Human Bullets: A Soldier's Story of Port ArthurSakurai, Tadayoshi
History
Human Bullets: A Soldier's Story of Port Arthur
Sakurai, Tadayoshi
Lüshun (China) -- History -- Siege, 1904-1905
Seven days had elapsed after our taking Kenzan and Shuangting-shan,
when the enemy began a counter-attack, at mid-day of the 3d of July.
They seemed to be trying to recover Kenzan with an overwhelming force.
About eight or nine hundred of their infantry pressed straight on from
Wangchia-tun; their artillery took up their position in and about
Tashik-tung and began to fire at us with great energy. We had been
expecting this all the time and were not surprised. All our guns and
rifles were concentrated on their front; they were brave enough to
rush on in spite of this shower of shot. But our fire was too much for
them; they “fell like a row of ninepins.” The officer at their head
flourished his long sword high in the air and furiously rushed toward
us; but he too fell. At each volley they fell like autumn leaves in
the wind. The remnant of the enemy thought it impossible to face us;
they ran back into the valleys in complete disorder. Their infantry had
thus retreated, but the battery was not silenced so easily. For some
time longer it held on and fired at our centre vigorously. Perhaps the
sight of the retreating infantry made the artillerymen lose courage;
the noise of their firing became less and less; soon the whole line of
battle became as quiet as a dream. We shouted Banzai again and again.
The enemy’s first effort to regain Kenzan had failed!
The Russians were so persistent in their attempt at recovering the lost
position, that, soon after this severe defeat, about the same number
of infantry as before made their appearance on Taiko-shan. Their band
playing vigorously, they approached our first line. When the distance
between the two parties became only seven or eight hundred metres,
they deployed, shouted “Woola!” very loud, and rushed on us bravely,
encouraged by the sound of fife and drum. We met them with a violent,
rapid fire, killing both those who advanced and those who retreated.
One of our detachments also took the offensive. This again was too
much for the enemy; they took to their heels and went back toward
Taiko-shan. In spite of the clear fact that it was impossible for them
to defeat us, they repeated one attack after another, making a fresh
sacrifice of men each time, fully determined to recover Kenzan. This
tenacity of purpose was truly worthy of a great Power and deserves our
admiration. Just as we have our loyal and brave “Yamato-damashii,”
they have their own undaunted courage peculiar to the Slav race. “The
tiger’s roar causes storms to rise and the dragon’s breath gathers
clouds in the sky.” Each of the contending parties had a worthy foe
with which to compare its strength.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account