ORDER OF BATTLE // May 24, 1904
Battle of Nanshan
Estimated force strength by side, with confidence labels per surviving record.
Forces engaged
2 sides catalogued · combined 39,300 estimated
Empire of Japan
35,500
Medium-confidence figure
Russian Empire
3,800
Medium-confidence figure
Battle context
The Battle of Nanshan was fought across a two-mile-wide defense line at the narrowest point of the Liaodong Peninsula, a position covering the approaches to Port Arthur. Despite a Russian defending force of approximately 3,800 against a Japanese attacking force of 35,500, the engagement produced disproportionately high Japanese casualties of over 6,000 against Russian losses of around 1,600. The battle's outcome determined control of the peninsula's chokepoint, making it a pivotal action in the Japanese drive toward Port Arthur during the Russo-Japanese War. Securing the Nanshan line and the 116-meter Nanshan Hill opened the route southward along the Liaodong Peninsula, positioning Japanese forces to press the siege that would become one of the war's defining campaigns.
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