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CANCAN 73
The only hope of General Ichinobe was now
night. It took some time to get his scattered
troops rallied for a fresh attack, and it was past
midnight before everything was ready and he
could send his columns forward again. But even
the darkness, upon which he had counted for
concealing his movements and making the fire of
the enemy less accurate, proved of no assistance.
The Russ’an searchlights and star-shells lighted
up the fields over which his troops had to
advance, enabling the defenders to aim and fire
as in broad daylight, and, at the same time,
blinding and confusing the attacking forces,
making their task more difficult and doubly
uncanny. This, the fourth attack, was also
repulsed, adding greatly to the already long list
of casualties. At four o’clock in the morning the
divisional commander ordered a suspension of the
operations, allowing a few hours’ rest and sleep to
the dead-tired troops.
While the 9th Division thus were making the
most strenuous efforts to carry out their part of
the programme, the nth Division commenced
operations against North Kikuan fort. During
the heavy bombardment of the previous afternoon
an ammunition magazine was set on fire, burn-
ing fiercely, and, the flames reaching the gun
cartridges, a succession of small explosions took
place, lasting far into the night. This might have
been an excellent opportunity, if the place was to
be taken by assault ;
but as no infantry movement
had been planned for the 20th, and the troops
were not prepared for action, the precious
moments were allowed to pass. The Japanese
thought that their chances were still good when
they set out for the attack in the grey half-light of
the following morning, and that the fire and the
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