My Experiences at Nan Shan and Port Arthur with the Fifth East Siberian Rifles

In Short

This memoir provides a personal account of Colonel Nikolay Aleksandrovich Tretyakov, commander of the 5th East Siberian Rifles, detailing his regiment's resistance during the Russo-Japanese War of 1904–1905. The text traces the unit’s movements from initial preparations at Nan Shan to the siege of Port Arthur and the defense of key positions like 203 Metre Hill. Tretyakov presents a detailed record of tactical decisions, supply shortages, artillery bombardments, and frontline infantry combat. The account offers an insider's view of the tactical and organizational challenges faced by Russian forces during the defense of the region.

The Story

The narrative begins in the spring of 1904 as Colonel Tretyakov and the 5th East Siberian Rifles prepare defensive positions at Nan Shan. Working under the oversight of senior commanders such as Generals Fock, Stessel, and Kondratenko, Tretyakov's men construct field works, loopholes, and overhead cover while facing a lack of official funding and heavy artillery. Japanese pressure builds rapidly, leading to active skirmishes and artillery bombardments. Despite Tretyakov's efforts to organize local counter-attacks and maintain a cohesive line, overwhelming Japanese shrapnel fire and superior numbers force a retreat from Nan Shan toward rearward defensive positions, including Ta-fang-shen station.

Following the withdrawal from Nan Shan, the regiment falls back into the perimeter of Port Arthur. Throughout the summer months, the defenders face continuous artillery fire, close-quarters infantry assaults, and hand-to-hand combat on key strategic heights such as Yu-pi-la-tzu Hill, Shipinsin Pass, Ta-ku Shan, and Kan-ta Shan. Tretyakov documents the structural realities of the defense: a severe shortage of tools, insufficient barbed wire for entanglements, and minimal rotation for troops. The soldiers struggle against high-explosive Japanese artillery, including 11-inch siege shells and Shimose powder, which routinely destroy earthworks, stone redoubts, and casemates.

By late autumn, the focus of the siege shifts to the crucial defensive positions of 174 Metre Hill, Akasaka Yama, Namako Yama, and 203 Metre Hill. Tretyakov coordinates counter-attacks, small-scale night sorties to disrupt Japanese sapping operations, and the improvised use of hand grenades and explosive charges. The fighting becomes a series of bloody engagements over individual trenches and bomb-proof shelters. Despite local successes led by subordinate officers and volunteer detachments, the Russian forces are steadily eroded by physical exhaustion, heavy casualties, and rampant scurvy caused by a diet reduced largely to rice soup.

In the final months, Japanese forces capture key outer works, including 174 Metre Hill and 203 Metre Hill, inflicting severe losses on the remaining defenders. The regiment continues to defend positions along the Chinese Wall and inner forts like Ehr-lung amidst continuous bombardments. The narrative concludes with the defense wearing down as position after position is abandoned, leaving a record of the regiment's actions up to the final collapse of the fortress.

How It Unfolds

Fortifying the positions Tretyakov's regiment constructs field works and tests rifle fire against loopholed parapets at Nan Shan. The officers conduct reconnaissances with General Fock while operating under limited funding and inadequate artillery support.

The loss of Nan Shan Japanese forces launch heavy bombardments and overrun the outer lines. Tretyakov attempts to organize a counter-attack from his reserves, but overwhelming shrapnel fire forces a retreat toward Ta-fang-shen station.

The retreat to Port Arthur The regiment falls back into the main defensive perimeter of Port Arthur. The men immediately set to work fortifying heights such as 174 Metre Hill, struggling against a severe shortage of entrenching tools and construction materials.

Skirmishes on the advanced hills Fighting intensifies around Kan-ta Shan, Ta-ku Shan, and Hsiao-ku Shan. Night attacks and heavy gun fire lead to the loss of key observation posts, forcing the defenders into tight inner lines.

The struggle for 174 Metre Hill Japanese infantry storm the hill following concentrated artillery fire. A small group from the 5th Regiment makes a final stand at the upper battery before being forced to evacuate the height and Connecting Ridge.

