During the night of 24 October, the Japanese succeeded in placing a pontoon bridge over the Yalu River undetected, immediately in front of the Chinese fortifications. The IJA 3rd Division under General Katsura Tarō staged a night attack on Hushan on 25 October 1894, only to discover that the bulk of the Chinese garrison had deserted their fortifications the night before. Likewise, the IJA 5th Division under General Nozu Michitsura, upon crossing to Jiuliancheng, found positions deserted, with only a rear guard making a token resistance.