Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-10-13
.EBb AND FLOW OF SERGY
FIGHT THRILLING STORY
Nest Traditions OF American Army
Niagnifisently Upheld In
Operation.
CHANGED HANDS FIVE TIMES
Elito Of Enemy's Fighting Men
Beaten and Broken by Ncvcr-to.Be-
Forgotten Dash and Daring nf
Soldiers From Overseas.

WITH THE FRANCO-AM ERlCAN
that the line of the ourcq was selected
by the enemy as the first line of re.
to Begin on u the "i further BANK. The al
lies were, If possible. to be driven
back upon the river.
The French took possession as had
been foreseen, but the heaviest fighting
right who had already been engaged
Advaaeing ' ,hro U o tie '' Forest tus Of
F'ere on broad front, they found
their passage sirenuouaiy contested by
the Sixth Bavarian Reserve Division.
The Bavarians were good soldiers.
They gave ground only when actually
compelled to do so, and they eHacted
the full cost of il from their opponents.
AS they began to give ground the
troops from the Tenth Landwehr Divi-
sion were rushed up TO strengthen the
quality and could not stand before the
Americans who swept up through Beu-
Fresnes on the right, the broken rem
nants of the two divisions falling back
before them towards the river-the
sixth SO badly beaten that il may be
These divisions cleared out of their
path. the Americans pressed on across
the more open ground with the long
wished-for Ourcq just ahead of them,
but as they neared the river and pre-
intense rifle and machine-gun fire from
the triple crested hills between Ser
inges and Sersy, on the northern bank.
~ sE h WITH nAroxEr
;, The Americans clear Sergy at the
point OF the bayonct. and even laid
hold OF some of the ground beyond but
the Bavarians and some elements of
another division came again and drove
them out of II. The Americans. how
ever, left only in order to make good
The Fourth Guards Division, one of
the crack divisions of the German
awaiting. favorable moment for. at
tack IT had been rushed up from
aEhss 5edre na ba ed
the forest Of Nesles. resting before the
attack
1t was as the Americans. flushed with
triumph, were reorganiZing their line
that the guardsmen sweIS down the
hillside on to them. The Americans
numbers, and there was no holding the
crack German division as 1t came down
1t was composed OF fresh troops, all
of them picked men. thoroughly. i'm
lac hated YanKs to Strike i,et terrer M ir,o
them 4st' IL; t they by no means cue
To III: weight of numbers ana ne IN
creased severity Of the fire: Step BY
Sergy to the brink. OF the river. and
even over it, but they were far from
QOnS Win. as the guards imagined.
THEN TIDE TURNS AND
FOE is BEATEN BACK
Before the Germans quite realized
the situation; they in, their. turn were
perarily REINFORCED. they were push
ed clean through the village and on.
on the t:rther side.
But that was only the beginning of
desperate struggle which went IN ali
ay IFS Each sse in turn had the yase
by its &c; ance and facing the re-cn-
forcements OF its opponents, was co "a
peeled to rrlinQuish it,
1t was towards evening that the
Americans. with a final fury of deter
m MI; sSspt the Germans Cd: OF
last conr1erattack Of the guards,
hill and remained victorious on a field
where The cnemy's dead actually lay
they hal come into the ot night witt, S'n an
absolutely So nsdS brand ldne% eauipmen,:
American army. the sammies waded
waist-deep across the Ourcq. and I'D :.
machine-Eun fire. They then rushed
Thea the am ,n inc, n1sitionn ana cap
ed in 1 hod Eae off he ee poche
Then the guards came up Prison
ers said they haa heeH.. hurriet from
the counterattack. They were brought
out for the Sergy fight behind the Ger
man barragc to drive out the Ameri-
to The esn laste5 sailed on their a5lsrY
70 the attack. lighting through :he
walls The streets were filled with
Machine guns in a church tower
swept down on the americans, The ar
fantry finished the business.
OF THE RED CROSS
IN In one me, corner n, Of the town from a
sde W %ie Ike on The
was dressing station. and avoided a
score Of marhine Guns started from
house. S'o''''eu '"'
The machine-gu and shrapnel fire
was so hot that the Americans lay in
the street close 10 the curb. seeking
the cover OF the shallow protection.
The Prussian Guards attacked four
times on SUNDAY following the Amer
casion the Yanks retook it.
The nth attack. which resulted in
the final driving off OF the guards, took
place on Monday morning.
Monday altogether, on the American
front, was day of ccaseless fighting.
in In which which I'LL, ss actual progress could
determined resistance and brought
fresh troops into the struggle. Through
out the day the enemy,s machine gun
fire scarcely ceased. Even when an
parenuy none OF our men were in tho
open the fire swept every bit OF cover
where they might be expected TO be
and during the morning il was hcavil,
backed by artillery fire. which slack
eEed somewhat in the afternoon ex.
cept at the hour during which our at
tack On Seringes was in progress
:. 1t came as no surprise when, short
~ after dawn. they launched a fresl
attack, debouchinS from both sides O
the southernmost angle OF the fores
OF the Nesies. The attack was backed
Oy the fire of field guns. with a rag
ged barrage on our second line ant
batteries from the 1865 and 1905 tn
enemy's gun positions above Cierge
being well placed for Ranking tiro
which the holders of Sergy found mos
trying. They were at last forced I,
withdraw from it and fall back acros
the river
HAND-TO-HAND FIGHT
~ AGAIN TAKES row,