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203 METRE HILL 249
improbable that the Japanese would have utterly-
failed to carry the position by assault, and to
tunnel their way up through the hard rock to it,
even if everything went well, would have taken
them many months.
On each of the peaks a small fort was built,
and round the front and the flanks of the hill a
double row of trenches extended, defended by
strong wire entanglements. Forts and trenches
were constructed in the same manner. On posts
of heavy timber a roof of 8 in. by 14 in. beams
was laid, covered with large ^ in. steel plates ;
on top of this a thick layer
of sandbags and earth. The
strong sandbag breastworks
reached right up to the roof,
and the loopholes were pro-
tected by in. steel plates, about ^
12 in. square, with a cross-
shaped opening punched out for ^
the rifle. At the two forts the steel plate with
CROSS-SHAPED OPEN-
ING FOR THE RIFLE
USED FOR LOOP-
HOLES IN SANDBAG
TRENCHES.
corners were strengthened by
rails. Strong bomb-proofs were
built behind the crest of the hill.
where a considerable number
of reserves could be kept in readiness, and, from
these, strong and wdde bomb-proof passages led
up to each of the forts. The defences of Akasaka-
yama were constructed in the same manner.
The Japanese sappers had very hard work in
front of 203. Down the slopes of the hill on the
other side of the narrow valley the approaches
had to be dug very deep and wide, and provided
with extraordinarily strong breastworks to with-
stand the heavy shelling and shrapnelling which
the big guns on Taiyangkou and Laotiehshan
could direct against them. At the bottom of the
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