Russo-Japanese War: Port Arthur Falls

January 2, 1905 - After holding out for five months, the siege of Port Arthur ends when the Russian garrison surrenders. The siege of Port Arthur began on July 30, 1904, when Japanese forces under General Nogi Maresuke invested the city. Seeking to end the battle quickly, Nogi assaulted the outlying Russian positions. After taking heavy casualties, his men were able to secure the Orphan Hills and 174 Meter Hill, but were repulsed elsewhere. One of the first battles to see the use of machine guns, bolt-action magazine rifles, and rapid-firing artillery, both sides incurred increasingly heavy losses. Unable to penetrate the Russian lines, Nogi began a traditional siege (right) and ordered trenches and tunnels built. Subsequent attacks in the fall gained little ground, but managed to wear down the defenders. In December, Japanese troops secured 203 Meter Hill after a protracted and bloody battle. From this vantage point they were able to shell the Russian warships taking refuge in the harbor. With his men weak from months of fighting, Major General Anatoly Stoessel surrendered the city on January 2, 1905.

Photograph Source: Public Domain