The defense of 203 Metre Hill The regiment endures massive bombardments from 11-inch siege guns. Tretyakov coordinates improvised defenses, night sorties against Japanese saps, and close-quarters bomb-throwing to clear captured shelters.

The final decline Disease, scurvy, and lack of rations weaken the remaining garrison. Fort Ehr-lung and parts of the Chinese Wall are evacuated under non-stop shellfire, leaving the surviving defenders exhausted and unable to stem the Japanese advance.

The People

• Nikolay Aleksandrovich Tretyakov: The narrator and commander of the 5th East Siberian Rifles. He wants to construct effective field fortifications and maintain a disciplined defense across every assigned sector. Stymied by a lack of tools, conflicting orders from superiors, and overwhelming enemy fire, he adapts by personally leading counter-attacks, organizing night sorties, and attempting to sustain his men's morale.
• General Fock: A senior commander whose tactical decisions and strategic views frequently clash with Tretyakov's operational needs. He advocates for specific defensive strategies while withholding adequate supplies and artillery, ultimately criticizing field commanders during post-action reviews and court-martial proceedings.
• General Kondratenko: A high-ranking officer who frequently inspects the forward positions and oversees the broader defense of the fortress. He seeks to maintain key outer heights like 174 Metre Hill, but is ultimately hampered by limited reserves and physical exhaustion as the defense collapses.
• Captain Sirotko: Commander of the 9th Company. He wants to hold critical trenches on Namako Yama and Akasaka Yama under destructive enfilade fire. Faced with extreme casualties and crumbling works, he repeatedly organizes small volunteer parties to launch counter-attacks against encroaching Japanese troops.
• Acting Ensign Shchenakin: A field officer who leads a small contingent of fifty men in a stand on the upper battery of 174 Metre Hill, holding out with drawn sword after surrounding units retreat.

In Its Own Voice

"The general, it seems, had not told off the regiments of his own division to any work. Only the 5th Regiment continued working, and the nearer the time of our meeting with the enemy approached, the further advanced and stronger became our field works."

Tretyakov describes the frustrating lack of unified preparation among senior commanders prior to the opening engagements at Nan Shan.

"The Japanese then fired on me from the hills above the shed. It was not I, but a Japanese officer, who jumped through the window, and was overtaken by four men from the reserve and killed in the shed..."

The author refutes inaccurate testimony given at a subsequent court-martial regarding his actions during the chaotic retreat from Nan Shan.

"Our perilous situation in the centre of the line, the deadly artillery fire, the constantly repeated attacks, and the endless vigil wore out our men, and their spirits began to flag in a marked degree."

Tretyakov reflects on the severe physical and psychological strain imposed on the garrison during the prolonged siege of Port Arthur.

What It's Really About

The book examines the stark operational realities of early 20th-century industrial warfare, focusing on the friction between high command strategy and tactical field survival. Tretyakov highlights how administrative negligence, supply failures, and poor high-level coordination compound the inherent difficulties of trench warfare. Beyond the immediate military mechanics, the text addresses the physical and psychological limits of soldiers subjected to continuous siege artillery, disease, and inadequate rations. It serves as a candid appraisal of organizational breakdown, soldierly endurance, and the grim necessity of fighting a defensive action without hope of relief or reinforcement.

Why Read It Today

Military historians and readers of factual battle memoirs will find this work valuable for its unvarnished, immediate perspective on the Russo-Japanese War. Tretyakov avoids grand romanticism or promotional flair, delivering instead a practical, highly detailed record of trench construction, artillery effects, and defensive tactics.

The book's appeal lies in its technical clarity and ground-level authenticity. Tretyakov presents the raw mechanics of defense: calculating rifle ranges against loopholed targets, managing the distribution of scarce barbed wire, and handling the logistics of non-combatant companies. Readers should be prepared for the dense military terminology, detailed local geography, and repetitive cycle of bombardments and infantry assaults that reflect the brutal reality of the siege. What remains with the reader is a clear, unsparing depiction of unit cohesion enduring under modern industrial firepower.