The Motienling and the Ta-tung-ling passes were both being held by strong forces to protect the flank of Kuropatkin’s army during its intended advance south towards Port Arthur. At the same time both passes were being attacked by General Kuroki’s army and the Takushan army, as part of a flank attack to weaken the frontal defence opposing the second army’s proposed advance north. During the last week in July heavy reinforcements were sent to the Takushan army, enabling it to make a dangerous and successful attack. Haicheng is a quaint Chinese town upon a plain at the foot of the Thousand Peaks. It has long possessed fortifications and was ably defended by a force under General Sun Sing during the China-Japanese war, from whom it was captured by General Katsura who wintered his army there. It was thought that the Russian commander-in-chief would make it his stronghold, instead of Liaoyang, but he was content to improve and greatly strengthen the then existing fortifications and regard the position as a middle line of defence to Liaoyang. The outer line was nearly thirty miles south, on a range of hills extending east and west near Tashichiao. The following positions were strongly fortified: Taipin, and Chung-sin, west of the railway; Tashichien and Chia-to-pu, east of it, and the ridge beginning west with Taiushan, and ending with Taipingling, twenty-five miles east of the railway. The east central peak of Ching-shing-shan was the main position, protected with terraced entrenchments provided with shell-proof roof, and looped for rifle fire. This position was further protected by land mines--the fougasses used so successfully at Port Arthur--with wire entanglements, abbatis and other obstructions. The cannon were masked, and placed so as to command all approaches. This formidable outer line of defence had been admirably planned, and divided so that each battery covered a defined range, and the whole protected every zone of possible offensive movements from the south, in which direction the Russian outposts then extended over twenty miles, that is to say reaching as far as the Tuntai Valley and the “neutral zone.” The military operations of the second army to dislodge the Russians from this strongly defended position were of a somewhat complicated character.