I sent a telegram to the staff, “Send me one fresh company,” but probably there were none available, as I did not even get a reply. Everything was now quiet on the top of the hill. I was at a loss what to do under these trying circumstances. At about 2 a.m. I received a message: “The non-combatant company of the 12th Regiment is coming up under Sergeant-Major Kournosov. Organize a counter-attack at once and drive out the Japanese.”
THE LAST RESERVES GOING TOWARDS 203 METRE HILL. IN THE DISTANCE IS SEEN 203 METRE HILL IN THE CENTRE, FALSE HILL ON THE LEFT, AND AKASAKA YAMA ON THE RIGHT.
p. 254]
Before very long these reinforcements arrived. Taking in addition a small body of men found at the foot of the hill, I myself showed them the way (no one else knew the disposition of the fortifications so well), and then went round with Kournosov and from all sides inspected the left breastwork.
The Japanese in it were keeping very quiet.[112] I posted my men, appointed leaders for each column (one was to attack from the rear, and one from the right flank), and indicated to them their points of attack. On a given signal both columns were to make their attack simultaneously. Before, however, the signal had been given, the men suddenly began to fire and shout “Hurrah!” There was such a medley of noises, that it was impossible to make one’s voice heard, and, owing to the darkness, personal example was out of the question. For a long time there was much intermittent firing and disorderly shouting, and then at last all grew quiet again for a brief space, only to be followed by renewed shouting and firing a few seconds afterwards.
“Well,” I thought to myself, “we shall never do anything with these non-combatants,” and the darkness and maze of trenches over the scene of action combined to make all attempts at control useless. I decided to wait till dawn, and sent a report to that effect.
Everything grew quiet again, so Soimonov came up and reported that the riflemen had started firing and shouting, and that his sailors had rushed upon the parapet, but were met by shots. It was quite dark, and the men had thrown themselves down on the slope of the parapet and would not advance any farther. They thought there were a lot of Japanese in the work, and some one could be seen smoking just inside the entrance to the bomb-proof.
“Why do you think that there are a lot of Japanese in the breastwork?” I asked.
“I don’t know, I’m sure, how many there are, but I personally think that there cannot be very many, as their volley was a scattered one; but our men lost confidence owing to the darkness.”