"We'll hold Hill 203 and Dajing Mountain at all costs," Kondratenko declared. "The enemy will strike there—it's the obvious weak point. But with Jinhan's machine guns, we can turn it into a killing field."
"Are you certain these guns can hold them back?" Stoessel asked.
"With their rate of fire and defensive positioning, I am confident. Their soldiers won't make it past the first wave."
"And the risk?"
"Acceptable," Kondratenko said firmly. "If we retreat further, it's over. We can't afford to give them the initiative."
On the morning of October 17th, the battlefield erupted. Japanese artillery bombarded the eastern defenses of Lüshun, a deafening cacophony designed to draw Russian forces away from the true target.
But the Russians, guided by Kondratenko's foresight, held their ground at Hill 203 and Dajing Mountain. The machine guns roared to life, spitting thousands of bullets into the advancing waves.
