On December 1 the Japanese scaled 203 Metre Hill, and, lying under the steep cliff on the right flank, began to enfilade the trenches on Akasaka Yama, but the 9th Company drove them off with its fire.
To man the trenches near the cliff itself was the most dangerous duty of all. The enemy constantly rushed them from their sap-heads, and the men occupied them very reluctantly. Observation, too, was extremely difficult, and the place was often left entirely undefended.
Captain Sirotko drew the commandant’s attention to this as soon as he learned the state of affairs from men sent there by him.
On December 2 the 9th Company was ordered to occupy the practically ruined trenches on the plateau in front of the Stone Redoubt, a position of the greatest peril. They were full of bodies, both of our men and the Japanese, the result of three attacks made by the 9th and 10th Companies of the 5th Regiment on November 27 and 28.
The Japanese saps were but 20 to 30 paces from these trenches.
The 9th Company remained in this position until 2 p.m. on December 4.
Throughout this fighting the companies resisted innumerable attacks with the help of pyroxylin grenades, which were brought up to the firing line by men specially detailed for the purpose.
At 2 p.m. on December 4, after nine days’ ceaseless fighting, the 9th Company was withdrawn, having lost in killed and wounded 60 per cent. of its strength. During these nine days the men of the company, sleepless and worn out, held the trenches under a hellish artillery fire, drove the Japanese out of those they had taken by rifle fire, hand grenades, and bayonet charges, and beat off every assault of their persistent enemy, never, even for a moment, showing the least sign of faltering under this terrible ordeal.
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