, whose turret guns were used continuously. Two other vessels, the _Hokoku_ and the _Jinsin_, came further into the channel, but were sunk by the Russian shells from the _Retvizan_ and forts, or by their crews. Both went down in the entrance to the harbour outside the guardship and the _Retvizan_. Some bodies were washed ashore the next morning, but the crews seemed to have escaped in the torpedo boats which accompanied the flotilla of fire ships with which the Japanese had intended to block the navigable channel to the harbour.

The expedition failed. The steamers did not sink in the channel, and there was a fair way still open for the egress of the Russian fleet.

Later that day the town sustained a heavy bombardment directed upon the harbour. The _Retvizan_ was struck, and some damage was done to the town and forts, but the loss of life was slight.

The next night Japanese torpedo boats were seen approaching the entrance, and were fired upon. Two were struck and appeared to sink, the others went seaward, escaping in the darkness; a thick dull atmosphere, presaging a snowstorm, covered harbour, hills and sea.

That morning two torpedo boats returned to harbour; a third was cut off by the Japanese, and headed south, rounding Liaotishan and reaching Pigeon Bay, where she was sunk by the enemy.

The following day General Stoessel ordered all British and American residents to leave Port Arthur at once. Several did so and were caught in a terrible blizzard which raged all over South Manchuria for thirty-six hours.

The next week there was a respite from active warfare; the town again recovered from the excitement, shock and disorder occasioned by the heavy bombardment. At the end of the week the railway line was blocked by a military train which had left the rails. The town people believed that land communication had been destroyed by the Japanese, but the arrival of the usual daily train on Sunday restored public confidence.

The next week Admiral Makaroff arrived and took over the command from Admiral Stark. There was feverish activity in the naval yards, and the smaller cruisers finished their repairs and were again fit for action. From day to day there was firing, and some of the shells wrought considerable havoc in both the old and the new towns, but the casualties were few and the dilapidations so local that there was nothing approaching panic. The civilians were becoming used to the bursting of shells, and no longer started at the roar of cannon upon the forts.

The _Retvizan_ was successfully refloated. The presence of Admiral Makaroff and the Grand Dukes Cyril and Boris buoyed up the hopes of the garrisons and even of the navy and the townspeople. It was believed that soon something would be done to turn the tables upon the enemy, and admit of the Russian fleet assuming the offensive. In the meantime General Stoessel improved his defences on the land side; he sent out agents to get in stores of provisions, and arrange for continual supplies from the Chinese treaty ports, and showed that he possessed much foresight, and would be prepared for any and every kind of attack.

The Japanese, foiled in their attempt to block the harbour, were constantly annoying us by frequently reconnoitring. On March 10 the search-lights revealed the approach of a torpedo-boat flotilla. The batteries opened fire, and the Russian torpedo-boat flotilla put out to sea. The enemy retreated, the Russian boats returned to port at daylight with the news that the Japanese fleet was approaching; the torpedo-boat destroyer _Steregushchi_ was sunk by this oncoming fleet. At eight o’clock the fleet, consisting of fourteen ships, opened fire on the harbour and the fortress from behind Liaotishan, and did considerable damage to the New Town as well as to the shipping.

On Sunday, March 12, there was another engagement, during which the _Diana_ was struck twice by the shells from the enemy’s fleet.

From this date the Russian fleet remained continuously under steam, and lay most of the time in the outer roadstead. Admiral Alexeiev visited the port, and, satisfied with the defences and the order prevailing, returned to Mukden. The nights were clear, and in the bright moonlight there was immunity from attack.

At the beginning of April the desultory bombardments recommenced, the fire being directed towards the harbour and the Golden Hill forts. The approach of the enemy on moonless nights was foiled by the incessant vigilance of the sentinels and the prompt and effective use made of the search-lights from the batteries.

The Yalu was now open; the ice had broken on the Liao; it was time for a forward movement on the part of the Japanese. There were now chances for the Russian fleet to attack the transports of the enemy if they attempted to land troops either east or west of the Kwan-tung peninsula.

On April 11, Admiral Togo’s fleet again attacked the fortress. About midnight the next day torpedo-boat destroyers and a transport, the _Koryo_, managed to reach the entrance to the harbour, and lie in security close under the cliff of Golden Hill whilst they put down mines, unobserved from the batteries, although the search-lights swept the approaches without a moment’s intermission. In the early morning one of the Russian fleet’s scouts coming to harbour from Liaotishan was fired upon and sunk by the enemy’s fleet; a second one escaped, but was chased right into port by the Japanese squadron. Having ascertained the strength of this squadron, Admiral Makaroff put to sea to give the enemy battle. The _Bayan_ led; she was followed by the _Novik_, _Askold_, and _Diana_, the three lightest and swiftest of the Russian cruisers. Then followed the _Poltava_, the _Pobieda_, and the flag-ship _Petropavlovsk_.

