1905 Large Antique Print- Port Arthur- General Stessel Inspecting Russian Troops

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1905 Large Antique Print- Port Arthur- General Stessel Inspecting Russian Troops:
$15.00

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A superb double page photogravurepublished in the supplement to The Illustrated London News magazine of January 7, 1905 entitled:
\"Stoessel\'s Farewell. The Commandant Inspecting A Forlorn Hope Before Port Arthur\" This was Anatoly Stessel, the Russian General responsible for the fall of Port Arthur to the Japanese - see below
The painting is by the popular war artist Fortunino Matania - see below
Also attached is a page of photos and paintings relating to the Siege of Port Arthur - see scans
Good condition with vertical fold as originally published (one easy way to differentiate from a later reproduction). Page size 22 x 16inches.
Great collectors item for the historian - see more of these in Seller\'s Other Itemswhich can be combined for mailing at no additional cost.
Anatoly StesselFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaAnatoly Mikhaylovich StesselAnatoly Stessel in the 1890s.BornJune 28, 1848DiedJanuary 18, 1915(aged66)
Khmilnyk(nowVinnytsia Oblast,Ukraine)AllegianceRussian EmpireService/branchRussian Imperial ArmyYearsof Russian ArmyBattles/warsBoxer Rebellion
Russo-Japanese War

Anatoly Mikhaylovich Stessel(Russian:Анатóлий Михáйлович Стéссель), last name also GermanizedStoesselorStößel(10 July[O.S.28 June]1848–18 January[O.S.5 January]1915) was aRussianbaronofGermandescent, military leader, and general responsible for the fall ofPort Arthurto the Japanese on January 2, 1905.

Contents[hide]

• 1Biography
• 2Awards
• 3References
• 4Notes

Biography[edit]

Anatoly Stessel was born in 1848 as the son of Lieutenant General Baron Vinogradov Stessel. He graduated from thePavel Military Schoolin 1866. Stessel was a participant of theRusso-Turkish War (1877–1878). He subsequently commanded the 16th Ladoga Infantry Regiment in 1897 and then from 1897 to 1899 the 44th Kamchatka Infantry Regiment. He was appointed to head the 3rd East Siberian Brigade (1899–1903) and distinguished himself for his role in the suppression of theBoxer Rebellion, and was wounded in combat during theBattle of Tientsin. He was subsequently awarded theOrder of St. George(4th degree).[1]

From August 12, 1903, Stessel was commander of the garrison ofPort Arthur,Manchuriawith a total of over 50,000 men. Occupied by the Russians since 1897, the defense of Port Arthur had been heavily enhanced and modernized in the intervening years, and its position was considered one of the most heavily fortified in the world.

With the start of theRusso-Japanese War, Stessel was promoted to governor of the Kwantung Military District in March 1904, and Lieutenant GeneralKonstantin Smirnovwas appointed to be his successor at Port Arthur. However, Stessel chose to interpret the orders to mean that Smirnov was his subordinate, and remained at Port Arthur, countermanding Smirnov\'s orders and denying his requests for supplies and reinforcements, and sending misleading telegrams to the Tsar blaming Smirnov for any setbacks. He also ignored orders from GeneralAleksei Kuropatkinto leave Port Arthur by a destroyer on July 3, 1904.[1]Stessel\'s command of the Port Arthur defenses was ineffective throughout theSiege of Port Arthur. In August, after the defeat at theBattle of Nanshan, Stessel refused Japanese offers to evacuate the women and non-combatants from Port Arthur and by autumn food was in short supply.

Nogi (Center left), Stoessel (Center right) and their staffs

With the death of GeneralRoman Kondratenkoon December 15, 1904 at Fort Chikuan, Stessel appointed the incompetentAlexander Fokin his place. On December 18, 1904, the Japanese exploded an 1800-kilogram mine underFort Chikuan(東鶏冠山北堡塁in Japanese), which fell that night. On December 28, 1904, mines under Fort Erhlung were detonated, destroying that fort as well.

