August 1 – January 2, 1904–1905 · Liaodong Peninsula Theater
August 1 – January 2, 1904–1905
The five-month siege of Port Arthur was the most brutal episode of the entire war. General Nogi Maresuke's Third Army conducted massed infantry assaults against modern concrete fortifications, suffering catastrophic losses in frontal attacks on positions like 203 Metre Hill. The Russian garrison, inspired by the brilliant defensive genius of General Kondratenko, repulsed wave after wave. When Kondratenko was killed in December, morale collapsed. General Stoessel surrendered the fortress on January 2, 1905, a decision later deemed treasonous by Russian courts.
Commanders