The Japanese squadron made a demonstration of force, fired with little effect, and retired, hotly pursued by the Russian squadron. The direction taken was towards the south-east.

This squadron doubtless communicated by wireless telegraphy with Admiral Togo, who thereupon attempted to get his ships between the Russian squadron and the harbour. In this he was frustrated, as the Russians observed his approach and at once returned to port, the _Petropavlovsk_ leading, and followed by the Japanese squadron they had been chasing.

The weather was misty and fine rain was falling.

It appears that the Japanese had watched the route by which the Russian ships entered and left the port, avoiding the obstacles the Japanese had sunk, and their own mines put down to protect the entrance. In the fairway the Japanese placed mines taken from the _Koryo_, and this was not observed owing to the thick weather which had prevailed.

The _Petrovpavlovsk_ struck one of the Japanese mines. She appeared to rise, then fell heavily, with a list so great that she seemed on her beam ends, and all at once she sank from view.

This was the worst disaster Port Arthur had sustained. With the _Petropavlovsk_ Admiral Makaroff went down. The commander and the greater portion of the officers and men were lost, in all 791 men, including the painter V. V. Vereshchagin, the poet Sessuchin, and several Russian war correspondents. The Grand Dukes Cyril and Boris were among the saved, the former being rescued from the water in an insensible condition and suffering from concussion, the result of the explosion beneath the battleship.

The Japanese followed up their advantage. The _Boyarin_ was attacked and sunk whilst attempting to reach the port from Dalny. The bad weather alone prevented them from making further immediate attacks on the port.

The Viceroy, Admiral Alexeiev, resumed chief command of the fleet, but his presence did not inspire the confidence the coming of Admiral Makaroff had produced. For some reason neither officers nor men had the same trust in the Viceroy. It was known that General Kuropatkin was in supreme and independent command, that Admiral Makaroff also was free from the Viceroy’s interference. He was regarded as merely a stop-gap, much as, _faute de mieux_, Admiral Stark had assumed full responsible command pending the arrival of Admiral Makaroff.

Three submarine boats were believed to be on their way to the port. One arrived. The new propeller for the _Tesarevich_ was also received, and some torpedo boats in sections. Hope was buoyed by the rumour that either Rojdestvensky or Admiral Skrydloff would be sent to Port Arthur to command what remained of the fleet.

General Stoessel became increasingly active in making preparations for the defence of the fortress his special care. The defence of the approaches, the holding of the Kwan-tung peninsula, the ports of Dalny and Talienwan, the junction of Nangalin, and the railway as far as beyond the isthmus from Port Arthur to Kinchow, in the neutral territory, also devolved upon him as commander-in-chief of the army in the peninsula. He disposed his forces to best advantage, concentrating them upon the protection of the railway communications, and assigned to General Fuchs, of the Siberian Rifles, with a force consisting of nearly 10,000 men, the duty of safeguarding this land route.

The fort commands were of less immediate importance. The General insisted upon European non-combatants leaving not only the fortress, but the Kwan-tung peninsula. The contractors were urged to go beyond its limits and be energetic in getting supplies sent to the port, to Louisa Bay and other landing-places. Some were appointed to supply the Russian main army north of Kinchow. Those remaining were all informed that they must bear arms at need, and would be called upon to do manual labour on the fortifications. The Chinese remaining were all treated as coolies and they worked like slaves in making the trenches and adding to the defences of the hill forts. The work on the forts not completed was prosecuted energetically by night and day where screened from the observation of the enemy at sea. Soldiers, sailors, marines all worked hard, in regular shifts; the soldiers having in addition to do sentry duty in the intervals.

During the past three months Port Arthur had withstood successfully nine distinct bombardments. The forts were all intact, the fortifications had suffered but little, and the damages were quickly repaired. The towns were not destroyed, and were habitable. The conditions were not insufferable. There was constant communication by telegraph with St. Petersburg. Some news of the outer world reached the town; the _Novy Krai_ appeared, somewhat irregularly owing to the scarcity of labour, and the restaurants were open.

