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64 THE SIEGE OF PORT ARTHUR
positions of the iith Division near Takushan.
The attempts to capture the Red Redoubt were
therefore carried out in a more determined manner
than the attacks on the Shuishi lunettes, and were
not, like these, essentially a demonstration. As
later on there was a good deal of fighting about
this place, I shall defer a more detailed descrip-
tion of the fortification until another chapter, and
for the present content myself with the statement
that during August 19th and 20th, the 36th
regiment made several very determined attacks
on the redoubt without success. The last of
these assaults reached right up to the moat in
front of the rampart, but as the moat was deep,
with nearly perpendicular sides, and the slopes of
the breastwork were also very steep (height of
parapet over bottom of moat about 15 ft.), the
Japanese, who had not brought scaling ladders,
were unable to cross, and had to retire with
considerable losses.
Nevertheless, the first two days’ operations
during the general assault must, on the whole, be
considered successful. The Japanese had forced
the fort artillery to maintain practically complete
silence. Their own artillery had to a great extent
battered and destroyed the ramparts and the inner
defences of the forts, where their main assault was
to take place, and they had every reason to believe
that their real object with this preliminary bom-
bardment had been achieved, namely, to discour-
age and demoralize the garrison of the forts and
prepare the way for the infantry attack. Their
demonstrations had been carried out as pre-
arranged, and although they had failed in taking
the Shuishi lunettes and the Red Redoubt, their
principal object had been achieved and the
Russians led to believe that the main attack would
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