On December 31, 1904, a series of mines were exploded under Fort Sungshu, the sole surviving major fortress, which surrendered that day. On January 1, 1905, Wantai finally fell to the Japanese. On the same day, Stessel and Fok sent a message to a surprised Japanese GeneralNogi Maresuke, offering to surrender. None of the other senior Russian staff had been consulted, and many were outraged.

The surrender was accepted and signed on January 2, 1905, atShuishiying. After occupying the city, the Japanese were surprised to find large stores of food and ammunition, which implied that Stessel surrendered prematurely.[citation needed]While the surviving men and officers of the Russian garrison at Port Arthur were madeprisoners-of-warby the Japanese, Stessel was allowed to return toSt. Petersburgin comfortable quarters on a British passenger liner.[1]However, Stessel was discharged from the Imperial Russian Army on September 30, 1906 and was soon arrested with several other members of the Russian military and facedcourt-martialcharges for cowardice and for surrendering Port Athur to the Japanese. After a year of deliberations, he wassentenced to deathon February 7, 1908.[1]This sentence was later commuted to ten years imprisonment.

On May 6, 1909 Stessel was pardoned by TsarNicholas II[2]and continued his military service through the start ofWorld War I. He died in 1915 inKhmilnyk(nowVinnytsia Oblast,Ukraine).

Awards[edit]

• Order of St. George, 4th class
• Order of St. George, 3rd class
• Order of St. Anne3rd degree, 2nd degree, 1st degree
• Order of St Vladimir4th degree, 3rd degree.
• Order of St. Stanislaus1st degree, 2nd degree, 3rd degree
• Order of the Rising Sun, 2nd degree, (Japan)
• Order of the Red Eagle, (Prussia)
• Pour le Mérite, (Prussia)
• Order of of Port ArthurFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaFor the land battle, seeSiege of Port Arthur. For the First Sino-Japanese War battle in 1894, seeBattle of Lushunkou.This articleneeds additional citations forverification.Please helpimprove this articlebyadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.(July 2008)Battle of Port Arthur (naval)Part of theRusso-Japanese War
  Japanese print displaying the destruction of a Russian shipDate8–9 February 1904LocationNearPort Arthur,ManchuriaResultRussian tactical victory;[1]strategic Japanese victoryBelligerentsEmpire of JapanRussian EmpireCommanders and leadersAdmiralHeihachiro Togo
  Vice AdmiralShigeto Dewa
  General Nogi MaresukeOskar Victorovich StarkStrength6pre-dreadnought battleships
  9armored cruisers, with escorts7 pre-dreadnought battleships
  5protected cruisers, with escortsCasualties and losses90 men and slight damage150 men and seven ships damaged[hide]
  • v
  • t
  • e
  Russo-Japanese WarNaval
  1st Port Arthur
  • Chemulpo Bay
  • Hitachi Maruconvoy
  • Yellow Sea
  • Ulsan
  • Korsakov
  • Tsushima

  Land

  Yalu River
  • Nanshan
  • Te-li-Ssu
  • Motien Pass
  • Tashihchiao
  • 2nd Port Arthur
  • Hsimucheng
  • Liaoyang
  • Shaho
  • Sandepu
  • Mukden
  • Sakhalin

  TheBattle of Port Kaisen?)[2]of 8–9 February 1904 (Monday February 8 - Tuesday February 9) marked the commencement of theRusso-Japanese War. It began with a surprise night attack by a squadron ofJapanesedestroyerson theRussianfleet anchored atPort Arthur,Manchuria, and continued with an engagement of majorsurface combatantsthe following morning; further skirmishing off Port Arthur would continue until May 1904. The battle itself ended inconclusively, though later events would result in the warendingin a Japanese victory. For a major European power to lose to the Japanese was not only inconceivable to the world at large but also fraught with dire circumstances for the Imperial regime; the Russian people, from the nobility down to the recently emancipated serfs, lost confidence in the military and in the Tsarist political system. This led directly to theRussian Revolution of 1905, and would be well-remembered upon yet-more-disastrous defeats to come later inWorld War I.

