CHAPTER III

Night alarm during the march to Nan-kuan-ling—Disappearance of the baggage train—Continuation of the retreat towards Port Arthur—Occupation and fortification of the “Position of the Passes”—Japanese attacks on the position on July 26, 27, and 28—Capture of Yu-pi-la-tzu and Lao-tso Shan—General retirement to new positions, July 29.

I had hardly gone two versts from the bivouac, when we heard firing behind us. A moment afterwards a vague noise reached us, soon distinctly recognized as the rumbling of a baggage wagon. In another minute it had rattled past us at full speed. Behind it galloped a field battery scattering or destroying all that came in its way, and after the battery came a hurtling mass of wagons, mounted men, riderless horses, and unarmed men, and, to make matters worse, somebody raised the alarming cry of “Japanese cavalry! Japanese cavalry!”

The din and confusion were awful, and from the bivouacs behind us shots and volleys were heard. Together with the other officers near me I rushed to the rear of the column to restore order. I also ordered our band to strike up a march, and, thank God, its martial strains restored confidence among the fugitives—the noise ceased, and the men became quite calm and collected.

The band played all the way to Nan-kuan-ling,[32]and we were saved further panics in consequence.

Having been shown where to bivouac, I sent to the baggage train for bread, tea, and sugar, but alas! the baggage was not to be found. What was to be done? Our men had had neither food nor drink all day. Tents and great-coats had been left on the field of battle, so that the men had nothing but their rifles and cartridges with them. We started to hunt for food.

I sent, of course, to the railway station. We saw through the window that all the rooms were packed with officers of every regiment, and the staff of the 4th Division was there too. Having forced my way into the buffet, I approached Lieutenant-Colonel Dmetrevski, the chief of staff of the 4th Division, who, in answer to my question, “Where has our baggage train been sent?” told me that it had been sent straight into Port Arthur by General Fock’s order, and he could not say where it was now. The commanders of the 13th, 14th, and 15th Regiments were there too. I asked the first of these for 200 poods[33]of bread, a quantity of which I saw loaded up on some wagons standing close at hand. In an hour we had unloaded them and distributed the bread, each man getting about 4 lb. I had a piece about that weight, as had also all the other officers; of meat, there was absolutely none to be had.

All available articles of food in the buffet had been eaten before our arrival, but I succeeded in getting some salt wherewith to flavour my bread.

Having slept for three hours on the bare ground, we got up to resume our march. No one molestedus during the night; the morning broke cold and foggy.

According to the “order of march” we should have been at the head of the column, but some regiment forestalled us, and we had to wait nearly an hour before making a start.

At about midday we reached a pass in the hills, well lined with trenches, and, after making a short halt in the pass itself, we pushed on, marching at a good pace.

At the instance of General Fock the mountain road had been repaired at an earlier date, and now did us sterling service, but, hard as we went, we did not overtake our baggage, and the whole of that day we had nothing but the bread procured at Nan-kuan-ling from the 14th Regiment. We spent the night in a picturesque defile, and perforce lay down to sleep on empty stomachs.

On May 28 we overtook an enormous train of baggage from Dalny,[34]accompanied by the male inhabitants of the town, with their women, children, and household goods. As the horses in the wagons were wretchedly small, the train had to come to a standstill, blocking the road from end to end.

We went round by a narrow side road, and in the evening reached the great Shipinsin Pass,[35]where at last we overtook our baggage.

Now in high spirits, we bivouacked, cooked our suppers, ate them ravenously, and slept the sleep of the just.

On the following day, May 29, we began to ascend the pass, which, thanks to our excellent horses, our baggage train speedily traversed, and although at midnight we lost our way, owing to bad maps, we eventually reached the outskirts of Port Arthur and halted at the village of Pa-li-chuang, where we had been ordered to rest for three days.

General Stessel visited the regiment the following day. The companies quickly formed up near the bivouacs, and the general rode round them all and thanked them for their splendid behaviour. The men felt tremendously encouraged, many of them having laboured under the dire impression that we had committed a crime by surrendering Nan Shan to the enemy.

General Stessel called to the front all those wounded who had remained in the ranks, in order to address them, and to bestow praise and rewards in the shape of the Cross of St. George. There were, however, so many of them (more than 300) that the general thought it was impossible to get so many crosses; he therefore ordered the doctor to inspect them and separate the badly from the slightly wounded. There were sixty of the former category, and they were given St. George’s crosses accordingly. These were the sole recipients of rewards for the Nan Shan battle, those slightly wounded receiving nothing for their bravery—and the number of such was great.

