1904 The Russian Perspective: Group of five postcards incl. Russian comic card used postally from Yuzovka to London 14 VI 1904. Egged on by Britain a belligerent Japan threatens a nonchalant Russia, while Uncle Sam looks on. Further satirical pc produced by the Russian Fellowship in Moscow showing invading Japanese forces in the pay of Uncle Sam, card with light staining. Also ppc of Admiral Alexeieff postally used in England, ppc of the Russian Second Pacific Squadron in the Suez Canal and a ppc of Rear-Admiral Baron Dmitri von Felkerzam (commander of the “Suez” division) (Image)

1904 Group of 3 satirical postcards. The Russo-Japanese War was fought against the Japanese in China’s eastern provinces (Manchuria) The Russian population was ignorant about their largest neighbour, the Chinese being depicted as pantomime figures of villainy or comedy. Two cards depict this, the 3rd was printed in the Netherlands depicting an imaginary orchestra of wind instruments from the forces of General Baron Oku, Commander in Chief of the Japanese Second Army, a general perception that Japan’s military ambitions were hot air. (Image)

1904 Russian Navy: Two picture postcards, one of Cruiser VARYAG used from St Petersburg to Belgium franked 2k used in June 1904 and the other of Gunboat KOREETS addressed to France but without stamps or postal markings. Both ships were destroyed by superior Japanese forces at Chemulpo, Korea, in the first naval engagement of the war (8-9 February 1904). (Image)

1904 Postcard from New York written by an American supporter of General Kuropatkin, Commander-in-Chief of the Russian armies in Manchuria on Christmas eve sending him seasonal greetings and urging him to “Keep up the good work” and commenting on “the snuff powder you are going to make out of the Japs”. arrival mark: HEADQUARTERS/FIELD POST OFFICE ‘d’ 24 1 05, then based at Mukden. The message reflects the opinion widely held in the West that the defeat of Japan was a foregone conclusion. Ironically, while this card was in transit the Russians suffered a crushing blow in the capitulation of the strategic naval stronghold of Port Arthur. This was a turning point in the war, which ended victoriously for Japan. (Image)

1904 Three receipts for telegrams to MUKDEN, Manchuria, from PEKING FIELD TELEGRAPH BRANCH with cancellations in green. The existence of the Peking FTB is mentioned in the Russian official history of the Russo-Japanese War, although its cancellations had not been recorded hitherto. (Image)

1904 Registered cover from KWANGCHENTZE, Manchuria to France franked 7k pair and two 3k on reverse tied KVANCHANDZY/1/FIELD TELEGRAPH BRANCH PRIAMUR DISTRICT 14 II 1901 (error for 1904), matching registration label on obverse, transferred 22 II 04 to POSTAL WAGON No. 260 (2) (MANCHULI-CHITA) for conveyance by Trans-Siberian Railway, Paris arrival backstamp (24.3.04) (Image)

1904 Postcard sent from a recruit stationed at Raevka, Ufa Guberniya sending greetings to his parents at Troki, Vilna Guberniya handstamped free-frank violet circular cachet: 6th Company of the 18th Rifle regiment, further handstamped alongside violet boxed cachet: FROM THE ACTIVE ARMY/AGAINST JAPAN, no postal markings. Also postcard entitled ‘Our first submarine’. At the outbreak of the war Russia had no submarines or personnel with experience of them. A small vessel named Forel (depicted on the card), said to be of German design, was sent from Europe overland by rail to Vladivostok in October 1904. Submarine construction commenced and more boats were delivered in sections for reassembly at Vladivostok during the following winter. Attempts to form an effective Russian submarine flotilla were unsuccessful. (Image)

1904 Registered cover to Rome via Italian Embassy in St Petersburg, redirected to ship “Bon” franked 14k on reverse cancelled in blue No. 16 FIELD POST OFFICE/1/PRIAMUR DISTRICT. Blue circular cachet with Imperial Eagle translating: CHANCELLERY OF FIELD HEADQUARTERS OF THE MANCHURIAN ARMY. Registration label reads: LYAOYAN’/FIELD POST-TELEGRAPH OFFICE. Light central vertical fold. This cover confirms the location of No. 16 FPO at Lyaoyang. (Image)