  Contents[hide]
  • 1Background
  • 2The night attack of 8–9 February 1904
  • 3Surface engagement of 9 February 1904
  • 4Outcome
  • 5Subsequent naval actions at Port Arthur, February–December 1904
  • 6See also
  • 7References
  • 8Further reading
  • 9External links
  Background[edit]

  The opening stage of theRusso-Japanese Warbegan withpre-emptive strikesby theImperial Japanese Navyagainst theRussian Pacific Fleetbased atPort Arthurand atChemulpo.Admiral Togo\'s initial plan was to swoop down upon Port Arthur with the 1st Division of the Combined Fleet, consisting of the andYashima, led by the FlagshipMikasa, and the 2nd Division, consisting of thearmored cruisersIwate,Azuma,Izumo,Yakumo, andTokiwa. These capital ships and cruisers were accompanied by some 15destroyersand around 20 smallertorpedo boats. In reserve were thecruisersKasagi,Chitose,Takasago, andYoshino. With this large, well-trained and well-armed force, and surprise on his side, Admiral Togo hoped to deliver a crushing blow to the Russian fleet soon after the severance ofdiplomatic relationsbetween the Japanese andRussiangovernments.

  On the Russian side,Admiral Starkhad andRetvizan, supported by thearmored cruiserBayanand theprotected cruisersPallada,Diana,Askold,Novik, andBoyarin, all based within the protection of the fortified naval base of Port Arthur. However, the defenses of Port Arthur were not as strong as they could have been, as few of theshore artillerybatteries were operational, funds for improving the defenses had been diverted to nearbyDalny, and most of the officer corps was celebrating at a party being hosted by Admiral Stark on the night of 9 February 1904.

  As Admiral Togo had received false information from local spies in and around Port Arthur that the garrisons of the forts guarding the port were on full alert, he was unwilling to risk his preciouscapital shipsto the Russian shore artillery and therefore held back his main battle fleet. Instead, the destroyer force was split into two attack squadrons, one squadron with the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd flotillas to attack Port Arthur, and the other squadron, with the 4th and 5th flotillas, to attack the Russian base at Dalny.

  The night attack of 8–9 February 1904[edit]

  At about 22:30 on Monday 8 February 1904, the Port Arthur attack squadron of 10 destroyers encountered patrolling Russian destroyers. The Russians were under orders not to initiate combat, and turned to report the contact to headquarters. However, as a result of the encounter, two Japanese destroyers collided and fell behind and the remainder became scattered. At circa 00:28 on 9 February, the first four Japanese destroyers approached the port of Port Arthur without being observed, and launched atorpedoattack against thePallada(which was hit amidship, caught fire, and keeled over) and theRetvizan(which was holed in her bow). The other Japanese destroyers were less successful, many of the torpedoes became caught in the extended torpedo nets[3]which effectively preempted most of the torpedoes from striking the vitals of the Russian battleships.[4]Other destroyers had arrived too late to benefit from surprise, and made their attacks individually rather than in a group. However, they were able to disable the most powerful ship of the Russian fleet, the battleshipTsesarevich. The Japanese destroyerOboromade the last attack, around 02:00, by which time the Russians were fully awake, and their searchlights and gunfire made accurate and close range torpedo attacks impossible.

  Despite ideal conditions for a surprise attack, the results were relatively poor. Of the sixteentorpedoesfired, all but three either missed or failed to explode. But luck was against the Russians insofar as two of the three torpedoes hit their best battleships: theRetvizanand theTsesarevichwere put out of action for weeks, as was theprotected cruiserPallada.

  Surface engagement of 9 February 1904[edit]

  Following the night attack, Admiral Togo sent his subordinate,Vice AdmiralShigeto Dewa, with four cruisers on areconnaissancemission at 08:00 to look into the Port Arthur anchorage and to assess the damage. By 09:00 Admiral Dewa was close enough to make out the Russian fleet through the morning mist. He observed 12 battleships and cruisers, three or four of which seemed to be badly listing or to be aground. The smaller vessels outside the harbor entrance were in apparent disarray. Dewa approached to about 7,500 yards (6,900m) of the harbor, but as no notice was taken of the Japanese ships, he was convinced that the night attack had successfully paralyzed the Russian fleet, and sped off to report to Admiral Togo.