I have already mentioned the fact that our men came away with only their rifles, most of the tents and great-coats having been left on the field of battle. It was fortunate that just before the battle we had transported the bulk of our stores into PortArthur, where they had been deposited in Captain Preegorovski’s house, which had been hired for the purpose. We brought all we wanted out of Port Arthur without delay, and distributed the necessaries among the men. At the same time we drove out with us a large herd of cattle, amounting to about 200 head.

I forgot to mention that our ordinary military anxieties on the Nan Shan position had been augmented by the worry due to an order to collect all the cattle belonging to the inhabitants and to drive them to the rear of the position. Some officials, supplied with money, were sent out for this purpose, but as they could not effect their object without the assistance of the regiment, the whole burden of the work fell upon us.

Unfortunately, the order was given when the enemy was already in touch with us, but we managed to collect about 1,000 head and drove them to the rear of the army, almost into Port Arthur.

After three days’ rest we moved into Port Arthur and stopped in a village near Serotka Hill,[36]forming the reserve of the 4th Division, which took up the position Shuang-tai-kou, Yu-pi-la-tzu, Chien Shan, and Lao-tso Shan.[37]

VIEW OF THE COUNTRY AT THE POSITION OF THE PASSES. IN THE DISTANCE ON THE LEFT ARE SEEN THEPEAKS OF CHIEN SHAN.p. 66]

VIEW OF THE COUNTRY AT THE POSITION OF THE PASSES. IN THE DISTANCE ON THE LEFT ARE SEEN THEPEAKS OF CHIEN SHAN.

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The 4th Division had been reinforced by a detachment of mixed companies of the 7th Division, under the command of Colonel Semenov, and it was this detachment that occupied Lao-tso Shan. I do not know exactly what they had done amiss, but I rememberit was commonly said that the mixed companies were not to be depended upon, which is not to be wondered at, seeing that they had no stiffening of seasoned troops. The commanders of the companies did not know their own men, nor had the men any knowledge of their commanders. No one felt responsible for the actions of the different units. This organization was considered a huge mistake on General Kondratenko’s part; but, however that may be, the position in question was held by us from the time of its occupation, on May 31, till July 28, in spite of the fact that it had not previously been fortified.

During this time the 5th Regiment was divided into two parts, and I was put in command of the left flank of the defence, and began to fortify the position on 174 Metre Hill and the country in front of it, as also the western side of Feng-huang Shan[38]from the Great Mandarin road to Eight Ships’ Bay. Stationed along the shore of the latter was Captain Sakatski’s detachment, and two other detachments were on the banks of Louisa Bay, both under my command, the former having with it four small naval guns under Midshipman Doudkin.

Our 6th and 7th Companies occupied and fortified Feng-huang Shan from the Great Mandarin road up to Major Sakatski’s detachment. Our three scout detachments occupied and fortified the 174 Metre and Headquarter Hills, and also Height 426.[39]The 3rd and 9th Companies occupied 174 Metre Hill, while the 2nd and 4th held 203 Metre Hill. They all worked hard at their fortifications under thesupervision of their officers, in accordance with orders given by me.

174 Metre Hill had to be fortified as strongly as possible, as, having once captured that, the enemy could sweep our extremely weak western front, occupy the valley stretching in the direction of the New Town, and command the latter and the bay.

The other companies of the regiment were quartered in various positions near. At times when the advanced regiments behind Feng-huang Shan were threatened, the 5th Regiment served as the reserve for the different sections of the advanced line.

Our work advanced slowly, because we had very few tools.

Besides fortifying the position, I had to build shelters for the reserves and stores for small-arm ammunition in the fortress itself.

I detailed two companies of the 7th Division for this work, utilizing all the material we could find in the town. Having no sapper officer with me, I had personally to supervise everywhere—on the advanced positions as well as in the town. It was a great help that the officers of the 5th Regiment were, thanks to constant practice, excellent sappers.

We could only obtain tools with great difficulty and from various sources. Most of them we got from Colonel Grigorenko, commanding the Engineers in the fortress, and from the railway authorities.

The number of men given me to carry out the work which I had been ordered to do was insufficient, so I asked if I could employ the whole of my regiment. I received permission early in June, and moved the regimental staff to Division Hill, where we madeourselves very snug, pitching a huge marquee and getting our field kitchen into working order.

Generals Kondratenko, Smirnov, and Stessel came out to us fairly frequently. Our work progressed rapidly, as we had got over the tool difficulty, but we had very few barrows, etc., for transporting the earth.

