Battle of Shaho
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Shaho was a land battle
of the Russo-Japanese War
fought along a 37 miles (59.5 km) front centered at the Sha River on the Mukden–Port Arthur
spur of the China Far East Railway
just north of Liaoyang
, Manchuria
.
As the situation for the Russian
forces in the Far East after the defeat at the Battle of Liaoyang
became increasingly unfavorable, the Tsar
became determined to both save Port Arthur, and, more importantly, save face for the Russian Empire
. He directed General Alexei Kuropatkin, the Commander-in-Chief of the Russian armies in Manchuria
to reverse the tide of the war. Kuropatkin was reinforced by fresh troops brought in by the newly completed Trans-Siberian Railroad and counter-attacked the Japanese armies, commanded by Field Marshal
Marquis
Oyama Iwao
at Sha-ho River.
The Japanese forces consisted of the 1st Army
commanded by General Kuroki Tametomo, the 2nd Army
commanded by General Oku Yasukata, and the 4th Army commanded by General Nozu Michitsura, totaling 170,000 men. On the evening of 10 October 1904, General Oyama ordered a major Japanese counter-offensive to strike the Russian right flank. By 13 October, the Japanese halted the Russian advance in the mountains to the northeast of Liaoyang, and threatened the Russian center south of the Sha River.
Combat continued for the next four days, with both sides unwilling to back down. It was not until 17 October 1904 that General Kuropatkin called off the costly attacks, and withdrew his forces north towards Mukden.
Total Russian casualties totaled 44,351 killed, wounded, captured or missing in action. Japanese casualties totaled 20,345 killed, wounded, captured or missing. As a result, the Japanese advance on Mukden was paused, but not halted, and both sides dug in to prepare for the next battle at the Battle of Sandepu
(Heikoutai).
Battle
Generally, a battle is a conceptual component in the hierarchy of combat in warfare between two or more armed forces, or combatants. In a battle, each combatant will seek to defeat the others, with defeat determined by the conditions of a military campaign...
of the Russo-Japanese War
Russo-Japanese War
The Russo-Japanese War was "the first great war of the 20th century." It grew out of rival imperial ambitions of the Russian Empire and Japanese Empire over Manchuria and Korea...
fought along a 37 miles (59.5 km) front centered at the Sha River on the Mukden–Port Arthur
Lüshunkou
Lüshunkou is a district in the municipality of Dalian, Liaoning province, China. Also called Lüshun City or Lüshun Port, it was formerly known as both Port Arthur and Ryojun....
spur of the China Far East Railway
China Far East Railway
The Chinese Eastern Railway or was a railway in northeastern China . It connected Chita and the Russian Far East. English-speakers have sometimes referred to this line as the Manchurian Railway...
just north of Liaoyang
Liaoyang
Liaoyang is a city in China, Liaoning province, located in the middle of the Liaodong Peninsula. The city is situated on the T'ai-tzu River and forms with Anshan a built up area of 2,057,200 inhabitants in 2010....
, Manchuria
Manchuria
Manchuria is a historical name given to a large geographic region in northeast Asia. Depending on the definition of its extent, Manchuria usually falls entirely within the People's Republic of China, or is sometimes divided between China and Russia. The region is commonly referred to as Northeast...
.
Background
Imperial Russian Army
The Imperial Russian Army was the land armed force of the Russian Empire, active from around 1721 to the Russian Revolution of 1917. In the early 1850s, the Russian army consisted of around 938,731 regular soldiers and 245,850 irregulars . Until the time of military reform of Dmitry Milyutin in...
forces in the Far East after the defeat at the Battle of Liaoyang
Battle of Liaoyang
The Battle of Liaoyang was one of the major land battles of the Russo-Japanese War....
became increasingly unfavorable, the Tsar
Tsar
Tsar is a title used to designate certain European Slavic monarchs or supreme rulers. As a system of government in the Tsardom of Russia and Russian Empire, it is known as Tsarist autocracy, or Tsarism...
became determined to both save Port Arthur, and, more importantly, save face for the Russian Empire
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
. He directed General Alexei Kuropatkin, the Commander-in-Chief of the Russian armies in Manchuria
Manchuria
Manchuria is a historical name given to a large geographic region in northeast Asia. Depending on the definition of its extent, Manchuria usually falls entirely within the People's Republic of China, or is sometimes divided between China and Russia. The region is commonly referred to as Northeast...
to reverse the tide of the war. Kuropatkin was reinforced by fresh troops brought in by the newly completed Trans-Siberian Railroad and counter-attacked the Japanese armies, commanded by Field Marshal
Field Marshal
Field Marshal is a military rank. Traditionally, it is the highest military rank in an army.-Etymology:The origin of the rank of field marshal dates to the early Middle Ages, originally meaning the keeper of the king's horses , from the time of the early Frankish kings.-Usage and hierarchical...
Marquis
Marquis
Marquis is a French and Scottish title of nobility. The English equivalent is Marquess, while in German, it is Markgraf.It may also refer to:Persons:...
Oyama Iwao
Oyama Iwao
|-...
at Sha-ho River.
Battle
On 5 October 1904, the Russian armies, totaling 210,000 men attacked in a general offensive north of Liaoyang, with the main advance coming through the mountains to the east. The Russian attacks on the left flank slowly gained ground as Russian forces wrested the initiative from the Japanese.The Japanese forces consisted of the 1st Army
Japanese First Army
The was an army of the Imperial Japanese Army. It was raised and demobilized on three separate occasions.-History:The Japanese 1st Army was initially raised during the First Sino-Japanese War from September 1, 1894 to May 28, 1895 under the command of General Yamagata Aritomo...
commanded by General Kuroki Tametomo, the 2nd Army
Japanese Second Army
The was an army of the Imperial Japanese Army. It was raised and demobilized on four separate occasions.-History:The Japanese 2nd Army was initially raised during the First Sino-Japanese War from September 27, 1894 to May 14, 1895 under the command of General Ōyama Iwao.It was revived for the...
commanded by General Oku Yasukata, and the 4th Army commanded by General Nozu Michitsura, totaling 170,000 men. On the evening of 10 October 1904, General Oyama ordered a major Japanese counter-offensive to strike the Russian right flank. By 13 October, the Japanese halted the Russian advance in the mountains to the northeast of Liaoyang, and threatened the Russian center south of the Sha River.
Combat continued for the next four days, with both sides unwilling to back down. It was not until 17 October 1904 that General Kuropatkin called off the costly attacks, and withdrew his forces north towards Mukden.
Aftermath
After two weeks of fighting, the battle ended inconclusively. Despite opportunities created with the opening of the Trans-Siberian Railway, Kuropatkin was unwilling to carry on regardless of casualties, and pulled back towards Mukden. The battle ended in a draw, as the Japanese were unable to take advantage of the pause in the action.Total Russian casualties totaled 44,351 killed, wounded, captured or missing in action. Japanese casualties totaled 20,345 killed, wounded, captured or missing. As a result, the Japanese advance on Mukden was paused, but not halted, and both sides dug in to prepare for the next battle at the Battle of Sandepu
Battle of Sandepu
The Battle of Sandepu, was a major land battle of the Russo-Japanese War. It was fought within a group of villages about 36 miles southwest of Mukden, Manchuria.-Background:...
(Heikoutai).