a long time, Podkovin could not find a dry piece of land for himself even under the charging boxes. There was sticky and fluid dirt all around. Having trampled at the spare carriage, he lay down at the wheel, right on the damp ground.
Clouds flew low. Stars glittered here and there. Mount Samson in the dark seemed lonely. Rays of searchlights constantly glided over the hills. To the right there gleamed the Hunuez Bay; he seemed like a big quiet lake. The sea rustled to the left. Terrible and inaccessible Nanshan clouded by fog. For a few minutes, guns and rifle volleys fell silent. There was silence, ominous and painfully heavy.
3
Everyone, not only the soldiers, but also junior officers, considered the Kinjaw position as impregnable, reliable and believed in its invincibility. What did this position represent?
Sixty-two versts north of Arthur, the Liaodong Peninsula has a width of about three versts with a group of heights (Nanshan), which, strengthened by the Russians, became known as the Kinzhou position. To the north of the heights lies a plain, surrounded by inclusive heights, and from the east – the Samson mountain range. The southern slopes of the position merge with the Tafashinsky hills.
The Nanshan fortifications consisted of fourteen batteries located at the top of the position, with three strong points and a common trench around. The belts of the fields of the fortifications were pushed seven hundred steps forward and connected to a common trench. For the message of the center position with the lower tier, the message moves were made and numerous deep ravines were adapted for the same purpose. Between the individual batteries and the fortifications was a telephone. Telephone communication was available with the bay of Ker, Dalny, Jinzhou, Taleenwan and Arthur.
On the advice of Admiral Makarov, two batteries were prepared on the left flank for long-range serf guns with shelling of Jinzhou Bay, but the six-inch Cana cannon could not be installed until the thirteenth of May.Chapter twelve
one
The old Chinese city of Jinzhou, located off the coast, out of the blue, represented an excellent target for enemy batteries, but still its walls were a safe haven from both rifle bullets and field battery shells.
Captain Eremeev knew all the positive and negative properties of his site. The town as a fort or redoubt could not play a big role. Life in it stopped. The Chinese left their homes during the first Russian failures.
After the clash of the third of May, the Japanese advanced heavy chains to the spurs of Samson for a long time did not show any active actions. At the headquarters of General Fock, there was talk of intensified reconnaissance in the direction of the village of Palizon and further to the southern spurs of the mountain, Samson.
Captain Yeremeyev had a spy Chinese Lee Yang-tzu. The commandant was always pleased with him. His information was confirmed by forays, observations of hunters and subsequent actions of the enemy.
Lee Yang-tzu remembered well the invasions of the Japanese and their rule. Living and working was hard. And only with the arrival of the Russians, the revival began in the region. Russian soldiers and officers were cheerful and good-natured people. They didn’t scare like the Japanese. Lee Yang-tzu met Captain Yeremeyev through the supply of food and fodder. The captain liked the Chinese for being respectful of the graves of their ancestors and lovingly asking about the past of the Liaodong Peninsula, about the greatness of the Chinese empire, about the works of Chinese art. He often quoted the words of famous Chinese poets Li Yang-tzu. Captain Eremeyev studied the life of Eastern peoples and was known as a connoisseur of China among his comrades.
On May 8, Li Yang-tzu returned with hunters excited:
– It’s bad, captain. There are many, many Japanese soldiers. A lot of big guns. Russian is one old cannon, and Japanese is four new cannons. I put it all around. He set up Tyndyl, put Palizon near, put it here near Liudiagou. Their general walked around, everything looked.
“Yes, we are late,” thought Yeremeyev. – Probably, all their army is already concentrated around Kinzhou, but now I will send a report. This is an important message: “Russian is one old cannon, Japanese is four new cannon.” The captain grinned bitterly and spat out loudly, exclaimed:
– I am ashamed!
On the morning of the tenth of May, a small enemy infantry squad appeared in front of the northern walls of the city. The arrows opened fire and drove the enemy away. But the captain saw that the activity of the Japanese was increasing. On the same day, they tried to occupy the old Chinese port, located near the village of Chudyatun. The next evening, the Japanese infantry began shelling the city. I had to use the guns and ask for help from a fortified position.
At night a strong wind blew. Our hunters brought disturbing information. On the twelfth of May, long before dawn, shells of Japanese field guns fell on the city. Siege guns began shelling fortified Kinzhou. But the shells put to blow, not all torn. The sound of the shots, as well as the marks on the remote tubes could be concluded: Japanese guns are far away and shoot from a distance.
– But where are the batteries? – Captain Yeremeyev asked himself the question and sent for Lee Yang-tzu.
Despite a thorough search, the Chinese were not found. Apparently, he left the city in the evening.
– So, the danger is not far off. If not today, then tomorrow there will be a general attack.
The wind was still raging. The bay was noisy with breaking fine waves. Throughout the shallows in the pre-dawn haze glowing boils broke, from the walls of the town were visible outbreaks of guns, which are no no no and light the foothills of Samson. On the breastwork of our batteries, clubs of earth and gases rose. An hour later, the siege batteries fell silent, but shells of small-caliber cannons continued to fall into the city.
“We are on the road, We need to be destroyed,” said the defenders of the city. “But the enemy has been bombing for five hours now, and only four of our people have been wounded.”
– And the Chinese?
– Maybe five people, and even less. All left, like a cow licked. Their intelligence works better than ours.
During the day the wind did not subside, but in the evening it even increased.
At dusk, Captain Yeremeyev received reinforcements. Now he had a company and a half, one foot team, two guns and two machine guns at his disposal.
The Japanese acted on this site assertively. They tried to bypass the city from the west. Having been repulsed, they launched an offensive from the north. At midnight, surrounding the city, they dragged a mine to the gate. The sentinels noticed the enemy, one of them ran up to Captain Yeremeyev.
– Your honor, at the gates of the Japanese with a bomb.
“What kind of talk,” the captain laughed. “They would have blown it up a long time ago.”
– By golly! – exclaimed the shooter. “And don’t worry about the explosion,” they know what they are doing. Reinforcements are waiting to be flocked to the city.
