The fifth and final volume in this Official History covers the Battle of Shaho – this was the second and last large-scale land battle of 1904, fought along a 37-mile front centred at the Shaho River along the Mukden–Port Arthur spur of the China Far East Railway north of Liaoyang, Manchuria.
On 5 October 1904, the Russian armies, totalling 210,000 men, attacked in a general offensive north of Liaoyang, with the main advance coming through the mountains to the east. The Russian attacks on the left flank slowly gained ground as Russian forces wrested the initiative from the Japanese.
The Japanese forces consisted of the 1st Army commanded by General Kuroki Tametomo, the 2nd Army commanded by General Oku Yasukata, and the 4th Army commanded by General Nozu Michitsura, totalling 170,000 men. On the evening of 10 October 1904, General Oyama ordered a major Japanese counter-offensive to strike the Russian right flank. By 13 October, the Japanese halted the Russian advance in the mountains to the northeast of Liaoyang and threatened the Russian centre south of the Sha River.
Combat continued for the next four days, with both sides unwilling to back down. It was not until 17 October 1904 that General Kuropatkin called off the costly attacks and withdrew his forces north towards Mukden. After two weeks of fighting, the battle ended inconclusively. Despite opportunities created with the opening of the Trans-Siberian Railway, Kuropatkin was unwilling to carry on regardless of casualties, and pulled back towards Mukden. The battle ended in a draw, as the Japanese were unable to take advantage of the pause in the action.
Russian casualties totalled 44,351 killed, wounded, captured or missing in action. Japanese casualties totalled 20,345 killed, wounded, captured or missing. As a result, the Japanese advance on Mukden was paused, but not halted, and both sides dug in to prepare for the next battle at the Battle of Sandepu.