Our battery on the pass itself was literally swept with Japanese shell, and there was a continuous roar of musketry fire, under which our men were, however, perfectly calm, and even joked about the bad shooting of the Japanese gunners. Though this went on all day, the defence stood firm the whole time.
TRIPLE PEAK, WHERE THE MEN ARE STANDING. IN THE DISTANCE ON THE LEFT IS YU-PI-LA-TZU HILL.
p. 73]
However, things went badly for us on Yu-pi-la-tzu Hill. The Japanese crawled up its abnormally steep sides on to the hill-top itself. All shelter had been destroyed by artillery fire, and a corner of a casemate had fallen in and crushed the officer commanding, Lieutenant-Colonel Goosakov, whose loss every one felt keenly. (It is opportune to mention here that he was the only staff officer who helped me to organize the defence of the rearward position which covered our retreat from Nan Shan.) At this period of the conflict the defenders concentrated behind stones and ruined trenches, with the enemy only a few paces from them.
The staff officers shouted out that Yu-pi-la-tzu had to be abandoned, as its further defence would only cause us enormous losses, because the trenches no longer gave cover from the effects of Shimose and shrapnel. Since, however, the majority were against giving up this important hill, which was such an excellent observation point, the commanders decided to rebuild the trenches during the night and continue the defence.
At four o’clock in the afternoon our 8th Company was sent to Yu-pi-la-tzu Hill with as many tools as could be found, to reconstruct the old, and make new, trenches. Captain Sakarov, late commandant of Dalny, who built the railway and port there, was put in command. (After leaving Dalny, this excellent officer decided to leave the Port Arthur Fortress Sapper Company, which was commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Jerebtsov.) The Japanese met with practically no success on this day, and we held on to all our positions.
Very early on the morning of the 28th, being awakened by a terrific cannonade, I got up and went to headquarters, where I found all the staff officers already up. In order the better to watch the course of the action, General Stessel, with some of his staff, had gone to the top of the nearest hill, and thither I repaired also. General Fock remained with the telephones, keeping all his staff with him (he had new adjutants; the old ones, Captain Kvitkin and, subsequently, Captain Yarsevitch, had rejoined their units).
On reaching the top of the hill, a magnificent panorama of the hill country lay before us. The crest nearest us, which was occupied by our troops, was completely wreathed with puffs of white smoke. In some places the smoke spread over an enormous extent and curled high up into the air. It lay thickest over Lao-tso Shan, for the heaviest types of shell were constantly bursting there, and the sky was dotted with little round white clouds from bursting shrapnel. At the same time the attentive and well-trained ear could distinguish the ceaseless far-distant roll of rifle fire, due to the rattle of musketry along the line occupied by us.
Our 1st Battalion had not yet come into action, but was to be seen as a black spot near a zigzag in the road leading to the Shipinsin Pass.