At this time there were over a thousand European civilians in the fortress, and of them nearly half were women. Ever since the first bombardment, from Port Arthur, Dalny, Talienwan, and the railway settlements, there had been a more or less involuntary exodus of traders, Russian workmen, settlers with their wives and families, the idle and vicious hangers on to an army of occupation, adventurers and adventuresses of every nationality, and those Chinese who were able to escape also departed. The Europeans went by railway to Liaoyang, Mukden, Harbin, or Russia; some thousands in the aggregate went to the treaty ports of China by steamer or junk. The British steamer, _Foxton Hall_, abandoned by its commander, was taken by the only remaining pilot, a Russian who had been wounded during the first bombardment, to Chifu with as many refugees as could find accommodation. General Stoessel was anxious to be rid of all but his soldiers, though many who were sent away would have benefited by some months of hard labour on the fortifications. As a result there were no non-belligerents to exhaust the supply of provisions. The inhabitants constituted a garrison of formidable strength, who now attended to the business of war.

At the end of April the Russian forces were driven out of Korea; at the beginning of May the Japanese crossed the Yalu.

Then the Japanese plan of campaign developed with rapidity. The first army under General Kuroki, reinforced from transports arriving at the Yalu, marched north from Antung.

On May 5, the Japanese commenced to land a second army under General Oku, at Pitsewo, between the Yalu and the Kwan-tung peninsula. This army marched west and threatened the railway to Port Arthur. The Viceroy, Admiral Alexeiev, left hurriedly before noon on May 5, having with him the Grand Duke Boris, and some members of his staff. The fleet was left under the command of Admiral Vitgert, and the commander of the _Novik_, Captain Essen, raised in rank, until the arrival of Admiral Skrydlov; the command passed afterward to Prince Ukhtomsky of the _Peresviet_.

Owing to the propinquity of the Japanese, a car of wounded was attached to the Viceroy’s train, and a Red Cross flag was shown when the train was stopped by the enemy’s infantry near Puliantien. Two days later the line of communication was cut.

There was a force of more than 30,000 men on the Kwan-tung peninsula, and these, co-operating with General Kuropatkin’s army operating from the north, managed to restore the railway communication temporarily. A typhoon interfered with the disembarkation of Japanese troops from the transports at Pitsewo; and if vigorous action had then been taken to oppose the invaders, the situation might have been retrieved.

The Russian force at Kaiping, co-operating with the railway guards, drove the Japanese from the line and repaired the permanent way. A train load of ammunition arrived at Mukden after the line had been cut; it was sent to Vaffienten, whence Lieut.-Colonel Spiridonov undertook to convey it to Kinchow. Everything was in readiness to blow up the train if by any chance the Japanese attacked in such force as again to take temporary possession of the line. The 4th Siberian Rifles provided an escort, and the well-armed train ran the gauntlet of the enemy’s rifle fire for hours. At Kinchow it was handed over to Colonel Yokov, belonging to the Kwan-tung force, and brought safely to Port Arthur. That same night the Japanese advanced towards Kinchow, and next day a force was landed from thirty transports at Port Adams on the west shore of the Liaotung peninsula.

Supported by fire from their fleet, the Japanese succeeded in effecting the establishment of their second army across the railway line, and occupying the isthmus from shore to shore. They were attacked again and again from both north and south, but the attempts to dislodge them were unsuccessful. On June 24, they fought the battle of Nanshan, winning the position though suffering heavy losses. They won by their usual tactics, a heavy flank attack made simultaneously with a frontal attack--the latter usually consisting of two distinct and separate attacks made at the same time from different points, the whole constituting a combination the Russians have never resisted with ultimate success. In the engagement the flanking party had to advance along the seashore; men of both armies waded out into the water and fought each other there. The Japanese at last swam round the extremity of the Russian right wing, drove it in towards the centre, and then completed the turning movement which proved successful and forced the Russian army to retire upon its temporary base at Kaiping.

Before advancing further the Japanese established themselves securely in their advantageous position across the isthmus. With trenches and fortifications they rendered themselves safe from any attack which General Stoessel might make with the 30,000 men at his disposal. Towards the north they presented a much more formidable front. So strong was their position, that no number of men General Kuropatkin could command at any time might be deployed so as to attack simultaneously. The isthmus, like a mountain pass, could be held for an indefinite period by a comparatively small force, and without a fleet no flank attack could be made upon their position.

The Liaotung peninsula, tapering southward, may be likened to a tun-dish of which the isthmus is the funnel, and midway in that funnel the Japanese position could be attacked by an army presenting a front no wider than their own lines, a position in which not more men could be employed to attack simultaneously than they, at any time, were able to provide for its defence--a position against which the whole of the military forces of Russia may be hurled in quick succession yet not be able to take by storm. As long as it is supported by the Japanese fleet on east and west, it is absolutely impregnable.

It cut off Port Arthur from Manchuria effectually and permanently.