A stubborn defence having been determined upon, it was necessary to construct a great number of splinter-proofs as well as shelters for ourselves and our kitchens; and for this we needed an abundant supply of beams and planks.

Besides this activity we had constantly to send detachments to the advanced positions held by the regiments of the 4th Division.

Other regiments continually borrowed the tools I had collected, but did not return them.

I frequently went on long personal reconnoitring tours, during which I made myself acquainted with the advanced positions and their fortifications.

It seems that General Fock expected that the Japanese would most probably attack our position across the flat stretch of country between the hills and the sea. In any case, he paid most attention to fortifying this particular part of the position. To me, however, it was very clear how difficult it would be to attack a fortified position across the open under effective gun and rifle fire. Not even taking into account the Japanese love of hill-fighting, it was obvious that the hills were by far the best point of attack, and these General Fock wished to have defended only by the scout detachments.

Here the defenders were deprived of their strongestweapon, viz. distant, and even close, rifle and artillery fire. As to the assailants, numerical superiority and the power of initiative gave the Japanese tremendous advantage in the hills, the more so, as our position was very much extended, covering about 8 versts for five regiments of three battalions each (about 10,000 men). The Japanese guns could, moreover, demolish our trenches, whereas our artillery could not find any targets.

When I inspected the position at the beginning of July, I noticed that the position at Shuang-tai-kou (between the hills and the sea) was splendidly fortified (the trenches were deep, with a magnificent field of fire), but the hills were left entirely without fortifications.

I rode down into Yu-pi-la-tzu, where there were two scout detachments-of what regiment, I do not remember. There were no trenches and, above all, no cover from gun fire. This was a great mistake, as the whole of the enemy’s artillery fire might be directed on Yu-pi-la-tzu, and our men driven out of it, after which the Japanese could occupy the hill without loss.

Having ascended the hill, a magnificent panorama met the eye. The whole country as far as Dalny and the bay beyond lay before one as the lines on the palm of the hand, and in the daytime every single movement of the enemy could be noted.

THE NEIGHBOURHOOD OF YU-PI-LA-TZU.p. 70]

THE NEIGHBOURHOOD OF YU-PI-LA-TZU.

p. 70]

Yu-pi-la-tzu Hill was a very important point. If we lost it, we should have to retreat to the Shipinsin Pass.[40]But the enemy did not hurry matters. Having come within long-range rifle fire from the hills (as was to have been expected, he paid no attentionto the low-lying ground), he dug trenches and set to work to lay his plans with deliberation.

From the moment of his first coming into touch with us, at the beginning of May, till July 26, he pressed our right flank, and compelled us to change our position, and on the 26th commenced his attack on the entire hill section.

The 5th Regiment was moved up to act in support. Some time before this our 3rd Battalion had been sent to the right flank to Lao-tso Shan, where we lost two excellent officers, Captain Koudriavtsev and Lieutenant Popov.

The 3rd Battalion had to bear the brunt of the retreat from Lao-tso Shan, since, as had been expected, the mixed companies on the right flank did not distinguish themselves when it came to fighting.

On July 20 my 2nd Battalion was directed to go to 11th Verst station[41]to the headquarters of the 4th Division, and there it went accordingly, under the command of Major Stempnevski (jun.).

When the enemy began his decisive attack on the 26th, I was moved up with the 1st Battalion, which was then commanded by Major Stempnevski (sen.), a splendid all-round officer. I arrived with my battalion in the morning and found all our commanders with the divisional staff—Generals Stessel, Fock, and Kondratenko. The battle was raging along the whole line.

As all the positions were divided into sections, and each section had its commander, I was free to become a spectator of all that was going on. We went by train to 11th Verst, and had only just gotdown out of the carriages, when the 1st Scout Detachment, under Lieutenant Kostoushko, was ordered to move on Yu-pi-la-tzu Hill, where the defenders had been decimated by the ceaseless artillery fire.

The 1st Battalion was then moved to the Shipinsin Pass, where, judging by the artillery fire, a determined attack was in preparation, and only our 7th and 8th Companies were left with the regimental staff.

General Fock directed the whole defence.

The fighting of July 26 and 27 did not cost us very dearly, except for severe wounds received by Lieutenant Kostoushko (a wound in the chest, and a number of other wounds in the left shoulder and side). This officer had thrown himself, with a part of his scouts, on the enemy, who had already seized some of our trenches on Yu-pi-la-tzu Hill. This was on the night of July 27–28.

