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KEHRAUS 85
the battalion of the 7th regiment was entrenched
under the Wantai hill, the Russians converged
upon it and opened a terrible fire from two sides
with rifles and machine guns, mowing down
hundreds. Part of their force worked round and
attacked from the rear, and the main body of the
Russians came sweeping down in front and on
both flanks and drove the Japanese troops out of
their trenches, back across the Chinese wall and
into or past the captured Panlung forts, —though
not many reached so far ;
the carnage had been
terrible, and the greater part of the battalion was
annihilated. The Russians followed, sweeping
down the gullies on both sides of the forts, met
the first supports, who stood up manfully to meet
the attack, but were broken and carried away by
the fury of the onslaught ;
followed on, down the
slopes of the hills and into the valley, where they
were met by fresh and stronger supports. These
were also forced back, though more slowly, until
they came to a low ridge or high bank running
nearly parallel to the railway line. Here the
Japanese had a splendid position, and new troops
poured in to help to stop the Russian avalanche,
and at this point a standing fight of the utmost
fierceness ensued, lasting for about three-quarters
of an hour. The din and the racket from rifles
and machine guns were indescribable ;
at times
even the rattling was indistinguishable. It all
blended into one ear-splitting roar, the like of
which 1 have never heard, though perhaps the
roar of the blast rushing through a Bessemer
converter approaches nearer than anything else I
know.
For a long time the issue seemed doubtful.
The Russians had the advantage of their search-
lights playing upon their enemies, blinding and
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