  Unaware that the Russian fleet was getting ready for battle, Dewa urged Admiral Togo that the moment was extremely advantageous for the main fleet to quickly attack. Although Togo would have preferred luring the Russian fleet away from the protection of the shore batteries, Dewa\'s mistakenly optimistic conclusions meant that the risk was justified. Admiral Togo ordered the First Division to attack the harbor, with the Third Division in reserve in the rear.

  Upon approaching Port Arthur the Japanese came upon the RussiancruiserBoyarin, which was on patrol.Boyarinfired on theMikasaat extreme range, then turned and fled. At around 12:00, at a range of about 5 miles,[1]combat commenced between the Japanese and Russian fleets. The Japanese concentrated the fire of their 12\" guns on the shore batteries while using their 8\" and 6\" against the Russian ships. Shooting was poor on both sides, but the Japanese severely damaged However, it soon became evident that Admiral Dewa had made a critical error, the Russians had recovered from the initial destroyer attack, and their battleships had steam up.[5]In the first five minutes of the battleMikasawas hit by a ricocheting shell, which burst over her, wounding the chief engineer, the Flag lieutenant, and five other officers and men, wrecking the aft bridge.

  At 12:20, Admiral Togo decided to reverse course and escape the trap. It was a highly risky maneuver that exposed the fleet to the full brunt of the Russian shore batteries. Despite the heavy firing, the Japanese battleships completed the maneuver and rapidly withdrew out of range. TheShikishima,Mikasa,Fuji, andHatsuseall took damage, receiving 7 hits amongst them.[1]Several hits were also made on AdmiralHikonojo Kamimura\'s cruisers as they reached the turning point. The Russians in return had received about 5 hits, distributed amongst the and theSevastopol.[1]During this same time, the cruiserNovikhad closed to within 3,300 yards (3,000m) of the Japanese cruisers and launched a torpedo salvo. All missed although theNovikhad received a severe shell hit below the waterline.

  Outcome[edit]

  Although the naval Battle of Port Arthur had resulted in no major warship losses, theIJNhad been driven from the battlefield by the combined fire of the Russian battleships and shore batteries, thus attributing to them a minor victory.[1]The Russians took 150 casualties to around 90 for the Japanese. Although no ship was sunk on either side, several took damage. However, the Japanese had ship repair anddrydockfacilities inSasebowith which to make repairs, whereas the Russian fleet had only very limited repair capability at Port Arthur.

  It was obvious that Admiral Dewa had failed to press his reconnaissance closely enough, and that once the true situation was apparent, Admiral Togo\'s objection to engage the Russians under their shore batteries was justified.

  The formaldeclaration of warbetween Japan and Russia was issued on 10 February 1904, a day after the battle. The attack, conducted against a largely unassuming and unprepared neutral power in peacetime, has been widely compared to theattack on Pearl Harbor.[citation needed]

  Subsequent naval actions at Port Arthur, February–December 1904[edit]

  On Thursday 11 February 1904, the RussianminelayerYeniseistarted tominethe entrance to Port Arthur. One of the mines washed up against the ship\'s rudder, exploded and caused the ship to sink, with loss of 120 of the ship\'s complement of 200.Yeniseialso sank with the only map indicating the position of the mines. TheBoyarin, sent to investigate the accident, also struck a mine and was abandoned, although staying afloat. She sank two days later after hitting a second mine.

  Admiral Togo set sail from Sasebo again on Sunday 14 February 1904, with all ships except forFuji. On the morning of Wednesday 24 February 1904, an attempt was made to scuttle five old transport vessels to block the entry to Port Arthur, sealing the Russian fleet inside. The plan was foiled byRetvizan, which was still grounded outside the harbor. In the poor light, the Russians mistook the old transports for battleships, and an exultant ViceroyYevgeni Alekseyevtelegraphed theTsarof his great naval victory. After daylight revealed the truth, a second telegram needed to be sent.