Towards evening on the 26th, General Stessel had sent a telegram to the town saying that all the attacks of the Japanese had been unsuccessful that day.

On the 27th the battle was again renewed along the whole line. Lao-tso Shan was swept by the fire of very heavy guns—probably 6-inch, judging from the size of the shell bursts. It was very difficult for our artillery to cope with these guns, as they were not only very far off, but also well concealed.

Having nothing to do, I went to my 1st Battalion, which was drawn up as a reserve on the declivity of the Shipinsin Pass. Scarcely any shells burst near us; they all went “over,” shattering the rocky sides of a ravine lying behind.

Our battery on the pass itself was literally sweptwith 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]

TRIPLE PEAK, WHERE THE MEN ARE STANDING. IN THE DISTANCE ON THE LEFT IS YU-PI-LA-TZU HILL.

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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, wasput 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.

We stayed about a quarter of an hour on the hill, and then went down to the telephones (one can follow an action better from near the telephones, even though they are placed lower down, as in this case). It is a pity that they did not think of putting them in a place where it was possible to see the battle with one’s own eyes as well as hear reports, as, for example, on the top of the hill we had just left.

General Fock met us below, and at once gave General Stessel full details of all that had taken place. Our men had stood firm everywhere, except on Yu-pi-la-tzu Hill, where things were going badly with us. It was a physical impossibility to hold on there, in spite of the new trenches, on account of the artillery fire concentrated on the hill. Hence it was decided to abandon Yu-pi-la-tzu, and orders were sent there accordingly.

When this decision had been arrived at, General Fock said, in his short, sharp way of speaking: “Well, it is impossible to hold on to Yu-pi-la-tzu. It would entail too heavy losses. Even if the companies there left it of their own accord, it would be nothing serious; but to give up Lao-tso Shan, that would be a disgrace, almost amounting to treachery.” He had only just said this, when news came that Lao-tso Shan had been evacuated by the troops holding it. “Now we shall have to make a general retreat,” said General Fock, and he gave orders to retire and to take up a new position with the right flank at Ta-ku Shan—the centre near 11th Verst, and the left on Feng-huang Shan.

In order to give the line cohesion, my left flank (Captain Sakatski’s detachment) was put at the disposalof the officer commanding the 15th Regiment. I had to occupy without delay the spur of 174 Metre Hill, as well as that hill itself and 203 Metre Hill, and also Division Hill and the crest of Pan-lung Shan lying in front of it. The 5th Regiment thus filled up the gap between Forts Yi-tzu Shan and Ta-yang-kou North, which had long ago been prepared by us. The staff, with General Stessel at its head, collected in the building occupied by the staff of the 4th Division (a station at 11th Verst) and quietly waited there until the regiments had taken up their allotted positions.

Notwithstanding the statements of certain war-correspondents, I saw no signs of any panic or disorder during this retirement. Every one was perfectly calm, and the army withdrew to its new positions correctly and without any confusion.

Suddenly there appeared in the valley to our right a Red-Cross train full of wounded, a sight which always impresses one; there was a long stream of wagons, accompanied by bearer-company men, doctors, and those of the wounded who were able to walk. Behind this train appeared a reserve column. At that depressing moment I remembered how our band had put new spirit into us during the night alarm near the Nan-kuan-ling Hills, and felt a desire to repeat the experiment.

So, having obtained permission from General Stessel, I sent for the band, which was bivouacked near the railway station, and soon the strains of a stirring march crashed out over those hills, dark with death and blood. The retreating army formed into columns, and, picking up the step by the band, swung past General Stessel. This march-past continued fornearly an hour under the very eyes of the enemy. Our splendid 3rd Battalion was the last to go past, bearing with it the body of Captain Kvitkin, General Fock’s former A.D.C. The 5th Regiment had lost altogether 2 officers and 60 men. They had borne the whole brunt of the Japanese final attacks, and had covered the retreat of the other regiments, presenting an impregnable front throughout every attack.

It is obvious from the foregoing details that the retreat from Lao-tso Shan was made in perfect order.

The following is a description of the action of our companies on Lao-tso Shan:

The positions occupied[42]by the regiment were as follows:

The detachment of Colonel Dounin, commanding the 3rd Battalion 5th Regiment, consisting of the 5th, 6th, 9th, 11th, and 12th Companies, and the 2nd and 3rd Scout Detachments of the 5th Regiment and the 1st Company of the 27th, was posted before the battle on Lao-tso Shan, and occupied the section from the valley (near the small hill occupied by the 11th Company of the 27th Regiment) to a spur 3/4 verst from the village of Vodymin[43]and touching the foot of Chien Shan.

