KONDRATENKO'S DEATH AND SOME RESULTS
On December 11 regular winter set in, accompanied by a searching wind.
The garrison began to suffer greatly, owing to the bad food and the
want of protection from the weather. Scurvy increased very much, in
spite of the efforts of the doctors, who were helpless in the absence
of a proper food allowance. All that Stössel would vouch-safe to their
representations on this subject was: 'As to the surrender of the
Fortress, I shall know when that should take place, and I will not
permit a street massacre.'
For the next two or three days there was much anxiety in Arthur about
Fort Chi-kuan-shan. The enemy had even got into the counter-scarp
gallery, whence they had driven our men back with poisonous gas, and
so obtained possession of a portion of it. Many were the earnest
consultations between Smirnoff and Kondratenko.
The night of the 15th was unusually wild. The snow was driven across
the gaunt hills in clouds by the vicious gusts of an icy wind, which
moaned as it swept up the gorges--suitable accompaniment to the more
deadly sounds in the air, for the Japanese were not resting. Pitch dark
though it was, there was sufficient light to distinguish the mass of
Chi-kuan-shan Fort as it lay under patches of snow, with the bare rock
showing on the lee of the slopes and scarps. The fort seemed deserted,
for, save the few sentries on the parapets, not a soul was about--all
were under cover, snatching what rest they could. Of the enemy also,
busy as they were, nothing could be seen--they had all burrowed. From
some casemate below two young officers came up to the main parapet,
behind which they stood listening to the enemy delving in their saps.
Presently there was a movement in a Japanese trench, and a shower of
sparks came fizzing over: a warning shout among our men, and then the
detonation of a grenade. The two officers having amused themselves
thus for a short time, went down to the counter-mine galleries to
listen for the enemy, who were now very close. Meanwhile down below
in the bowels of the great fort a different and more pleasant scene
was being enacted. General Kondratenko, who had come out to see things
for himself this evening, so critical were they, was decorating a
non-commissioned officer for gallantry. Warmly congratulating the
soldier, he kissed him and pinned the Cross of St. George on his breast.
The concrete casemate in which this little scene took place was a haven
of rest after the turmoil above, for here few sounds could be heard,
and there was comparative warmth. After the ceremony Kondratenko sat
with his head on his hands, silent and apparently depressed; the others
discussed matters. Behind a wooden partition a party of sailors were
busy filling hand-grenades by a lantern, and cases of pyroxyline were
lying strewn about.
'Listen, gentlemen! It is coming!' and all were suddenly silent, for
even down here the whistling roar of an 11-inch shell could be heard.
It arrived and fell into the ditch behind, destroying the bridge, and
the groans and shouts for stretchers could be heard.
When supper was served, Kondratenko would eat nothing. A consultation
was started, much being said about Smirnoff's orders for work and
Stössel's counter-orders as to not using up the men. In the corners of
the casemate some were sleeping, others were quietly talking. Of all
the officers present, Colonel Raschevsky was particularly cheerful and
talkative.
'Well, gentlemen,' said he, 'this casemate is about the only place in
this fort where one can feel fairly safe. The underground shelters are
none too satisfactory when 11-inch shells are flying about, though they
are good enough against splinters.'
It was now near nine o'clock, and again the noise of a rapidly
approaching shell was heard--the fifth since Kondratenko's arrival.
A--a--a--ah!!!
All was confusion, dust, smoke, noise of falling concrete, stones, and
splinters of steel, cracking of bursting grenades, cries, the stench
of blood, the suffocating gas of high explosives.... In the corner
where Kondratenko, Raschevsky, Senkevitch, Zedgenidsey, and Naumenko
had just been sitting at the table poring over the map, a bluish flame
flickered for a moment over a heap of bodies half buried in débris. All
was still, save for the groans of Lieutenant Kraiko (one of whose legs
was torn off) and of Potapoff--buried under the ruins. Under this heap
of rubbish the others lay dead, killed while in the execution of their
duty.
Kondratenko had perished, but wherever Russian is spoken his name will
ever be synonymous with duty, unselfishness, bravery, and honour.
[Illustration: MAJOR-GENERAL KONDRATENKO.]
It was about 10 p.m. when Smirnoff received the news on the telephone
from Khvostoff. He felt it bitterly. In one moment his best and most
reliable assistant had been swept away. Not only was it on account of
his skill as a soldier that Kondratenko could not be replaced: there
were other ways in which he had been invaluable. His death meant
more difficulties and a fresh struggle with Stössel. Roman Isidorovitch
had always contrived to smooth over things, thus annulling, to a
certain extent, the conflict of orders. But now the inevitable had come
to pass: he was no longer there to help.
