HOW did things look at Kiao-Chow in the meantime? The bombardment from the sea had become a daily occurrence, and soon the land batteries added their boom to the hellish discord. There was no longer any safety apart from the bomb-proof redoubts and localities. The firing became heavier and heavier, and on some days from the sea alone several hundred 30-centimetre, half-naval shells were shot into little Kiao-Chow.
On the 14th of October our naval fortifications of Hu-Chuin-Huk were directly under fire. The enemy ships were far out at sea, and after the second volley the little outpost was submerged beneath a deluge of heavy shells. Now volley followed volley. The whole fortifications disappeared from sight behind the columns of water, flames and smoke, and the rumbling and crashing of the bursting shells set the earth a-tremble.
As usual, I stood that morning on the Coast-commander’s look out, about 1000 metres from the fort, and so witnessed this terrifying spectacle at first hand.
Sometimes the yard-long shell splinters flew whirring and hissing weirdly over our heads, without our paying any attention to them, as we were so engrossed by what we saw, which was so stupendous that no words could fittingly describe it.
We thought with deep sorrow of the brave garrison and of their sure destruction; but suddenly, in the midst of the heaviest fire, our old 24-centimetre gun fired one shot, and our field-glasses were immediately fixed on the enemy ships.
Suddenly a joyful and triumphant “Hurrah!” burst from our lips, for one of our explosive shells had hit the English warship Triumph plumb in the middle of her deck. Triumph veered at once and ran away for all she was worth, and when our second shell sped after her a little later it was only able to hit the water about 50 metres from her stern.
Triumph steamed away after a few signals, which she exchanged with the Japanese flagship, and went off to Yokohama for repairs.
The three Japanese ships continued their bombardment—now at a more respectful distance—so that it was useless to fire any longer with our old guns, which could not travel half as far.
At midday the bombardment ceased at last, the enemy being justified by that time in assuming that the fort was destroyed and all its inmates killed.