The various companies occupied the following sections:

1. The 9th Company and 3rd Scout Detachment 5th Regiment, on the right flank in the valley.

2. Next to these the 2nd Scout Detachment, to theleft of the valley and covering Lieutenant Naoomov’s battery.

3. Farther to the left, the 12th Company 5th Regiment.

4. On the extreme left flank, near Vodymin, the 11th Company 5th Regiment and, as a reserve, the 1st Company 27th Regiment.

5. The 5th and 6th Companies 5th Regiment formed the general reserve.

On the morning of the 26th the Japanese opened a heavy gun fire on our positions, followed by a vigorous attack, but they obtained no hold anywhere that day, as our men held on to their positions and beat them back at every point.

On the 27th the Japanese repeated their attacks, but had no more success than on the preceding day, whereupon they proceeded to make a night attack.

Some companies to the right of Colonel Dounin retreated without firing a shot, and so hurriedly, that they failed to inform the companies on either side of them.

The Japanese rushed into the gap thus created, and, working round to the rear, began to pour a flanking fire into the other companies, who were ignorant of what had happened, and had remained in their positions. Taken by surprise, these companies lost their heads in turn and retreated, also without informing their neighbours. In this manner the gap grew rapidly until it extended to Colonel Dounin’s troops, when the following became the position of affairs:

The 9th Company and 3rd Scout Detachment ofthe 5th Regiment occupied the valley, being in touch on the right with the 11th Company 27th Regiment. The 3rd Scout Detachment formed the outpost line, with the 9th in reserve behind it.

About three o’clock[44]on the morning of the 28th the piquet on the right, which was keeping touch with the 11th Company, reported that a retreat was in progress on that side.

Captain Koudriavtsev, commanding the 9th Company, sent an orderly to the hill occupied by the 11th Company to find out what was going on there. The orderly returned immediately and reported that the 11th Company had gone, that a small body of Japanese was occupying the hill, and that reinforcements were coming up to them. At first Captain Koudriavtsev did not believe this, and wanted to send a more reliable man, but just at that moment shots rang out from the hill in the direction of the 9th Company and 3rd Scout Detachment, and Captain Koudriavtsev’s doubts were dispelled. He consulted with Lieutenant Choulkov, commanding the 3rd Scout Detachment, and they came to the conclusion that it would be unreasonable to try and hold the position and defend the valley with the Japanese on the hill above. They therefore determined to go up with the 9th Company before daybreak, while there were not many Japanese on the hill, retake it, and, having got possession of it, re-establish communication with the troops on the right, and thus fill in the gap that had been left in the line. Arrived atthis decision, Captain Koudriavtsev arranged with Lieutenant Choulkov that they should support each other, and if either had to retreat, he would immediately inform the other, and, in order to avoid misunderstandings, written messages only were to be accepted. Captain Koudriavtsev then told Lieutenant Choulkov to remain in his present position with the 3rd Scout Detachment and await his orders, while he himself, with half the 9th Company, started to make the attack, the other half of the 9th Company being left meanwhile under Acting Ensign Shishkin with orders to follow him as a reserve.

In spite of the terrible fire with which the Japanese met the attackers Captain Koudriavtsev with his half-company reached the trenches, and with a wild “hurrah” rushed in with the bayonet. The blow fell partly on the Japanese flank. A hand-to-hand fight ensued. Unfortunately, Captain Koudriavtsev was killed, and Sergeant-Major Evlanov wounded as he was mounting the hill; many of the men also were placedhors de combat, and the remainder, not feeling themselves strong enough to overpower the enemy, began to retreat, carrying with them the body of their dead captain. In the darkness our men did not retreat back along the line of their advance, nor towards the 3rd Scout Detachment and the reserve, but in the direction in which the other companies had retreated previously. The reserve half of the 9th Company, not knowing what had happened, but guessing from the direction of the firing and the noise of moving men that the 1st half-company had retired, and being met, moreover, by a heavy rifle firethemselves, began to retreat in the same direction. Acting Ensign Shishkin, unfortunately, did not think of telling Lieutenant Choulkov what had happened, and the latter awaited word from Captain Koudriavtsev, as had been arranged. In this way twenty minutes or half an hour passed. Then, as day broke, the Japanese fire from the hill became still heavier and more vicious.

