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Osprey Campaign #398
Port Arthur 1904–05: The First Modern Siege
A gripping, illustrated narrative of the longest and most brutal land battle of the 1904–05 Russo-Japanese War.
Growing rivalry between Imperial Russia and Imperial Japan over territorial control in China and Korea led to the outbreak of war in February 1904. Japan struck the first blow with a surprise naval attack against the anchored Russian Pacific Fleet at its base in Port Arthur. Once the fleet had been neutralized, the Japanese landed their Second Army on the Liaotung Peninsula in May 1904, in order to besiege Port Arthur. The fighting that followed has become legend in military history.
Respected military historian Robert Forczyk describes the Russian relief operation towards Port Arthur (the Battle of Telissu), and the lengthy siege of the Russian-held town and harbour. The initial Japanese attempts to capture the port by assault are documented in detail, together with the Japanese progress through the heavily fortified lines protecting Port Arthur.
Specially commissioned artworks bring to life in vivid detail the Battle of Nanshan Hill, the Japanese assault on the Wantai Heights, and the bombardments of the Russian forts. Maps and diagrams explore the strategic situation and tactical progress of the fighting in step-by-step detail, and over 60 period photographs reveal the appearance and weaponry of the opposing forces and the terrain around Port Arthur.
Growing rivalry between Imperial Russia and Imperial Japan over territorial control in China and Korea led to the outbreak of war in February 1904. Japan struck the first blow with a surprise naval attack against the anchored Russian Pacific Fleet at its base in Port Arthur. Once the fleet had been neutralized, the Japanese landed their Second Army on the Liaotung Peninsula in May 1904, in order to besiege Port Arthur. The fighting that followed has become legend in military history.
Respected military historian Robert Forczyk describes the Russian relief operation towards Port Arthur (the Battle of Telissu), and the lengthy siege of the Russian-held town and harbour. The initial Japanese attempts to capture the port by assault are documented in detail, together with the Japanese progress through the heavily fortified lines protecting Port Arthur.
Specially commissioned artworks bring to life in vivid detail the Battle of Nanshan Hill, the Japanese assault on the Wantai Heights, and the bombardments of the Russian forts. Maps and diagrams explore the strategic situation and tactical progress of the fighting in step-by-step detail, and over 60 period photographs reveal the appearance and weaponry of the opposing forces and the terrain around Port Arthur.
- GenresHistoryMilitary History
96 pages, Paperback
Published January 16, 2024
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16 people want to read
About the author
Robert Forczyk
58 books72 followersRobert Forczyk has a PhD in International Relations and National Security from the University of Maryland and a strong background in European and Asian military history.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
October 21, 2025
PORT ARTHUR 1904-05 is about one of the three main actions of the war between Russia and Japan at the turn of the last century. Russia, lustfully eyeing lumber and mineral sources in Korea, were determined to gain access to them regardless of Japan's claim to Korea being their sphere of interest. After all, Japan was a backwards third rate country, so why should the Russian bear care what they claimed? When Japan realized war was coming they planned accordingly.
Port Arthur, in what is known as the Lushunkou District in China, was the main naval base for Russia's Pacific fleet. Japanese naval plans called for a surprise torpedo attack shortly after a declaration of war. Sound familiar? Once the fleet was immobilized the Japanese would land troops to capture the base while the main effort was for other troops to engage the Russian Siberian Army. But, alas, things didn't go according to plan. The torpedo attack wasn't as successful as hoped while the attack on the port resulted in a long drawn out affair. The conquest of the port that bogged down into a siege was a foreshadowing of events that would occur a decade later on the Western Front.
Generals sometimes fight battles using weapons and tactics of past battles. As technology advances, new thinking must emerge, which makes me think that maybe those generals in the Pentagon, with their chests full of medals won in Vietnam and Grenada, should probably include my grandson and his friends on their staff. Although outnumbered 20 to 1 at times, the Russian defenders repelled attack after attack by Japanese infantry advancing in the open. They were mowed down by machine gun fire, musketry, and artillery as their attack floundered in barbed wire entanglements. Add to that the Russian use of landmines and primitive hand grenades.
