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152 THE SIEGE OF PORT ARTHUR
i|- in. planks joined together in the shape of a
roof at an angle of about sixty degrees, the outer
sides covered with very thin sheet iron in.),
in the ridge a square opening was cut for the
rifle. It was the first time these shields were
used. They did not prove very successful, being
heavy and clumsy ;
and the enemy’s bullets cut
through them like butter. The first man was
shot before achieving anything ;
but the other
had better luck. He soon discarded his shield,
and, creeping forwards with the greatest circum-
spection, succeeded in reaching some dead ground
about sixty or seventy yards from the moat, and
from there he signalled back to his comrades that
he had found a safe place. Then he crept on,
but was instantly shot dead on venturing out from
his shelter. After this experience, the triangular
wooden shields were abandoned, and on similar
occasions the steel shields which I have described
in a former chapter were employed. However,
the desired information had been obtained, and
the battalion commander despatched half a com-
pany to the dead ground, which they reached at
a run ;
then the other half of the company fol-
lowed. From this fairly safe place, after regain-
ing breath, they made a rush against the trench,
but were met by so furious a fire from rifles and
machine-guns, that men dropped like ninepins,
and the remainder had to scurry back to shelter.
Simultaneously, attacks were made against the
north-east corner of the fort and the eastern
trench, but at both places the rush was broken at
its outset by the enemy’s terrible fire, not a man
getting even so far as the moat. In the dusk of
the evening another rush was made, but met the
same fate.
Meanwhile the Japanese batteries had poured a
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