RUSSIAN SOLDIERS SWINGING THROUGH THE STREETS OF MUKDEN ] THE RUSSIAN ADVANCE TO THE FRONT [Illustration: THE TRAVELING SOUP KITCHEN AND SOUP-KETTLE OVENS USED BY THE RUSSIANS ] [Illustration: THE ENTRY OF THE RUSSIAN FORCES INTO NEWCHWANG ] [Illustration: RUSSIAN INFANTRY, IN SUMMER UNIFORMS, MARCHING THROUGH LIAO-YANG ] [Illustration: RUSSIAN TROOPS ENTERING YINKOW EARLY IN APRIL ] WITH THE RUSSIANS DURING THE EARLY ADVANCE TO THE FRONT [Illustration: CHINESE COOLIES WITH RUSSIAN OVERSEER READY FOR WORK ] [Illustration: SQUAD OF COSSACKS DISMOUNTED AND LINED UP FOR INSPECTION ] [Illustration: GENERAL HERSCHELMANN’S DIVISION OF RUSSIAN CAVALRY AT ANTUNG ] [Illustration: RUSSIAN ARTILLERY ADVANCING TOWARD THE YALU ] [Illustration: RUSSIAN COBBLERS AT WORK IN THE FIELD ON SOLDIERS’ BOOTS ] [Illustration: DINNER TIME WITH THE NINETEENTH EAST SIBERIAN RIFLE CORPS ] [Illustration: GENERAL SASSULITCH AND STAFF IN COMMAND AT THE BATTLE OF THE YALU ] CHAPTER VI THE BATTLE OF THE YALU AND THE JAPANESE ADVANCE The battle of the Yalu was the first great land action of the Russo-Japanese War. The Russians were outnumbered by their opponents, but they were also outwitted and outmanœuvred, and the result was an overwhelming victory for the Japanese. In the crossing of the Yalu the Japanese exhibited the decided superiority of their shell-fire, they accomplished the brilliant strategic feat of crossing a river in the face of an intrenched enemy, and their commander, General Kuroki, proved himself a tactician of the first rank. The first triumph of Japanese cleverness was in deceiving the enemy as to the probable place of crossing. Bridge materials were brought to the shore below Wiju and preparations were apparently made for building a bridge at that point. Under cover of night most of these materials were rushed to the north of Wiju and above the extreme left of the Russian line. From this position the main body of the Japanese army crossed to the Manchurian side with comparatively little opposition. On the Russian left (up the river) the bank rose in a precipitous rocky formation to a height of a thousand feet. At the base was a path and a line of sand left by the falling current. Stretching along this for a mile or more, like so many blue pencil marks on brown paper, were the Japanese. Any Russians above them could have done more damage with tumbling bowlders than with rifle fire. Once on this, the Japanese were under a shelf. They could be reached only by shooting straight down the stream, and had gun or rifle ventured this the Russians would have found no cover save the smoke of shrapnel from the batteries which would have sent them back. The crossing of the Yalu was effected by a few rounds of musket-fire. The impregnable position of the enemy became cover for the Japanese advance.