If blame can be placed anywhere for the fiasco, it should be on the leaders of both the Russians and the Japanese. Armchair generals like to critique battles after the fact using their field glasses of hindsight. But when patterns emerge it is not that difficult to be judgemental. In spite of the bravery of the lowly Russian defenders, whose tenacity would be evident in two world wars, General Anatoli M. Stoessel should have been punished for practically giving the fortress away and surrendering when he did. Whenever his subordinates asked for reinforcements after a heroic defense, they would not only be denied, but orders to withdraw were forthcoming. He was nearly executed after the war, but eventually spared. Japanese General Nogi was so incompetent that he couldn't even read a military map! On top of that, he never learned from his mistakes. Instead of listening to advice on strategy, he simply ordered attack after attack that resulted in horrendous losses that mirrored the great battles on the Somme during World War I. Realizing his errors only too late, he eventually committed ritual suicide.
To the Japanese their Admiral Togo is a national hero from that war for his great victory of smashing the Russian Baltic Fleet that sailed around the world to challenge him. According to the author, the man is remembered for the one thing he did right, and not all the blunders he made beforehand. Throughout the siege of Port Arthur the Japanese army and navy refused to work together. Had he not stopped the Baltic Fleet he might have joined Nogi.
It was common in those days for foreign military observers to be on hand. It appears that none of them learned any lessons from that war. Either that or they were ignored as their superiors thought they knew best. One last comment I should make is how well the Japanese treated the captive Russians when forty years later they would be massacring POWs. The author claims they did this in order to obtain war loans from Western countries.
The other events of the war are only touched upon. I have read other books on this war and this book is worth checking out.
Maps, illustrations, and chronology are included.
Port Arthur, in what is known as the Lushunkou District in China, was the main naval base for Russia's Pacific fleet. Japanese naval plans called for a surprise torpedo attack shortly after a declaration of war. Sound familiar? Once the fleet was immobilized the Japanese would land troops to capture the base while the main effort was for other troops to engage the Russian Siberian Army. But, alas, things didn't go according to plan. The torpedo attack wasn't as successful as hoped while the attack on the port resulted in a long drawn out affair. The conquest of the port that bogged down into a siege was a foreshadowing of events that would occur a decade later on the Western Front.
Generals sometimes fight battles using weapons and tactics of past battles. As technology advances, new thinking must emerge, which makes me think that maybe those generals in the Pentagon, with their chests full of medals won in Vietnam and Grenada, should probably include my grandson and his friends on their staff. Although outnumbered 20 to 1 at times, the Russian defenders repelled attack after attack by Japanese infantry advancing in the open. They were mowed down by machine gun fire, musketry, and artillery as their attack floundered in barbed wire entanglements. Add to that the Russian use of landmines and primitive hand grenades.
If blame can be placed anywhere for the fiasco, it should be on the leaders of both the Russians and the Japanese. Armchair generals like to critique battles after the fact using their field glasses of hindsight. But when patterns emerge it is not that difficult to be judgemental. In spite of the bravery of the lowly Russian defenders, whose tenacity would be evident in two world wars, General Anatoli M. Stoessel should have been punished for practically giving the fortress away and surrendering when he did. Whenever his subordinates asked for reinforcements after a heroic defense, they would not only be denied, but orders to withdraw were forthcoming. He was nearly executed after the war, but eventually spared. Japanese General Nogi was so incompetent that he couldn't even read a military map! On top of that, he never learned from his mistakes. Instead of listening to advice on strategy, he simply ordered attack after attack that resulted in horrendous losses that mirrored the great battles on the Somme during World War I. Realizing his errors only too late, he eventually committed ritual suicide.
To the Japanese their Admiral Togo is a national hero from that war for his great victory of smashing the Russian Baltic Fleet that sailed around the world to challenge him. According to the author, the man is remembered for the one thing he did right, and not all the blunders he made beforehand. Throughout the siege of Port Arthur the Japanese army and navy refused to work together. Had he not stopped the Baltic Fleet he might have joined Nogi.
