The first half of October, 1892, was characterized by some small-scale Japanese defeats, at Tlichiki and Ust Nera, against the Russians, and Qiqihar against the Chinese. But this period also saw continued slaughter against the Russians at Utchan (lasting, actually, through the entire month), where the enemy suffered more than 10:1 casualties, and Ninguta, where 20, 50 or 100 Chinese fell, for every Japanese – a rate sustained over a long period of time.
By October 19, though Gen. Hiroshi Ichinohe’s troops were still outnumbered, the enemy recognized that it was time to withdraw. During that campaign, his heroic army had destroyed more than 10 times of the enemy than they had lost, which set the ledger back against the Chinese aggression remarkably well.
In November, Gen. Yasukata Okubo’s army at Utchan only accelerated its dismemberment of the ill-starred attack there – Japanese machine guns tearing apart massed Russian assaults before they could even come into range, and punished them even as they retreated, and there was no protection, as the ice-hardened ground would admit no new entrenchments, while the Japanese fortifications were well-made and long-standing. The Russian general – a man of no repute, but from an aristocratic family who had the favor of the Tsar – refused to admit surrender, and so more thousands died daily.
Another Russian army invaded Manchuria at Ulusamudan, where the talented Gen. Oleg Voroshilov hoped to break through and push the Japanese back. But here, also, they met only disappointment, as Gen. Aritomo Tokugawa’s veteran soldiers held their ground.
Gen. Hiroshi Ichinohe, after his victory at Ninguta, had left his wounded and most exhausted units behind to effect the occupation of that province, while marching his freshest and most battle-effective regiments into Qiqihar, where he hoped to capitalize upon the damage already inflicted upon the Chinese forces there. He engaged at the beginning of November.
Meanwhile, Gen. Goro Ichinohe had been attacked at the beginning of the month, at Mukden, and his defensive positions proved as strong against the Chinese as had those in earlier battles. The Chinese threw themselves against a wall.
Gen. Okubo had his victory, at Utchan, on November 10. Nearly 60,000 attacking soldiers were left behind, on the field of battle, and the remaining 40% of the overall assault force withdrew back into Russia (many demanded execution for the general, but he was quietly retired and disallowed from command). Only 5,000 Japanese had been lost.
Before the end of the month, the Russian incursion into Ulusamudan failed also. Their General Voroshilov wounded, and unable to command. They had lost 22,000 there, without having made much of an impression upon the Japanese defenses.
On the 24th, Gen. Yasuyoshi Katsura was landed on the northern tip of Formosa, north of the capital of Taibei, and shortly thereafter he engaged a Chinese army of equal size. It would not remain of equal size for long – even on the offense the superior Japanese tactics and weapons proved decisive.
Nevertheless, as November wore on, worry began to creep into the minds of Japanese generals. Two key battles hung in the balance against the Russians in enemy territory – at Ayan, where the conflict had settled into a low-level pattern, but there were weaknesses in Okubo’s position which couldn’t be helped, and also at Magdagachi, where Gen. Yevgeny Pavlov was posing a serious challenge to Gen. Tokugawa’s position – his troops were tiring and couldn’t hold out forever.
The Chinese army at Taibei, large as it was, fell to Gen. Katsura’s invasion force by the first week of December. He immediately set out for the south of the island, where only a smaller army was to be found. Before the end of the year, another 10,000 Chinese were killed or surrendered, and the entire island of Formosa was undefended. The process of mopping up began.
Gen. Gentaro Nire – that brilliant tactician – was still engaged in a months-long campaign at Chernomin. As many as 75,000 Russian troops had participated in this battle at one time or another, led most recently by Gen. Dragomirov. On the 11th of December, Dragomirov retreated with only 22,000 men.
During November and December, the Russians had regularly refused offers from Japan to end the war if Russia would turn over Sakhalin Island and the Kuril Islands (here, HaIshenwai refers to Sakhalin, Japan having already captured the rest of HaIshenwai region from China). Continually, the Russians had countered with insulting proposals of no territorial gain for Japan.
Finally, after the humiliating defeat at Chernomin, the Russians offered part of the Japanese demands – Sakhalin, without the Kurils. Japan refused – it was too little for what had already been sacrificed. They were firm that Russia would hold no territory that was rightfully Japanese.
As feared, on December 20, Gen. Tokugawa was forced to withdraw from Magdagachi, but having won a strategic victory of sorts, by inflicting the losses suffered by the Russians. Ayan, also, proved untenable, and Gen. Goro Okubo pulled back, after having killed 22,000 of the enemy. However, a significant victory by Gen. Kamio at Aigun provided any hope during the first week of January, 1893.
Ultimately, massed Chinese attacks also wore down Gen. Goro Ichinohe’s army at Mukden – his troops faltering and dwindling in combat effectiveness. He was forced to retreat on the 11th. But that was not the end of the story for Mukden, in this war.
Goro Ichinohe had killed 63,000 Chinese, leaving a weakened army of 91,000 there. But his cousin, Hiroshi Ichinohe, rallied 18,000 fresh Japanese troops, having just secured Port Arthur, and led them to attack the Chinese at Mukden, meaning to throw them back and maintain Japanese initiative.
Gen. Yoshida Oyama had, over the course of weeks, had penetrated deeply into China, and had engaged a Chinese force at Chengde, west of Mukden and Jinzhou. However, since his campaign began, pinning him in place, the Chinese had won their victory at Mukden, and even begun to retake Jinzhou. Oyama’s army was trapped.
Nevertheless, some hope remained for his possible extraction – by sea, most probably – when on the 30th of January he defeated the Chinese, annihilating one entire army and only being attacked with 16,000 reinforcements on the final day, which quickly pulled back to reconsider. His luck seemed subtly cruel, but some hope remained that he might be rescued. Then scouts reported an army of 100,000 en route to Chengde from the west, and Oyama accepted his fate, vowing to take as many of the enemy with him as he could.
Gen. Nire was engaged, yet again, at Chernomin – his third engagement there, having claimed one tremendous victory and another minor one. There was great hope that he would eventually be able to secure the region for Japan (83% occupied), but his troops were faltering, and there was some question if he could withstand the most recent attack by an equal force, even if he was still inflicting tortuous casualties upon the enemy.
It was time for Japan to recognize its limits. When another Russian envoy arrived, in the 2nd week of February, 1893, offering Sakhalin Island, but not the Kurils…
The Emperor ordered his court to accept the proposal. The Kuril Islands would have to wait for another war. It was time to concentrate on one enemy – China.
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