We decided to leave the reserve behind the slopes of 174 Metre Hill, where the men lay down under arms on a ploughed field. Major Ivanov came up to us, and we gave the reserve into his charge, we ourselves starting off for Division Hill to try to get a little sleep.
It had only just begun to grow light, when I was inundated with reports from the hills attacked, the Japanese having continued their various attacks all night. They had come up to the wire entanglements, but, failing everywhere to get through, they slipped away again in the darkness. Our star-rockets did sterling service throughout.
The dawn had not fully broken before the enemy’s artillery thundered forth. I came out of the dug-out of the commander of the 6th Company, and began to observe over the top of the breastwork. Our three hills were wreathed in smoke from the enemy’s high-explosive and shrapnel shells, and looked like veritable volcanoes in eruption. Though our men had sufficient cover from shrapnel, the high-explosive shells, filled with Shimose, caused fearful havoc.
A stream of wounded, on foot and in stretchers, was moving along the road from the hills. It was evident that the enemy was determined to drive us off Advanced Hill, and our position was a serious one. I consequently sent a report to that effect.
A message came in from Headquarter Hill asking for reinforcements, and, pending the arrival of the reserves, I sent one section of the 6th Company out of the trenches. General Kondratenko saw that here was no child’s play, and sent us two additional companies—the 2nd (Rotaiski’s) and the 3rd (Levitski’s) of the 13th Regiment.
It was a difficult thing to hold on to Advanced Hill, as it had been the last to be fortified. The depth of the trenches was normal, but their finish left much to be desired. We had made shrapnel-proof head-cover, but had had no time to trace traverses or make cover for the reserves, so that our men suffered severely from the enemy’s shell fire, which was very heavy.
Before seven o’clock on the morning of August 15 all three hills had sent in requests for reinforcements, in compliance with which I immediately sent forward the two companies of the 13th Regiment, as I saw companies of other regiments coming to our assistance. General Kondratenko arrived on the scene at about 8 a.m. Having explained how matters stood, I drew his attention to the dangerous position of our present observation post. Bullets were whistling around us from all directions.
At this time Colonel Petrov’s and Colonel Romanovski’s batteries, stationed on Division Hill, prepared to open fire, although they had little hope of success, as the enemy’s batteries were not visible and his infantry was attacking from points which were only within reach of the batteries far away behind Fort Yi-tzu Shan. The consequence was that our men had to fight the Japanese infantry under a murderous artillery fire without the support of their own guns.
The situation was an impossible one, as it had been at Nan Shan.
About 11 a.m. Colonel Irman rode up. Reinforcements arrived also. The enemy’s gun fire was so terrific at this time, that I wondered how our men could continue to make any defence. But they were putting up a gallant fight, for we could see how they dashed out of their trenches, now to the right, now to the left, how the reserves posted in rear of the hills reinforced the men in the trenches, and how they again charged out of the trenches and then retired behind their scanty cover. The majority of our officers were wounded and officers of other units took command, but, judging from the enormous losses of the 5th Regiment, one could not help feeling that there were but few left in the trenches at all.