  On Tuesday 8 March 1904, Russian AdmiralStepan Makarovarrived in Port Arthur to assume command from the unfortunate Admiral Stark, thus raising Russian morale. He raised his Flag on the newly repairedAskold. On the morning of Thursday 10 March 1904, the Russian fleet took to the offensive, and attacked the blockading Japanese squadron, but to little effect. In the evening of 10 March 1904, the Japanese attempted a ruse by sending four destroyers close to the harbor. The Russians took the bait, and sent out six destroyers in pursuit; whereupon the Japanese mined the entrance to the harbor and moved into position to block the destroyers\' return. Two of the Russian destroyers were sunk, despite efforts by Admiral Makarov to come to their rescue.

  On Tuesday 22 March 1904,FujiandYashimawere attacked by the Russian fleet under Admiral Makarov, andFujiwas forced to withdraw to Sasebo for repairs. Under Makarov, the Russian fleet was growing more confident and better trained. In response, on Sunday 27 March 1904, Togo again attempted to block Port Arthur, this time using four more old transports filled with stones and concrete. The attack again failed as the transports were sunk too far away from the entrance to the harbor.

  On 13 April 1904, Makarov (who had now transferred his Flag toPetropavlovsk) left port to go to the assistance of a destroyer squadron he had sent on reconnaissance north to Dalny. He was accompanied by the Russian cruisersAskold,Diana, andNovik, along with the battleshipsPoltava,Sevastopol,Pobeda, andPeresvet. The Japanese fleet was waiting, and Makarov withdrew towards the protection of the shore batteries at Port Arthur. However, the area had been recently mined by the Japanese. At 09:43,Petropavlovskstruck three mines, exploded and sank within two minutes. The disaster killed 635 officers and men, along with Admiral Makarov. At 10:15,Pobedawas also crippled by a mine. The following day, Admiral Togo ordered all Flags to be flown at half mast, and that a day’s mourning be observed for his fallen adversary. Makarov was officially replaced by AdmiralNikolai Skrydlovon 1 April 1904; however, Skrydlov was unable to reach his command due to the Japanese blockade, and remained at Vladivostok overseeing command of the Vladivostok cruiser squadron until recalled to St Petersburg on 20 December.[6]

  On 3 May 1904, Admiral Togo made his third and final attempt at blocking the entrance to Port Arthur, this time with eight old transports. This attempt also failed, but Togo proclaimed it to be a success, thus clearing the way for the Japanese Second Army to land in Manchuria. Although Port Arthur was as good as blocked, due to the lack of initiative by Makarov\'s successors, Japanese naval losses began to mount, largely due to Russian mines. On 15 May, two Japanese battleships, the 12,320-tonYashimaand the 15,300-tonHatsuse, sank in a Russian minefield off Port Arthur after they both struck at least two mines each, eliminating one-third of Japan\'s battleship force, the worst day for the Japanese Navy during the war.

  Further naval operations from Port Arthur resulted in two break-out attempts by the Russians. The first was on 23 June 1904, and the second on 10 August, the latter of which resulted in theBattle of the Yellow Sea, which was tactically inconclusive. Afterwards, the Russian fleet did not make any more attempts to break out from their port, while the Japanese fleet dominated the waters for the duration of the war. But mines laid by Russian minelayers were a continuing problem for the IJN and resulted in more losses. On 18 September 1904, the 2,150-ton gunboatHeienstruck a Russian mine west of Port Arthur and sank. The same fate befell the 2,440-ton cruiserSaienon 30 November in the same minefield, and on 13 December, the 4,160-ton cruiserTakasagosank in another Russian minefield a few miles south of Port Arthur while giving naval gunfire support to the Japanese armies now besieging the port.

