Finally, by about 8 a.m., all the telephones were out of action, and at about 9 a.m. an orderly galloped up and reported that the hill was in the hands of the Japanese. This was apparently a mistake, as we could see no signs of our retirement from the hill, and everything there appeared to be as before. As a matter of fact, the works on the hill had been almost completely wrecked, but the losses had been small, as only sentries and small reliefs were in the trenches.
At 5 p.m. the Japanese attacked, but were repulsed. The commandant, however, sent for reinforcements and more officers, of whom very few were left. I sent up some reinforcements, and with them Naval Ensign Deitchman, already known to us as an exceedingly brave officer, whom, with the approval of Colonel Irman, I appointed orderly officer to the commandant.
It was already dark when Deitchman reached the hill, and on his arrival he found that all was not well. It transpired that the attack had not been entirely beaten back, and that a small body of Japanese was lodged in a blindage near the central battery, there awaiting reinforcements. The commandant immediately summoned a council of war, which at once decided to drive the Japanese out of this stronghold. Acting Ensign Yermakov, being thoroughly acquainted with the positions of all the fortifications, was detailed to organize the counter-attack. He formed three groups of volunteers with which to carry out his plans. The first, under Fleet Ensign Morosov, was to attack the Japanese from the right flank; the second, under an officer whose name I have not learned, was to do the same from the left flank; and the third, under Deitchman, was to rush the enemy from the front. On the signal being given, all the columns made a rush on the blindage, but Ensign Deitchman was shot in the head and killed on the spot. However, grenades were thrown into the blindage and annihilated the Japanese. Fleet Ensign Morosov was the first to rush in.
That day the enemy discharged thirty 11-inch, about three hundred 6-inch, and a great number of shell of smaller calibre at 203 Metre Hill.
At daybreak on November 28 the Japanese continued to bombard the hill, and destroyed everything that had been repaired during the night. From early morning the firing increased, and eventually the Japanese moved to the attack.
By midday they had completely wrecked the trenches on the hill with their shells, and as General Kondratenko had come to the staff headquarters, I prepared to go to 203 Metre Hill personally to direct affairs. During the day we repulsed two attacks and I sent up all my reserves in support—the 6th Company of sailors and the non-combatant companies of the 14th and 16th Regiments.
A number of officers of various corps had collected at headquarters, all eagerly watching the course of the fighting on 203 Metre Hill through their glasses.
At 4.30 p.m. on the 28th the Japanese again attacked the ill-fated hill. Our decimated remnant was cut to pieces, and the enemy captured both the upper breastworks.[111]
On Akasaka Yama also things were not going well, and at about 2 p.m. I sent up the 7th Company of the 27th Regiment, which had only just arrived.