Siege of Port Arthur
Port Arthur, Russian Dalian (now Dalian, Liaoning, China)
What happened
Japanese General Nogi Maresuke besieged the Russian naval base at Port Arthur, where General Roman Kondratenko commanded part of the defence. During the Russo-Japanese War, Port Arthur, at the tip of the Liaodong Peninsula in China, was the base of Russia's Pacific Fleet. The Japanese fortified hills around the town, including 203-Meter Hill. The siege used heavy howitzers and modified naval mines as land weapons.
Why it matters
Result: Japanese victory. Leaders: Nogi Maresuke / Kodama Gentarō against Anatoly Stessel / Roman Kondratenko. Why it matters: With its heavy artillery and trench fighting, the siege was an early look at the kind of fighting later seen in World War I.
What came next
Nogi's Third Army was then freed to join Marshal Oyama at the Battle of Mukden.
Did you know?
The siege used massive 28 cm howitzers that fired 217-kilogram shells.
Timeline
- 1904The siege of Port Arthur begins.
- 1905Nogi's army goes north to join Oyama at Mukden.