That night (November 28) was a dark one, and everything was apparently quiet since the last attack, only the occasional roar of an exploding hand grenade breaking the stillness. I could not sleep all night, but kept sending out orderlies in all directions, and conversing with the staff over the telephone wires. Every one wanted to know what was happening on the hill. During the night several two-wheeled carts came up with hand grenades, which I ordered to be stored in the bomb-proofs near the dressing station.
At about 4 a.m. gun fire again commenced, and the stream of wounded began to come down from the crest to the foot of the hill and beyond.
The Japanese had made many vain attacks, and we could live through everything but heavy gun fire. But the moral effect had to be considered; our men were accustomed to the shells and to heavy losses, and to these they had become quite indifferent, but the infantry attacks upset their nerves. And now one of them was in progress: hand grenades were bursting in the left breastwork, and an orderly ran up asking for reinforcements, officers, and hand grenades. Grenades then began to burst on the right breastwork, and our men there also sent for a supply. I sent up all they required, and asked Colonel Irman to send me officers from the staff. In response Captain Bielozerov was sent to me. Serious work was at hand, for the roll of rifle fire broke out, foretelling an impending attack. I ordered the company at the foot of the hill to come up to the upper road, and asked for yet another company by telephone. The reply came that there was none available. I then telephoned for our 5th Company to leave its lines on Division Hill near Fort Yi-tzu Shan, to which it had only just returned, and to come up at once to 203 Metre Hill. The firing and bursting of grenades increased, while the bombardment ceased—truly a bad sign.
THE LAST RESERVES FOR 203 METRE HILL DURING THE FIGHTING IN NOVEMBER.
p. 240]
Indeed, our men were already flying out of the left breastwork. I brought up my company of sailors, sent it to meet the fugitives, and shouted myself hoarse, “Stop, stop! reinforcements!” Nevertheless, they would not stop, and the sailors also wavered and came to a standstill. There was a good deal of confusion, and what I cried out, what I actually did, I do not now quite remember. It seems, however, I succeeded in rallying the men, for those of my own regiment began to gather round me; and when I found that I was at the head of a considerable number of men I led them against the left breastwork. Riflemen and sailors rushed forward and swarmed on to the work with Captain Bielozerov, who was the first in. Much the same happened as regards the breastwork on the right, but the state of affairs was not quite so bad there, as no panic had occurred, and they had simply sent me word that the Japanese had taken it, but that our men were still holding the rear rampart. With the other officers I led a detachment of sailors up through the communication passages into the work. The Japanese made a poor resistance, and in a few minutes we had captured the place at the point of the bayonet. I sent off a long written report, shell fire having destroyed the telephone wires, which, however, our sappers connected up again within ten minutes.
Here I should like to say a word or two about our sappers. I had only very few of them, either on 203 Metre Hill, or in my section of defence, but they were all fearless and beyond reproach. Notwithstanding constant danger, they worked with perfect unconcern. Many of them were placed hors de combat. One shell fell into a bomb-proof where they were working and severely wounded eight of them, in spite of which the energy and daring of those left were in no way diminished. They were always seeking opportunities to make themselves useful, and, indeed, their services to their country and their Tsar had a great effect on the soldiers with whom they came in contact.
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Having taken command on 203 Metre Hill, I could not, of course, exercise control over the other defended hills, so Colonel Irman undertook this duty. Being thus in ignorance of what was going on beyond 203 Metre Hill, I felt very uneasy about Akasaka Yama, which the enemy was again attacking. Sapping up as far as the ravine in front of 203 Metre Hill, the Japanese had driven one sap-head from this ravine straight towards the foot of Akasaka Yama, then, stopping work about 70 feet from it, they had run across in groups to a small stretch of dead ground under the cliff facing Namako Yama and had begun to do something there, as we could plainly see. Although I had had abattis constructed above this cliff, and our trench ran along behind the abattis, this point was the most vulnerable in the whole of the defences of Akasaka Yama, and my fears were realized, for the enemy chose this very point for his attack.