1904 Embossed decorative card featuring Chinese dragon and Imperial Russian Eagle, produced by a firm in Port Arthur, addressed 4 October 1904 (New Style) to Agram, Austria (=Zagreb, capital of Croatia) franked 4k cancelled MUKDEN ‘b’ same day (=21 9 04 Old Style). red circular cachet DISTRICT GHQ OF THE MILITARY ADMINISTRATION OF THE ARMY IN MANCHURIA. Zagreb arrival 2 Nov 04. Also viewcard showing General Sobolev inspecting the advanced position at the front near the village of Sakhe-pu (south of Mukden), posted at Tomsk, Siberia 4 5 06. General Sobolev had command of the 6th Siberian Corps. After the Russian defeat at the Battle of Liaoyang (Aug/Sept 1904) this Corps formed the advanced portion of the new Second Army, which was to mount a counter-offensive. (Image)

1904 Embossed decorative card featuring Chinese dragon and Imperial Russian Eagle, produced by firm in Port Arthur, addressed 4th October 1904 (New Style) to Agram. Austria cancelled Mukden ‘b’ same day. red circular cachet alongside: DISTRICT GHQ OF THE MILITARY ADMINISTRATION OF THE ARMY IN MANCHURIA. Zagreb arrival 2 Nov 04. (Image)

1904 Viewcard of Omsk endorsed “From the Active Army” and addressed to Saratov, by medical officer evidently on duty with military train, dated”24/IX 904/5 o’clock in the evening/Station Tatarskaya/Great Siberian Railway”, postmarked same day STATION TATARSKAYA/SIBERIAN RAILWAY 24 IX 1904. Violet free-frank circular cachet reading around Imperial Eagle: SENIOR DOCTOR DIVISIONAL TRANSPORT 61st INFANTRY DIVISION. Saratov arrival 30 9 04. The St. Tatarskaya cds is an unrecorded type with fleurons at sides instead of numeral ‘1’. (Image)

1904 Viewcard of Trans-Baikal Railway to Saratov, dateline “22/IX Station Vargashi”, postmarked next day STATION VARGASHI/SIBERIAN RAILWAY 23 IX 1904. Violet circular free-frank cachet reading around Imperial Eagle: GENERAL HEADQUARTERS 61st INFANTRY DIVISION. Saratov arrival 27 9 04. Cards with free-frank cachets already applied were issued to officers travelling on the Trans-Siberian Railway. (Image)

1904 4k Stationery card to Berlin written 8 III 1904 by officer on cruiser “ASKOLD” at PORT ARTHUR, cancelled 2 days later, Moscow transit. The day this card was written enemy ships appeared off Port Arthur and began bombarding the port the next morning. In response the “Askold” (with Admiral Makarov on board) and other ships of the squadron put to sea, returning the same afternoon. The “Askold” (with Admiral Reitzenstein on board) was badly damaged in the Battle of the Yellow Sea. She escaped to the neutral port of Shanghai, where she was disarmed and the crew interned on 25 August 1904 Also included are 2 postcards: Memorial card for Vice-Admiral S.O.Makarov, the ‘Little Grandfather of the Fleet’ + Japanese artist’s impression of Makarov’s death (Image)

1904 Cover to St Petersburg franked on reverse 5k (4) + 1k to pay double-weight registered rate tied by HEADQUARTERS/FIELD TELEGRAPH BRANCH 26 3 04, Mukden registration label on obverse, cover endorsed “From (Colonel) A.Miller Mukden Field Headquarters of the Viceroy)” (Image)

1904 Cover to the Swiss Consulate in St Petersburg with datestamp and circular free-frank cachet, both stuck in blue-green : LYAOYANG/HEADQUARTERS FIELD POST OFFICE ‘a’ 10 4 04 and OFFICE OF FIELD GENERAL HEADQUARTERS OF THE MANCHURIAN ARMY. The Russian GHQ moved from Lyaoyang in August 1904 when it fell to Japan. (Image)

1904 Registered cover from crew-member of battleship “RETVIZAN” franked pair of 7k tied by PORT ARTHUR 21 IV 1904 cds, received Rostov-on-Don 13 V 1904 representing one of the last letters dispatched from Port Arthur while in Russian hands, the mail trains were halted by Japanese landings north of the port the following day (5 V 1904) and the line was severed a few days later. The ‘Retvizan’, though severely damaged, survived the Battle of the Yellow Sea (August 1904) but was sunk in the harbour at Port Arthur by Japanese land batteries on 6 Dec. Servicemen’s ordinary mail to Russia bearing a unit cachet was sent post-free. Registered and insured mail and mail to foreign countries was charged the standard rates. (Image)

