About two days later the approaches under 203 Metre Hill were plainly visible. There were five of them—two from the west and three from the north.
From the rear of Extinct Volcano one approach had been made towards the left flank of Division Hill. Thanks to the use of sand-bags made of straw the enemy got on fairly quickly. Sometimes more than a sagene (7 feet) was made in a night.[97] We carefully watched their progress.
Sorties on a small scale, organized by the commandants of the hills, were made to try to hinder the work. We also decided to ask General Kondratenko from time to time to order all the howitzers in the fortress to concentrate their fire on those points where the enemy was making headway with his sapping operations. This would have been excellent if the fire of the howitzers had been more accurate, but we ourselves sometimes suffered from their bad shooting. We were particularly afraid of the large naval guns, whose shells frequently fell inconveniently near us. However, they caused the enemy, too, a good deal of annoyance. It was unfortunate that, owing to the scarcity of ammunition, they were not able to keep up a continuous fire. If work on the saps was noticed by day, we kept up a heavy rifle fire on the sap-heads. The bullets evidently penetrated the sand-bags, as the enemy stopped putting them up, and only began work again, with much caution, when firing ceased. In order to prevent them from working at night, I ordered supports to be made for the rifles, which were laid with the greatest care on the sap-heads, and all night firing was kept up from these rifles. On General Fock’s advice we clamped the rifles down with sods and earth so that they could not move out of position.[98]
As we could use our field guns with effect against the sap-heads on the left flank of Division Hill, I obtained one gun and placed it on the top of Division Hill, absolutely screened from the enemy’s view, and opened fire on the head of the sap. The third shot struck it fairly, and, scattering the sand-bags, opened up the trench inside. In about three days the excellent practice made by this gun compelled the enemy to stop working that sap altogether, and I felt in consequence considerably easier in my mind about Division Hill. But the sapping proceeded surely and steadily round 203 Metre Hill. Our sorties were the only effective means of checking the work.
I forgot to mention our successful sorties against the saps on the left flank of Division Hill. We had there our 1st Scout Detachment and the 3rd, 7th, and 12th Companies of the 5th Regiment. Our Scouts under Acting Ensign Elechevski, a fine officer of our regiment, made two very successful sorties, besides several rather fruitless ones. On each occasion the Japanese were annihilated by grenades and bayonet charges, and their earth-works demolished. After these sorties, and the excellent firing of my field gun, no further progress was made with that sap; but the firing from Extinct Volcano and Namako Yama gave us no rest. In order to secure the left flank of Division Hill, and to afford means of communication therewith, we had to dig trenches in rear and communication passages at least 2 versts in length. The work was carried out under Lieutenant Kostoushko (who was my orderly officer towards the latter end of the siege) with only a limited number of men. It was very heavy work. Owing to the carelessness and indifference to danger of our men never a day passed without some casualties.
During the first weeks of October the Japanese made themselves very strong opposite our centre (Fort Erh-lung, and West Pan-lung Redoubt, and the valley of the Lun-ho), and, as with us on 203 Metre Hill and Akasaka Yama, rifle firing there did not cease day or night, and Japanese shell from every kind of gun fell constantly round the positions.
When making my inspections, I often watched the enemy’s movements against our central positions from Division Hill. I had an excellent view of the ground in front of Forts Erh-lung and Sung-shu. On one occasion I observed something very interesting and instructive, which I will now describe.
While selecting a position for a field howitzer and one quick-firing gun on Division Hill, I went over to the extreme right flank and saw in front of me the following picture. Forts Erh-lung and Sung-shu were literally swept by a storm of shell, and from the ravines below great masses of Japanese infantry were climbing up towards the forts in question, and we could clearly see their lines of skirmishers on the open ground. This movement was apparently unnoticed from Forts Erh-lung and Sung-shu, but from Fort Yi-tzu Shan everything must have been visible quite plainly.
“Why,” I thought to myself, “does not Fort Yi-tzu Shan fire?” I asked the question by telephone, and was informed in reply that ammunition was scarce in the fort and had to be reserved exclusively for beating off assaults. I immediately gave orders for fire to be opened on the enemy advancing on Fort Erh-lung.
