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THIRD GENERAL ATTACK 243
increased in vehemence and soon became of
terrific intensity. We conjectured that the wild
beckoning and winking of the searchlight had
been a signal to draw the attention of the Russians
to some unexpected move on the part of the
Japanese. And so it proved to be. General
Nogi, in connection with the frontal attacks
against the eastern section, had planned a turning
movement to capture the strong battery position
behind Sungshuh Fort, which the Japanese call
the supporting fort of Sungshuh, by an attack
from the west side. Should they succeed in the
enterprise, the Japanese would thus be established
in the rear of the Russian lines ;
they would be
able to fire directly into Sungshuh and Erhlung
forts, making them untenable, and no move could
therefore be more calculated to bring about the
speedy fall of the whole fortress.
To carry out this plan, General Nogi had
formed a detachment of 2,000 volunteers, all
picked men, chosen from the different regiments
making up the Japanese right wing, and the
command of this force he had entrusted to the
brave leader of the 2nd Brigade, Major-General
Nakamura. The troops had been drawn up in
the two southern Shuishi lunettes and the con-
necting trenches. From here they were to
advance down the steep incline to the lower part
of Shuishi valley, cross this, and work their way
up the gorge between Sungshuh and the support-
ing fort.
I quote below General Nakamura’s instructions
to his troops, both because they give a clear
indication of the importance which the Japanese
attached to this move and because the concluding
words corroborate my remarks in the beginning of
this chapter.
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