Major Ivanov had used all his reserves, and sent in asking for more. Reports were received from every quarter stating that the trenches had been absolutely wrecked by the enemy’s shells, and that it was impossible to hold on under such artillery fire. The fire was indeed terrific, and General Kondratenko felt inclined to order a retreat; but I sent up two more companies to the left flank, one of them (a company of the Reserve Battalion) to the reserve behind the left flank, as the enemy was devoting his main energy towards that side. And now, at midday, it seemed as if the Japanese had concentrated the whole of their artillery, not only to utterly destroy the defenders, but to level the very hills themselves.
Our guns were still inactive, being unable to locate the positions of the enemy’s batteries. As I have mentioned before, however, two batteries standing near us were preparing to open fire. This drew the enemy’s attention, and he began to pour a stream of shell upon us as well as bullets. One of them burst close to Major Schiller, and killed him outright, and also wounded Colonel Petrov, the battery commander. The former was struck by a large splinter in the left breast and the latter in the left eye (he died the following day in hospital).
A little before this we saw unmistakable signs of a speedy retirement.
In order not to be taken at a disadvantage, I had arranged for a second line of defence (174 Metre Hill, Namako Yama, and Division Hill). When I had done this, and inspected our trenches with Captain Sichev, commanding the 6th Company, I noticed that the enemy’s rifle fire was especially directed on our trenches on Division Hill. We had not long to wait for confirmation of this fact (if it were needed), for Captain Sichev was wounded in the leg—luckily, not seriously, as the bullet did not touch the bone.
Having completed my round, I returned to General Kondratenko, and saw that our men were streaming away from Headquarter Hill, like powder spilling out of a barrel, and shortly afterwards from Height 426 also. An exclamation of annoyance escaped the general. “See! surely it is easier for them there than it is on Height 426. What are they running for? They must be stopped!” Colonel Irman, who was standing near, took the general’s words as an order and hurried off to carry it out, taking Captain Iolshin of the general staff with him.[58]
“And you, Nicholai Alexandrovitch,” said General Kondratenko, turning to me, “take a company, and attack their left flank when they come down the hill in pursuit.” There was a company waiting not far behind us, and I should very soon have carried out the order given me, but I had scarcely gone half a verst with the company, when a mounted orderly galloped up and gave me an order to return immediately to General Kondratenko and hand over the command to Lieutenant-Colonel Naoomenko, who was close to me at the time. When I again reached Division Hill, I saw our army in full retreat from the three advanced hills. On the crest of the hills that had been occupied by us (Height 426, Headquarter Hill, and Advanced Hill) appeared lines of the enemy’s skirmishers. Our men retreated without haste, returning the enemy’s fire, but strewing the ground they were passing over with bodies. Three mounted men were seen galloping along the retreating line; they were Colonel Irman, Captain Iolshin, and Colonel Zoobov, the latter commanding the 4th Reserve Battalion. But their efforts were in vain and the retreat continued without check.
When Colonel Irman returned, he reported that he had been unable to stop the retreating line, and the only men who paid any attention to him were a few scouts of the 5th Regiment and the 1st Company of the reserve battalion under Lieutenant Sadykov, whom he recommended for a St. George’s Cross.
I consider it my duty to state here that Major Ivanov acted in the most heroic manner during the battle. When the 6th Company refused to go up Headquarter Hill to the help of their comrades, Major Ivanov said to the men: “If you don’t come with me I shall lie down here to be shot”; and, running out on to an open space that was swept by bullets, he lay down on the ground. Then the commander of the company rushed up with his men, lifted him up, and said that the company would follow him wherever he liked to lead them. However, on reaching the hill, they found that it had been evacuated and was now strongly held by the Japanese. Major Ivanov then took the company back to Division Hill.
General Kondratenko ordered me to stop the retreat and to form a reserve for our subsequent defensive line, and I set out to do my best. When the Japanese appeared on Height 426 and Headquarter Hill, our artillery swept these heights with shrapnel, and cleared the summits of yellow-peaked caps in a moment.
This was timely relief, as the Japanese began to bring a flanking fire to bear from the trenches on Headquarter Hill on the lines at Pan-lung Shan, and our 11th Company suffered severely from this fire. Things were already going badly at Pan-lung Shan, and it was of vital importance to know what was to be done next. To decide this, General Kondratenko summoned all the commanders to come to Division Hill. I also went there the moment I had formed my reserves and posted them in a safe place.