1904 Two registered covers from HARBIN, Manchuria to NIZHNE-NOVGOROD (one redirected to Kazan) dated 14 4 04 and 22 6 04 respectively, both franked 21k in Arms issue, cancelled HARBIN Type 7D, reading: HEAD FIELD POST OFFICE ‘G’, different Registration labels reading respectively: HARBIN FIELD POST-TELEGRAPH OFFICE and HARBIN HEAD FIELD POST OFFICE. (Image)

1904 3k Stationery card to Maiorengof written from LIEN-SHAN-KUAN by an officer serving with the 1st ARGUN COSSACK REGIMENT, endorsed FROM THE ACTIVE ARMY, cancelled in blue No. 18 FIELD POST OFFICE/PRIAMUR DISTRICT 28 IV 04, fair strike only (Image)

1904 Triple-rate registered cover to Swiss Consulate in St Petersburg franked on reverse 3k, 5k + 20k Arms (28k = 3 X 7 + 7k registration), cancelled LYAOYANG/HEADQUARTERS FIELD POST OFFICE ‘a’ 29 4 04, circular cachet in blue-green alongside: OFFICE OF FIELD GENERAL HEADQUARTERS OF THE MANCHURIAN ARMY around Imperial Eagle, violet arrival backstamp. Russian GHQ was situated at Lyaoyang until August 1904 when it fell to the Japanese. (Image)

1904 Postcard from an autograph collector in England addressed to “Cavalry Captain Count Stenbrook, Aide-de-Camp to General Kuropatkin, Russian Forces, Mukden, Manchuria”, readdressed in Russian to Lyaoyang, returned autographed, franked 7k cancelled in blue LYAOYANG FIELD POST OFFICE, ‘b’ 5 5 04, circular violet cachet with Imperial Eagle inscribed: OFFICE OF GENERAL FIELD H:Q: MANCHURIAN ARMY. (Image)

1904 Registered cover to St Petersburg franked on reverse 7k pair cancelled HEADQUARTERS/FIELD TELEGRAPH BRANCH 5 5 04, registration label alongside FIELD POST OFFICE ATTACHED TO HEADQUARTERS, endorsed “From Colonel Miller Mukden Field Headquarters of the Viceroy”. This cover establishes Mukden as the location of Headquarters Field Post Office and Headquarters Field Telegraph Branch, where the Russian Viceroy in the Far East, Admiral Alexeiev had set up his HQ in a disused train. (Image)

1904 Peking viewcard endorsed “From the Active Army” and written from HAI-CHENG to Finland with Abo arrival mark, violet circular free-frank cachet: 5th COMPANY No. 1/POST OFFICE ‘g’ 14 5 04 (date inverted). About 65km south of Lyaoyang, HAI-CHENG was the railway town where Lt. Gen. Baron Stackleburg, Commander of the 1st Siberian Army Corps had set up his HQ in a train. It was abandoned by the Russians in July, and in August became the HQ of the Japanese Field Marshall Oyama Iwao. (Image)

1904 Cover to Nizhnii-Novgorod franked on reverse 7k tied by POSTAL WAGON No. 262 of Chinese Eastern Railway (HARBIN-MANCHULI), handstamped alongside ADMINISTRATION OF HEAD REPRESENTATIVE OF RED CROSS WITH THE ARMY IN THE FIELD red cachet. Cover roughly opened at right. (Image)

1904 Registered cover to France franked two 10k tied by HEADQUARTERS/FIELD TELEGRAPH BRANCH ‘a’ 19 5 04 with registration label alongside: FIELD POST OFFICE ATTACHED TO HEADQUARERS, handstruck encircled ‘R’ denoting registered mail to foreign country, on reverse circular violet cachet reading around Imperial Eagle: FIELD STAFF (HQ) OF THE VICEROY IN THE FAR EAST and alongside large boxed cachet in violet: PERMITTED/COLONEL…with number and signature of Col.Pestich, Chief Censor at Viceroy’s Headquarters, then located at Mukden, blue crayon ‘2’ indicating contents of 2 sheets, arrival backstamp, one 10k with slight tonespot (Image)

1904 Dispatch card for parcel valued at 5 roubles sent to Minsk Guberniya, charges paid 20k vertical strip of 4 and single 10k, 1889-92 issue, tied by LYAOYANG FIELD POST OFFICE ‘d’ 20 5 04 cds’s, received DOKSHINY 16 VI 1904, receipt signed by postmaster on behalf of illiterate addressee. Lyaoyang fell to the Japanese on 23 Aug/5 Sept 1904 after a 12-day battle. (Image)