The Japanese 113th Regiment under the command of Major Kanemitsu Keijiro transformed Songshan into a multi-peaked mountain fortress, with trenches, pillboxes, caves, tunnels, and fortified artillery positions. The Americans called it “the Gibraltar of the Burma Road,” because it appeared unassailable. Yet on June 17, 1944, the Chinese New 28th and New 39th Divisions attacked en masse to take Yingdun, the peak at the southeast corner. Surprise and bold action led to victory. However, capturing the rest of Songshan did not prove as easy and the attack ground to a halt. As they had at Longling, the Chinese settled down to a lengthy siege.