Colonel Irman galloped up to the retreating men and compelled them to turn back; but the Japanese opened such a deadly fire from the machine guns and rifles, that again they turned their backs. At this time our field artillery swept the captured hills with shrapnel, upon which the Japanese took cover, and ceased firing on the retreating columns.
I consider it my duty here to mention the names of two of our heroes. When our men were stopped by Colonel Irman, they suffered such heavy losses that they again began to retreat, except two men of the 5th Regiment, Corporal Trusov and Private Molchanov, who got right into the Japanese trenches; but finding that they were only two, while the enemy filled the trench, they beat a retreat—not, however, before Molchanov had killed a Japanese officer. They were both wounded slightly on their way back, but nevertheless remained in the ranks.
On Bokovy Hill (Side Hill) [60]
At 10 p.m. on August 13, the sentries on Height 426 reported that four columns, each two companies strong, were advancing on the hill. Second-Lieutenant Andreiev immediately sent some sentries out to the wire entanglement to give him warning when the enemy had descended the opposite slope and reached the wires.
At eleven o’clock the sentries reported that the Japanese were close at hand. Volley firing was immediately opened, and Midshipman Doudkin’s small guns also commenced firing, upon which the Japanese, after suffering considerable losses, retreated behind the hill.
At midnight they again attacked the hill, but were again repulsed, and up to 5 a.m. they attacked seven times without any success whatever.
They left piles of bodies in front of and amongst the wire entanglements.
During the third attack it was seen that a column of two companies had got through the wire on the right flank. A section of the 2nd Scout Detachment was immediately sent against them under the command of Lance-Corporal Noskov, and this section, together with the Baranovski guns, posted on that flank, and two sections of the 9th Company sent from 174 Metre Hill, put them to flight.
When day broke, 432 Japanese bodies were counted round the wire entanglements.
By 7 a.m. half the trenches had been destroyed by the enemy’s artillery, so that one section had to be withdrawn and posted on the opposite slope of the hill.