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62 THE SIEGE OF PORT ARTHUR
after shrapnel in amongst them, and scores of men
dropped. Still they pushed on, and reached the
wire entanglements. There they came to a stand-
still. The wire proved too strong for their shears ;
it was impossible to get through, and nothing
could live under the devastating fire at close
range. The attack was broken, crushed, and the
survivors had to beat a hasty retreat.
During the night the attack was renewed, and
though the Japanese were beaten back again,
their sappers succeeded in making a breach in
the wire entanglements. They could not cut the
wire, so they cut down the supporting poles, and
brought the whole arrangement down, making an
opening large enough for the attacking forces to
deploy through.
In the evening General Nogi, seeing that
matters did not progress satisfactorily, sent the
I St independent Infantry brigade to reinforce
his right wing, and this brigade remained attached
to the 1st Division during the rest of the siege.
The assault was resumed on the morning of
the 20th, and the fort, after a hard contested
fight, was stormed and captured about noon, and,
though the Russians later shelled the position
furiously, the Japanese retained possession of 174
Metre Hill. The Japanese troops which took
part in this action were the 15th regiment,
attacking from the north, and the ist regiment
which advanced from the west.
The Japanese casualties had been very con-
siderable, over 1,400 killed and wounded.
Knowing that the two next hills on the range
were very strongly fortified, and not to be rushed
without careful preparation, the ist Division
* The Russians left 350 killed in the fort.
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