It was common in those days for foreign military observers to be on hand. It appears that none of them learned any lessons from that war. Either that or they were ignored as their superiors thought they knew best. One last comment I should make is how well the Japanese treated the captive Russians when forty years later they would be massacring POWs. The author claims they did this in order to obtain war loans from Western countries.
The other events of the war are only touched upon. I have read other books on this war and this book is worth checking out.
Maps, illustrations, and chronology are included.
August 19, 2025
***1/2 as a dress rehearsal for WW1 with its barbed wire and machine guns strengthening the defence while artillery became the nec plus ultra of the attacker, this tale of "hold until relieved" is interesting. The Japanese resort to frontal attacks and sparse shallow-draft naval action make for repetitive reading sometimes, no matter which tactically important hill is stormed.
"the battlefield today" is largely overgrown with urban development or off limits as part of a military zone :-(
"the battlefield today" is largely overgrown with urban development or off limits as part of a military zone :-(
January 19, 2025
An Excellent Succinct Overview of the Battle
Any review of this book would have to start out by mentioning that it is part of Osprey Publishing’s “Campaign” series. For the uninitiated, books in these series are relatively short at 96 pages in length. Of these 96 pages roughly a third or so consist of various types of illustrations of one type or another (i.e., topographical maps of the battlegrounds, contemporaneous photographs of the areas, weapons, troops, leading commanders, etc.), hence the text falls far short of that 96 pages. Thus, if one is interested in some detailed academic treatise on the subject this is not it. It is intended as a cliff-notes version of the battle.
Nevertheless, despite the limitations imposed by its short length and format, the book does a five-star job. It starts off with an introduction to setting the geopolitical and military stage for this military in a few pages (excellent albeit very succinct), comparing and contrasting the high-level commanders (mostly incompetent), describing the armies and navies of each side and then providing a narrative of how the battle played out. In short, just about all aspects covered are excellent. The only critiques this reviewer has, albeit minor, is the book’s lack of discussion of quality of lower-level officers of each side as well as the fact that nearly all the references cited are in English as opposed to the primary languages.
All and all a very highly recommended book for those seeking to obtain a picture of this struggle in about two or so hours of reading. Five stars.
Any review of this book would have to start out by mentioning that it is part of Osprey Publishing’s “Campaign” series. For the uninitiated, books in these series are relatively short at 96 pages in length. Of these 96 pages roughly a third or so consist of various types of illustrations of one type or another (i.e., topographical maps of the battlegrounds, contemporaneous photographs of the areas, weapons, troops, leading commanders, etc.), hence the text falls far short of that 96 pages. Thus, if one is interested in some detailed academic treatise on the subject this is not it. It is intended as a cliff-notes version of the battle.
Nevertheless, despite the limitations imposed by its short length and format, the book does a five-star job. It starts off with an introduction to setting the geopolitical and military stage for this military in a few pages (excellent albeit very succinct), comparing and contrasting the high-level commanders (mostly incompetent), describing the armies and navies of each side and then providing a narrative of how the battle played out. In short, just about all aspects covered are excellent. The only critiques this reviewer has, albeit minor, is the book’s lack of discussion of quality of lower-level officers of each side as well as the fact that nearly all the references cited are in English as opposed to the primary languages.
All and all a very highly recommended book for those seeking to obtain a picture of this struggle in about two or so hours of reading. Five stars.
August 21, 2024
Port Arthur was the first modern siege, and the cost the defenders were able to inflict on the attackers was a presage of what would happen in 1915 with the world war.
This is a less well-known backdrop to the sea campaign between imperial Russia and Japan, with Tsushima taking place after Port Arthur's capitulation.
The maps include all the toponyms mentioned, kudos to the author and the editor!
This is a less well-known backdrop to the sea campaign between imperial Russia and Japan, with Tsushima taking place after Port Arthur's capitulation.
The maps include all the toponyms mentioned, kudos to the author and the editor!
