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228 THE SIEGE OF PORT ARTHUR
it was a mistake of the ever-optimistic Japanese
to think that their ammunition was practically
exhausted. The heavy losses which the Russian
artillery inflicted on the Japanese during the
ferocious fighting about the end of November and
the beginning of December, particularly at 203
Metre Hill, soon made them realize that at the
crucial moment their enemies had enough ammu-
nition, and good ammunition too. What they
fired in the meantime against the Japanese
batteries was not so much intended to be of any
considerable effect, as to keep up the morale of
their own men.
While the operations against Sungshuh and
Erhlung forts were proceeding as described, the
sappers of the 1 1 th Division were slowly carrying
saps up towards the high East Kikuan fort. It
had been very difficult work. The higher they
progressed, the steeper became the hill, and the
more difficult was it to guard their men against
the shells and dynamite bombs thrown from the
small mortars. Working along two approaches to
about thirty yards from the “ Tragedy Trench,”
they had here connected them by a short and
strongly built siege parallel, provided with very
solid bomb-proofs. From the centre of this
parallel they commenced to carry forward a sap ;
but under the plunging fire which was poured in
from the Tragedy Trench, further progress here
proved practically impossible. So, after sustain-
ing considerable losses, the attempt was given up ;
a very narrow and shallow trench, a couple of
yards in length, being all there was to mark the
brave sappers’ progress.
The Japanese then decided to try to capture
the Tragedy Trench by assault. They knew
that the attempt most probably would cost them
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