About eleven o'clock Khvostoff himself arrived, and briefly confirmed
his telephone message:
'Sir, an 11-inch shell burst in the officers' compartment in the
casemate of Chi-kuan-shan Fort. Generals Kondratenko, Raschevsky,
Zedgenidsey,[36] and Senkevitch were killed on the spot. Colonel
Naumenko was alive when brought out, but he has died since without
regaining consciousness.'
Looking at the practical side of things, Smirnoff's first words were:
'We must go to Stössel at once. ---- is next in seniority to
Kondratenko, and Stössel will certainly try to give him the vacant
appointment. This must at all costs be prevented. I will myself take
over the command of the land defences in addition to my duties as
Commandant, difficult though it will be. The state of affairs on the
north-east front is so serious that I cannot under any circumstances
allow ---- to have charge. He can be sent to the western front, where
the enemy are still a long way off, and he can't do much harm, and
where, much as he may want to, he won't be able to surrender anything
to them. It is different on the other front, where the Japs are almost
sitting on the parapets. There he would undoubtedly surrender one
position after another, carrying out his theory of the doctor and the
gangrenous patient.'
Arriving at Stössel's house, they found the place locked up; even the
orderly supposed to be on duty was asleep. Only after much knocking was
he aroused sufficiently to open the door.
'Tell General Stössel that the Commandant has come to see him on urgent
business.'
'The General is asleep, sir, and has given the strictest orders that
he is not to be disturbed on any pretext whatever. I cannot go to him,
sir--I dare not.'
This, if you please, was the man in command of a besieged fortress!
'Let us go to Fock. I will talk to him and tell him what I intend to
do,' said Smirnoff.
Stumbling along in the dark, they at last reached Fock's quarters.
An orderly appeared, but here again the Commandant was to meet with
failure, as after a few moments the man returned to say: 'The General
has ordered me to say that he is very ill and in bed with a temperature
of 102. He is in a high fever and cannot possibly see you.'
'Let us try Reuss, then,' said Smirnoff quietly.
On the way they met Dmitrevsky (Chief Staff Officer of the 4th
Division).
'Colonel, General Fock is on the sick list; meanwhile I propose to
appoint Nadein to the western front, and you are to go there as his
Chief Staff Officer.'
They arrived at the District Staff Offices, and found Reuss just
sitting down to supper. He was surprised and alarmed at such a late
visit from the Commandant, who at once said:
'I have just been to Stössel and Fock, but was unable to see either of
them. I want you to tell Stössel in the morning that I consider the
state of affairs on the north-east front so bad that I am going to
command there myself. I have decided to appoint Fock to the western
front, but till he is off the sick list (he is very ill at present,
with a temperature of 102) I will send General Nadein there, with
Dmitrevsky as his Chief Staff Officer. Please tell Stössel of this
to-morrow, early, so that there may be no misunderstanding about
orders.'
'Very good, sir. I will report it first thing in the morning.'
Next morning a Mass was held for the souls of the departed, at which
a great number of officers were present to pay their last tribute to
the men they had so respected and loved. The Commandant was there,
of course, but Stössel, Fock and Nickitin were conspicuous by their
absence. Thinking that the first named would surely come, the priests
waited some time before commencing the service, but in vain. While
waiting Colonels Semenoff and Kilenin went up to General Smirnoff and
said:
'We wish to inform you, sir, that, on behalf of the officers of the
garrison, we are sending a deputation to General Stössel to ask that
the command of the land defences be left entirely in your hands. We are
convinced that only in this event can a successful issue be counted on.
If the command should by any chance go to General ----'
'Yes, yes, gentlemen--yes! But you need not worry. I have already taken
the necessary steps. Everything will continue as before. Report direct
to the Fortress Staff, as you have been doing....'
The service began.
As soon as the service was over Smirnoff and his Chief of the Staff
went to see General Stössel, but again found him out. From his house
they went straight to ----, whom, to their amazement, they found in the
best of health, with no apparent trace of the high fever he had said he
was suffering from the previous night. In fact, they had never before
seen him in such high spirits.
'Good morning, sir--good morning! What can I do for you? Won't you sit
down?' (He had just returned from being with Stössel and Nickitin, and
knew full well that he had been put in orders to succeed Kondratenko.)
'I have just been at General Stössel's, but found him out; he had
apparently gone to Nickitin's. I must see him to talk over your
appointment. The fact of the matter is that Kondratenko has left an
unenviable legacy behind him in the state of affairs on the north-east
front. I have decided to make use of your military knowledge by sending
you to the western front, and I will take command of the eastern
myself, as I did during Kondratenko's life.'
'Very good, sir; only you had better inform General Stössel. I hear
he thinks of putting me in to command all the land defences, and you
will have to hurry or he may have issued the order, and it will then be
difficult to get him to change it. The front most certainly ought to be
divided up.'
