Russians Fear Fall of Fortress Soon

With the confirmation of news that the Japanese have occupied 203-Meter Hill and the report that the Russians unsuccessfully attempted its recapture, officials at the War Office are beginning to prepare themselves for the inevitable.

Golden Hill and Liao-Thie Hill are higher than and dominate 203-Meter Hill, but the officials say that if the Japanese succeed in mounting heavy guns upon 203-Meter Hill, it will be only a question of days or weeks before the fortress falls.

Still, there is not the slightest idea among Gen. Stoessel’s friends that he will surrender, even if he should be ordered to do so….it is believed by those who know Gen. Stoessel best that he will literally make good his threat to hold out to the last man and the last cartridge.

Here is a Wikipedia article on the Siege of Port Arthur that mentions and has images of the Battle of 203 Meter Hill

Dec 9 Headline:  Port Arthur Fleet Wiped Out By Foes

The Daily Telegraph’s correspondent before Port Arthur telegraphs that all the Russian battleships and cruisers, together with the gunboats Giliak and Fusadneck, have been sunk or destroyed, and that only the torpedo-boat destroyers remain intact.

….giving unofficial reports, the crews of all the Russian war vessels in the harbor of Port Arthur were landed, and apparently no effort was made to move the vessels.

Mail advices to Japan describing the capture of 203-Meter Hill state that the Japanese drenched the timber work of the trenches with kerosene and started a furious fire, which was fanned by a strong gale.  The advance of the Japanese was very slow. They were obliged to make roads with bags of earth.

It was a sudden decision to make a night attack that brought victory to the Japanese.

Dec 20 Headline:  Japan Thrilled By Heroism

Although accustomed to hearing of acts of bravery on the part of their soldiers and sailors, the people of Japan have been thrilled by the details of the desperate torpedo attacks against the Russian battleship Sevastopol and other craft driven outside of the Harbor of Port Arthur by the fire of the Japanese land batteries.

….Then he steamed through the snowstorm alone and succeeded in locating the Sevastopol, to which he was able to get close enough to hear the Russians talking.  Yezoe fired a torpedo and then went closer and fired a second torpedo, when a shell from the Sevastopol struck him, cutting his body in two.

Dec 25 Headline:  Take Japanese Trenches

Gen. Kuropatkin reports having made yesterday a reconnaissance in force in the direction of the Japanese positions at Bentsiaputze.

The Russians forced an entry into Bentsiaputze, occupied some of the entrenchments, and repulsed the counter-attacks of two battalions of Japanese leaving nine prisoners in the hands of the Russians.