November 24, 2025
This is one of the most thoroughly researched Osprey books I’ve come across. Forczyk presents the siege of Port Arthur with clarity, detail, and a strong command of the historical material. The combination of rigorous scholarship and excellent visual aids makes it a standout account.
April 11, 2025
When The European ruling classes sleep-walked their way into WWI, we often think of them as having no idea what they might unleash. That is a false assumption , as three wars at the turn of the Centuries showed them what WWI might be like. The Boer War of 1899-1902 and the Spanish American War of 1898 showed what entrenched soldiers with smokeless powder could do against maneuvering infantry and Cavalry. And then the Russo Japanese war showed what the New Machine Guns, particularly the one designed by the American Mr. Maxim, the latest Barbed wire, new recoil-tamping artillery, and deep entrenching could add to the awfulness of war. The Siege of Port Arthur, one of the Russian advanced bases that so angered the Japanese, would prove to be one of the iconic battles of the war, and Dr. Robert Forczyk, a Veteran American Armor Officer , and history academic of note gives us a quick Osprey Publishing style explanation of the Campaign for Campaign Series Number 398. The book is packed with pics, maps, diagrams and great action paintings of key moments in the narrative.
The signs of future problems with the Japanese Military are all there- the almost non-existent cooperation between Navy and Army, the reliance on superior spirit to carry positions in the face of massed firepower, the uneven staff work and communications that all tend to make Victories cost thousands of casualties. The brute force and incompetence combo would seem to be fatal - had not the other side- Tsarist Russia- even MORE fatal flaws and incompetent officers. The Japanese take one hill top or ridgecrest after another- finally causing surrender- but the Russians - showing a future tendency -are able to maul the attackers and cause massive death and destruction. No General or Admiral really shines in this tale-and apparently not enough Europeans were paying attention to have seconf thoughts in 1914- but the warning was there. It is a fascinating period - when two new Empires, Imperial Japan and the Americans were adding their voice to the Pacific Struggle. Four older Pacific Empires , the Brits, the Dutch, the French and the Russians would need to pay more attention...
There are many adult themes, mostly political, but few graphic injury passages, so this a book for the Junior Reader over 12/13 Years. For the Gamer/Modeler/Military Enthusiast, the intended audience, this book is a great resource. The Gamer gets the siege broken down into key battles, as well as enough information to try the whole campaign. The Modeler gets a good resource for build/diorama development, but will probably need other colour content as well. The Military Enthusiast gets a nice quick (96 pages) explanation of a key campaign in an important transitional period for arms and armies. I think even the most general audience reader will see how seminal this struggle was for 20th Century warfare.
The signs of future problems with the Japanese Military are all there- the almost non-existent cooperation between Navy and Army, the reliance on superior spirit to carry positions in the face of massed firepower, the uneven staff work and communications that all tend to make Victories cost thousands of casualties. The brute force and incompetence combo would seem to be fatal - had not the other side- Tsarist Russia- even MORE fatal flaws and incompetent officers. The Japanese take one hill top or ridgecrest after another- finally causing surrender- but the Russians - showing a future tendency -are able to maul the attackers and cause massive death and destruction. No General or Admiral really shines in this tale-and apparently not enough Europeans were paying attention to have seconf thoughts in 1914- but the warning was there. It is a fascinating period - when two new Empires, Imperial Japan and the Americans were adding their voice to the Pacific Struggle. Four older Pacific Empires , the Brits, the Dutch, the French and the Russians would need to pay more attention...
There are many adult themes, mostly political, but few graphic injury passages, so this a book for the Junior Reader over 12/13 Years. For the Gamer/Modeler/Military Enthusiast, the intended audience, this book is a great resource. The Gamer gets the siege broken down into key battles, as well as enough information to try the whole campaign. The Modeler gets a good resource for build/diorama development, but will probably need other colour content as well. The Military Enthusiast gets a nice quick (96 pages) explanation of a key campaign in an important transitional period for arms and armies. I think even the most general audience reader will see how seminal this struggle was for 20th Century warfare.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews