Evening star., 1918-04-14
BY PAUL AYREs ROCKWELL.

BY PAUL AYRES ROCKWELL.
CabIegram to The Sunday Star and
Chicago Daily News. Copyright. 1918.
WITH THE FRENCH ARMIES. April
I 10 (delayed).-In the ancient chateau
dominating the shrapnel and shell SCARED
remains of a once smiling village which
| has had more than its share of wars
ravages l heard today from staff officers
who participated in the action the alb
sorbing story of how one of the many
heroic divisions Of Frances magnificent
army fought with unexcelled bravery and
priceless abnegation throughout seven
! days and nights, without rest against
seemingly hopeless odds. stenning the
| tide Of Germany's second great invasion.
| Other French divisions were fighting
during the same seven days just as hard
| a fight in other parts of the long battle
front, and 1 retell this story merely. to
give an indication of that of the others.
Hurried to Danger Point.
When the German onset began the
division was in repose. Orders were
received on the night of March % to
leave for a danger point. On the ioi-
lowing morning at o'clock the dfvl-
sion embarked on camaons and after
an all-day journey arrived in the
region of NesIe. The front line in ad-
vance of Nesle was held by an English
division which had already lost heavily
The Germans made a formidable attack
at dawn March "a, and the English
were forced to give way, falling back
to the left of Nesle, the French di-
vision advancing. 1t came into contact
with the Germans along the front OF
Etalon, Herly, Nesle, Langueyelsin and
Moyencourt. In places the French and
English became intermingled and re-
sisted the enemy side by side and fir
ing from the same trenches.
The Germans continued attacking
with determined fury. The English
division was so cut up that 1t was
forced to fall back again on the left.
while the supporting division on the
right was also forced to retreat. leav-
ing both the fanks of the division
Orders arrived to defend Nesle and
other favorable positions on each side
of Nesle.
Met Fresh Hun Division.
These were assaulted by an entire
German division freshly arrived in auto
camions on March rs, while protecting
whelming numbers. The Frenchmen
defended Nesle desperately, fighting
from house to house and from cellar to
cellar. killing veritable stacks of
Teutons. Finally, late in the afternoon
having exhausted all it's ammunition, it
evacuated Nesle in an orderly manner.
One battalion holding hill south of
Nesle was completely surrounded by
the enemy in the morning and was
given up as lost by the other units of
the division. At nightfall the sur
rounded battalion cuts its way through
the encirclng foes and Joined the other
battalions, which were fighting rear
guard fight and> slowly falling back
upon Roye.
Roye was reached before dawn and
the defense was organized. Both the
TANKS were still exposed, but fortunate
|ly a group of armored autocars. COM
prising six cars mounted with machine
guns. and three cars mounted> with
thirty-Seven nillimeter U.5 inch) can
non arrived. These armored cars were
placed in advantageous positions along
all the roads by which the tanks could
possibly be turned and they defended
eral commanding the division, with his
staff. installed his headquarters in an
open field on the plateau behind Roye.
General Reorganizes Defense.
About noon messenger came announc-
ing that the defense OF Roys was waver-
ing. Calmly picking up his cane. the
entered the village and reorganized the
defense, which succeeded in holding off
the Germans several hours longer. The
night Of the 26th Of March was fairly calm
and some of the men were able to grasp
little slumber, the first they had had in
four days and nights. All this time fresh
enemy divisions had been constantly ar
riving in auto camions which carried them
right into the first line combat. Neither
the French nor the Germans had much
artillery. and therefore the. French ar
mored cars were especially valuable.
| On the 9th the French division fell
back to~a line of trenches around TIL
| loloy. from which the Germans had re-
! treated year previously. Utilizing the
defensive works which the Teutons had
sweated SO hard to prepare in months
| long gone by. and fighting valiantly to
gain the minutes which were so valuable
| the heroic division held up the Teutons
yet another day before retiring to Rollet
which virtually forms a part of the front
today. The division was finally relieved
on March 81, and Is now enjoying rest,
, never paore hardly earned or nerited,
where>1 visited It today.
Held Back Ten Divisions.
| During it's seven days of epic fight
! this one French division held in check
and used up more than ten German
divisions, including a division Of the
| Prussian guard. Heroism infallibly has
| it's price. The officers explained the
| battle to me, showed on the maps the
various positions defended. which were
| indicated by circles drawn with lead
| crayons, each circle representing a po-
| sition of one regiment or unit of bat
| talions. On the first days contact with