Lieutenant Choulkov learnt of the failure of the 9th Company from some of the rank and file who had got left behind in the retreat, and who stumbled upon the 3rd Scout Detachment in the darkness. Fully alive to the danger of being surrounded, he ordered the outposts to come in, and sent word of the position of affairs to a company extended to his left. Fearing for the fate of the machine guns, which were behind him, Lieutenant Choulkov sent one section to them as escort, but the guns were gone. As soon as the outpost line had come in, Lieutenant Choulkov began to retreat with his command in a compact body, and soon joined up with the reserve, behind which Colonel Dounin concentrated the retreating troops and brought them into a state of order.

The reserve was in the valley, and, hearing of the retreat of the companies to his right, Colonel Dounin ordered what reserves he had to occupy a neighbouring hill on the right, in order to hold up the enemy’s advance while he formed a new defensive line from the village of Vodymin across Riji Hill,[45]through Lieutenant Naoomov’s battery of 57-mm. guns, and farther on to some unnamed hills. Thanks to ColonelDounin’s dispositions, and to the courage of the officers of the detachment, they succeeded in forming the new defensive line at the point mentioned, and in cooling the ardour of the Japanese in their fiery advance.

A short time afterwards the order to retreat was received from General Fock.

While Colonel Dounin was giving the necessary orders, another order came in from General Fock to retire on Height No. 86.[46]

Colonel Dounin retreated in splendid order, in some cases personally conducting the skirmishing line, and, covering one company with another, occupied the positions ordered by General Fock—namely, Height No. 86, next a position near the village of Hou-chia-tun, then Saidjashalin,[47]and finally 11th Verst. Having covered the retreat of parts of the 13th, 14th, and other regiments, the companies themselves passed behind Feng-huang Shan.

The whole of the force, and especially the officers, acted in a manner worthy of the highest praise. In holding back the victorious Japanese, all the companies displayed remarkable bravery; for instance, the 11th Company of the 5th Regiment with the 1st Company of the 27th Regiment held Vodymin for two-and-a-half hours, though surrounded on three sides. Nevertheless, they broke their way through, taking with them a machine gun that had been left on the road and three wounded men of the 26th Regiment. The 6th Company, which held back the Japanesewith rapid fire in order to allow its comrades to get away, continued to hold its ground under a heavy cross-fire from rifles and guns, and, amongst others, lost its gallant commander, Lieutenant Popov, who set an example of unparalleled bravery to the whole of his company.

After the evacuation of Lao-tso Shan the army took up the new positions assigned to it, and we remained near the station (11th Verst—the headquarters of the 4th Division) and prepared to cook our breakfasts.

But suddenly a bullet whistled past, followed by another, and this reminded us that no one was covering our rear. The staff got into some confusion, wagons were hastily horsed, and two companies (I do not remember which regiment they belonged to) were ordered to move in the direction of the enemy and hold him back. These companies quickly occupied a height close by, covering the staff from the enemy, and the firing became general. The whistling of bullets became more frequent, and the horsing of the wagons of the staff was hurried on. We saw that it was useless to try to breakfast in such an unpleasant place, and the staff, with fifty Cossacks and accompanied by General Stessel, began to move into the fortress, stopping every now and then to see what was going on in front. I rode off to 174 Metre Hill, and on the way climbed a fairly high eminence to see what was happening in rear. I found our own battery there placed in some well-constructed trenches, and the guns directing their fire on the station at 11th Verst. Everything was soon put in order, and nothing further happened toprevent our men occupying their new positions, on which could already be seen the rising smoke of the field kitchens.

Towards the evening of July 29 the 5th Regiment had settled down in its new positions, had supper, and turned in for the night, except the outposts, whom I had sent out far in front in the direction of the enemy. (I always did this, even when our own troops were in front of us, as on this occasion.) I placed my staff on Division Hill, and built an office, and a mess-room for the officers.

The situation was a very picturesque one. In front were the ridges of Division Hill, with two neighbouring eminences, all crowned with our trenches, to the left wooded slopes, and towards Fort Yi-tzu Shan a small but glistening stream, with banks covered with slender, waving grasses. (See Map IV.)

To see detail, click on map to display a larger version.

GENERAL MAP OF THE KUAN-TUNG PENINSULAMapNo. 2.London: Hugh Rees, Ltd.Stanford’s Geogl. Estabt., London.

GENERAL MAP OF THE KUAN-TUNG PENINSULAMapNo. 2.

London: Hugh Rees, Ltd.

Stanford’s Geogl. Estabt., London.

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