More details on the war
by: Diana Macias
The siege of Port Arthur was one of they key battles of the Russo-Japanese war.The Japanese troops first invested the city on July 30, 1904, and forced its surrender on January 2, 1905. The commander in Russia was Major General Anatoly Stoessel. There was 50,000 Russian men in the army with 506 guns.The Japanese commander was General Nogi Maresuke. During the first year of the Russo-Japanese War, Japanese troops landed in Korea and Manchuria and began pushing the Russia’s back towards their base at Port Arthur. It was located on the Liaodong Peninsula, Port Arthur was Russia’s sole warm water port in the Pacific and source irritation to the Japanese who had been promised the city in the 1895 Treaty of Shimonoseki.
The campaign saw the introduction of many new weapons such as the machine gun, barbed wire, rapid-firing howitzers, bolt-actions magazine rifles, and mines. Forced back to Port Arthur, the Russian commander, Major General Anatoly Stoessel prepared to defend the city.Port Arthur had been fortified in the intervening years. Though some defenses were still incomplete, they were much more formidable than the city that had been attacked during the First Japanese War a decade earlier.
General Nogi Maresuke was assigned to take the city with the Japanese Third Army. Stoessell 50,000-man garrison almost 2-to-1 at the start of the battle, Nogi believed he could take the city. This was largely due to his prior experience as the Japanese commander who had seized Port Arthur during the first Japanese War. Attacking all along the Russian lines on August 19, the main assault came against 174 Meter Hil. The hill became the focus of the battle. Tretyakov was forced to pull back. The attacks has cost Nogi over 16,000 casualties. Unable to penetrate the Russian defenses, Nogi settled in for a siege.
203 Meter Hill became the new focus of the battle. Stoessel delegated it’s defense to Colonel Tretyakov. Nogi recommenced the assault on November 26 with frontal attacks on 203 Meter Hill and adjacent Akasaka Yama Hill. The attack continued until the japanese finally beat the Russian positions. From this position they were able to hit and sink the Russian warship in the harbor. Stoessel and his commanders met on December 8 to discuss whether to continue holding out. They decided to carry on with the battle. On New Years day the Wanted Ravine finally fell to the Japanese. Stoessel, who believed the situation was hopeless surrendered Port Arthur to the Japanese on January 2, 1905.
The Siege of Port Arthur cost the Japanese 57,780 killed, wounded, and missing. The Russians lost 31,306 killed, wounded, and missing. The remaining 23,491 Russians were taken into captivity. Stoessel was sentenced to death. This was revised to imprisonment and returned to service during War World I. Nogi and the Third Army proceeded north and took part in the battle of Mukden. The triumphant at Port Arthur, the victory had came to a heavy prince and foreshadowed the carnage.
by: Diana Macias
The siege of Port Arthur was one of they key battles of the Russo-Japanese war.The Japanese troops first invested the city on July 30, 1904, and forced its surrender on January 2, 1905. The commander in Russia was Major General Anatoly Stoessel. There was 50,000 Russian men in the army with 506 guns.The Japanese commander was General Nogi Maresuke. During the first year of the Russo-Japanese War, Japanese troops landed in Korea and Manchuria and began pushing the Russia’s back towards their base at Port Arthur. It was located on the Liaodong Peninsula, Port Arthur was Russia’s sole warm water port in the Pacific and source irritation to the Japanese who had been promised the city in the 1895 Treaty of Shimonoseki.
The campaign saw the introduction of many new weapons such as the machine gun, barbed wire, rapid-firing howitzers, bolt-actions magazine rifles, and mines. Forced back to Port Arthur, the Russian commander, Major General Anatoly Stoessel prepared to defend the city.Port Arthur had been fortified in the intervening years. Though some defenses were still incomplete, they were much more formidable than the city that had been attacked during the First Japanese War a decade earlier.
General Nogi Maresuke was assigned to take the city with the Japanese Third Army. Stoessell 50,000-man garrison almost 2-to-1 at the start of the battle, Nogi believed he could take the city. This was largely due to his prior experience as the Japanese commander who had seized Port Arthur during the first Japanese War. Attacking all along the Russian lines on August 19, the main assault came against 174 Meter Hil. The hill became the focus of the battle. Tretyakov was forced to pull back. The attacks has cost Nogi over 16,000 casualties. Unable to penetrate the Russian defenses, Nogi settled in for a siege.
203 Meter Hill became the new focus of the battle. Stoessel delegated it’s defense to Colonel Tretyakov. Nogi recommenced the assault on November 26 with frontal attacks on 203 Meter Hill and adjacent Akasaka Yama Hill. The attack continued until the japanese finally beat the Russian positions. From this position they were able to hit and sink the Russian warship in the harbor. Stoessel and his commanders met on December 8 to discuss whether to continue holding out. They decided to carry on with the battle. On New Years day the Wanted Ravine finally fell to the Japanese. Stoessel, who believed the situation was hopeless surrendered Port Arthur to the Japanese on January 2, 1905.
The Siege of Port Arthur cost the Japanese 57,780 killed, wounded, and missing. The Russians lost 31,306 killed, wounded, and missing. The remaining 23,491 Russians were taken into captivity. Stoessel was sentenced to death. This was revised to imprisonment and returned to service during War World I. Nogi and the Third Army proceeded north and took part in the battle of Mukden. The triumphant at Port Arthur, the victory had came to a heavy prince and foreshadowed the carnage.