Stössel had already gone to the District Staff Offices and had issued
two orders. The first (No. 920) announced the death of Kondratenko and
his comrades; the second (No. 921) appointed Fock to command the land
defences, vice Kondratenko, and Nadein to officiate in command of the
4th East Siberian Rifle Division, vice Fock. [Colonel Raschevsky was
succeeded by Captain A.V. von Schwartz, of the Engineers, an excellent
officer who had been in charge of the fortifications of Kinchou.] His
deep sleep and Fock's illness together frustrated Smirnoff's good
intentions as to the appointment.
However, Smirnoff, knowing nothing of this and never dreaming that
he was being fooled, left at once and went again with Khvostoff to
Stössel's house. This time they drew him. He received them very coldly
and without sitting down.
'What can I do for you, General? You have already been here once to see
me.'
'I have decided, sir,' said Smirnoff, 'now that Kondratenko has been
killed, to take over the command of the eastern front myself. General
Fock is the next senior to Kondratenko, but the state of affairs
there is so critical that he would not be able to deal with the many
questions there in addition to those arising all along the eighteen
miles of front. The western side does not give such cause for anxiety,
so I propose to put Fock in command of it, and myself to run the
eastern in addition to my duties as Commandant. This is, I think, a
sound arrangement, as Fock knows the western and has never been on the
eastern front, while all my energies, as you know, have always been
directed towards the latter.'
'The defence scheme of the Fortress lays down that one officer shall
command the land front. Kondratenko was able to manage it!'
'I always kept him on the western, and myself ran the eastern. This was
the case, you will remember, in the assaults during August, September,
October, and November ...'
'I have already appointed General Fock in place of Kondratenko,'
replied Stössel, raising his voice. 'The order is published. You
should know by now, General, that I never alter my orders. I
never'--shouting--'alter my orders!'
'But, sir, his appointment----'
But Stössel only roared again, 'I never alter my orders!'
What could Smirnoff do? The reader must remember that, by an order
issued in March, Smirnoff was made subordinate to Stössel; that the
latter had been appointed Aide-de-Camp to the Tsar, which in the eyes
of the troops vested him with great authority, as he could speak in the
Emperor's name. What, I ask, could he have done? How should he have
acted? It is easy to say now what he should have done, but, taking
his position at the time and everything else into consideration, I
personally do not see what would have been best to do. Even now,
disgusted as he was, the Commandant knew nothing of the official deceit
of which Stössel was guilty. [The first that Smirnoff heard of the
concealment of the orders was from Kuropatkin himself, when he returned
from being a prisoner of war.]
After this interview the two men went totally different ways. They only
met once again--on the day on which the last council was held.
More than once when I accompanied Smirnoff on his inspection he said to
me:
'I am hindered and opposed at every--literally every--turn in the
defence, and if Arthur falls all the shame and all the responsibility
will be thrown on me. But, no; I'll defeat them. If Arthur falls, I and
all the other Generals will die with it.'
But he did not; the eventual capitulation was for him--the
Commandant--as complete a surprise as it was for the rest of the
garrison.
_Extract of December 17 from Colonel Raschevsky's Diary._[37]
'From 2 p.m. the Japanese have bombarded Chi-kuan-shan Fort and Little
Eagle's Nest. An 11-inch shell struck the casemate of the former,
wounding three more officers....
'It is rumoured that Fock has issued an order decreasing the garrison
of the forts by half, withdrawing half to make up a reserve. This is
exactly contrary to General Smirnoff's principle, but Fock seems to
think that the inaction and monotony of fort life breeds disease....'
General Fock's first act after taking up his new appointment was,
indeed, to decrease the strength of the garrisons of the forts and
intermediate works. By degrees he reduced them very considerably. 'It
doesn't do to have the men too thick, or one shell will have too many
victims, and we shall have no one left to defend Arthur!'
He had always said this, and now his words took shape in deeds. His
predecessor, on the other hand, thoroughly agreeing with Smirnoff's
principles and wishes, had endeavoured to keep the garrisons at full
strength, particularly in places where the forces were at hand-grips.
In such places it was absolutely essential to have enough men on the
spot to hurl back the enemy at once, should they breach the parapet
and storm the works. The moments between the explosion of a mine and
the crowning of the crater were so precious that immediate action was
necessary with such men as were at hand; there was no time to await
reinforcements. The side that crowned a crater first obtained an
immense advantage.
FOOTNOTES:
[Footnote 36: One of the most distinguished Engineer officers in
Arthur.]
[Footnote 37: Colonel Raschevsky's diary was found after his death by
Captain von Schwartz, who continued to enter it up, so that its value
should not be lessened by being an incomplete record.]