  Fortunino MataniaFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

  Chevalier Fortunino Matania(16 April 1881 – 8 February 1963) was anItalianartist noted for his realistic portrayal of World War I trench warfare and of a wide range of historical subjects.

  Contents[hide]
  • 1Life
  • 2Books illustrated by Fortunino Matania
  • 3References
  • 4Further reading
  • 5External links
  Life[edit]

  Born inNaples, the son of artist Eduoardo Matania, Fortunino Matania studied at his father\'s studio, designing a soap advertisement at the age of 9 and exhibiting his first work at Naples Academy at 11. By the age of 14 he was helping his father produce illustrations for books and magazines. His talent was recognised by the editor of the ItalianperiodicalL\'Illustrazione Italianiaand Matania produced weekly illustrations for the magazine between 1895 and 1902.

  At the age of 20, Matania began working inParisforIllustration Francaiseand, in 1902, was invited to London to cover the Coronation ofEdward VIIforThe Graphic. Matania would subsequently cover every major event – marriage, christening, funeral and Coronation – of British royalty up to the coronation ofQueen Elizabethin 1953.

  In 1904, Matania joined the staff ofThe Spherewhere some of his most famous work was to appear, including his illustrations of the sinking of theTitanicin 1912. Around 1906 to 1910 he painted the life in the lobby of theHotel Excelsiorin Rome.[1]

  The Last General Absolution ofthe Munstersat Rue du Boisby Matania depicting the regiment on the eve of theBattle of Aubers Ridgein May 1915

  At the outbreak of theFirst World War, Matania became awar artistand was acclaimed for his graphic and realistic images of trench warfare. His painting for theBlue CrossentitledGoodbye, Old Man, showing a British soldier saying farewell to his dying horse, is a fine example of his emotive work.[2]His painting of theGreen HowardsincludingHenry Tandeyis a central part of a famous story.[3]

  But it was after the war, when he switched to scenes of ancient high life for the British woman\'s magazine, Britannia and Eve, that Matania found his real career. He filled his London studio with reproductions of Roman furniture, pored over history books for suitably lively subjects. Then, with the help of models and statues, he began to paint such subjects as Samson & Delilah, the bacchanalian roisters of ancient Rome, and even early American Indian maidens—all with the same careful respect for accuracy and detail he had used in his news assignments.

  Generally he managed to include one or two voluptuous nudes in each picture. \"The public demanded it,\" says Matania. \"If there was no nude, then the editor or I would get a shower of letters from readers asking politely why not.\" He was a standard in Britannia and Eve for 19 years.

  Matania exhibited regularly at theRoyal AcademyandRoyal Institute of Painters in Water Colours, in 1917 he was elected a member of the latter. From 1908 and his work appearing in most of the principal magazines in Britain and America, includingIllustrated London News,London Magazine,Nash\'s,Printer\'s Pieand others. WhenBritannia and Evewas launched in 1929, Matania became one of its first contributors. For 19 years, he wrote and illustrated historical stories for the magazine. His talents made him a popular illustrator for advertising, posters and catalogues, working for Ovaltine, Burberry\'s (the sporting outfitters) and many others. Matania was also recommented toHollywooddirectorCecil B. DeMilleand produced a number of paintings ofRomeandEgyptfrom which authentic designs could be made for the movieThe Ten Commandments.

  Towards the end of his life, Matania illustrated features for the educational weeklyLook and Learnand was working on the series A Pageant of Kings at the time of his death.

  Books illustrated by Fortunino Matania[edit]
  • Six Stories from Shakespeare, retold byJohn Buchan(1934)
  • Raphael and Stella: A Baker\'s Delight Immortalised in Paint, by Matania (1944)
  • Great Stories from History, ed. Edward Horton and Peter Shellard (1970)
  • The Eagle Book of Amazing Stories1974 (1973)
  • With the British Army on the Western Front: Twelve Signed Artist\'s Proofs. London: The Sphere & Tatler; [1916]
  
  

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  1905 Large Antique Print- Port Arthur- General Stessel Inspecting Russian Troops:
  $15.00