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94 THE SIEGE OF PORT ARTHUR
As to the permanent forts of Port Arthur, the
Japanese, with the exception of a few men who
never came back, had never been near them, and
it was not until months afterwards that they
attempted to take them by assault, and so ob-
tained a full knowledge of their strength. Had
they known in August what they learnt late in
October, I think it is very doubtful if the general
attack would ever have been made.
Another factor in the affair was the excellent
tactics of the Russians. Unable as they were to
locate, without a balloon, the admirably-masked
batteries of the Japanese, or to observe the effect
of their fire against them, the Russians wisely
refrained from replying to the challenge to a duel,
saving their ammunition till the Infantry began to
move. They kept to their bomb-proofs, well
knowing that even the heaviest bombardment
that the Japanese could bring to bear upon them
would have little effect against their strong forts,
and that there was no need of action until the
infantry began to attack.
General Stoessel proved himself again on this
occasion, as during the whole of the previous cam-
paign, a very able leader. His counter-attacks,
especially in the night of the 23rd, demonstrated,
as I tried to make clear in a former chapter, that
he was fully capable of grasping a difficult situa-
tion, and by a timely, well thought out, and
energetic counter-move, of turning it to his own
advantage. Furthermore he had the faculty, only
given to leaders of men, of fully understanding
his soldiers. At the critical moment, when they
were beaten and their spirits broken, he filled
them with new hope and confidence, and, letting
them take the offensive, brought out their inborn
bravery and gallant spirits. He knew that he
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