Full resolution (JPEG) - On this page / på denna sida - XVI. The second general attack
<< prev. page << föreg. sida << >> nästa sida >> next page >>
Below is the raw OCR text
from the above scanned image.
Do you see an error? Proofread the page now!
Här nedan syns maskintolkade texten från faksimilbilden ovan.
Ser du något fel? Korrekturläs sidan nu!
This page has never been proofread. / Denna sida har aldrig korrekturlästs.
192 THE SIEGE OF PORT ARTHUR
whit as brave and stubborn as themselves. Here,
as so often before in history, the popular outcry
went far to precipitate events and to spur even
cool-headed men beyond their better judgment.
And still another reason, also a purely senti-
mental reason, but one which with the Japanese
carries the greatest weight, strongly urged
General Nogi to attempt an attack at this stage.
November 3rd, the Emperor’s birthday, was
drawing near. All Japan—nay, the whole world—
eagerly expected that the army here should rise
to the occasion and make a desperate effort to
take Port Arthur and present it as a birthday
gift to the Emperor. Although I do not think
even the most sanguine of the Japanese officers
here really believed that they would be able to
capture the whole fortress before that day, they
confidently hoped that at least some of the most
important of the forts would fall into their hands.
So the attack was decided and planned. A
tremendous bombardment was carried out for
many days and nights, and everything was
arranged for a vigorous assault on the Eastern
fort-ridge on October 30th. The saps were in
most places not carried up to the counterscarps
or to the trenches, but the Japanese thought they
could easily cover the few intervening yards with
a rush. They were aware that the stronger of
the forts were surrounded by moats, the exact
dimensions of which they did not know, although
they had been able to observe that they were
very wide and deep ;
but they had constructed a
large number of scaling ladders by means of
which they hoped to cross. Once on the top of
the parapet, they had little doubt they would be
able to overrun the inside of the forts and to crush
the defenders with their overwhelming forces.
<< prev. page << föreg. sida << >> nästa sida >> next page >>
