nemy'
from an exhortation sent by the Japanese Crown Prince to 'press the
enemy, braving all hardships'. Ashore, indeed, the pressure on the enemy
developed steadily as the days passed. On November 2 the Austrian
cruiser _Kaiserin Elizabeth_, which had, with the German gunboats still
afloat, been engaging vigorously in the fighting, sank, having probably
been blown up deliberately, and the floating dock also disappeared.
Iltis Fort, moreover, was silenced, two guns being smashed and
ammunition giving out, and Japanese infantry advanced and captured an
eminence in German hands. On another ridge, however, hard by the
silenced fort, some German naval gunners carried out a ruse which saved
for the present both their position and their battery, composed of naval
9-cm. pieces, which were exposed dangerously to fire from sea and land.
Lieutenant von Trendel, in command, during the night constructed wooden
models of cannon, which he placed in position 200 yards from his real
guns. Next morning he exploded powder near by, and drew the fire of the
besiegers, attracted by the flashes, upon the dummies. That day the
wireless and electric power stations were wrecked, and large attacking
forces crept further forward, despite severe fire, and entrenched closer
to the enemy's lines. In the evening and night the latter showed special
activity, star rockets and other fireworks being used to illumine the
opposing positions, which were heavily fusilladed. A German night-attack
was delivered, but was repulsed. Next day, the 4th, and on the two
following days, progress was maintained. The Allied trenches were pushed
forward until they were right up to and almost half round the nearest
German forts. Many casualties were suffered, but the German fire was
kept down by the Japanese guns, whose accuracy was remarkable. The
weather conditions were unfavourable, high winds and heavy rains
prevailing, and the troops in the trenches had to endure hard
privations. So effective was the bombardment, however, that during
November 5 and 6 plans were prepared for the final assault. It was
arranged that a general infantry attack should be made as soon as
practicable. The garrisons in the forts, meanwhile, were beginning to
exhaust their ammunition, of which they had been, during the
preliminary operations, strangely prodigal. Guns lay silent for other
reasons than structural injury, though the latter cause, indeed, was
frequent, a single shot, in one case, f