The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1918-07-31
AMERICANS GIVE
HUNSCOLD STEEL
Hand=to-Hand Encounter for
Possession of Heights North
Of 0urcq River.
B0CHES ARE SURPRISED
Germans Cleared Out of Village
Of Seringes-et- Nesle and
Hill No. 1874.
BocHEs ARE SURPRISED
unternational News service.)

With the American Army at tn
Aisne, July 80 Go p. m).-American
gave the Germans the cold steel in ;
series of violent hand to hand encoun
ters for possession Of the heights nortl
of the Ourcq river which ragged all day
and were still going on tonight.
The Americans continued to thrus
northward despite the fact that tho
boches had rushed fresh troops into
action in motor trucks and laid Down
heavy barrage against our advanced
elements.
Our progress was not quite so rapid
as il had been on Sunday. At daybreak
we had cleared the Germans entirely
from Seringes- ct -Nesle and hill num-
ber 1874, Immediately northeast of Fere-
en-Tardenois.
During the night the Americans had
penetrated the village from the west,
taking the boches completely by sur
prise. In the meanwhile the Germans
were keeping the slopes to the south
under heavy machine gun fire, where
the Americans had made demonstra-
tion.
After sharp bayonet fighting the
Germans were thrown back to the OUT
skirts.
The attack which hurled the boches
defenders from the village was led by
a certain captain from Ohio.
A thick nest of German machine gun
nests in the small wood known as Bois
de Brule (south Of Seringes) held up
the advance of our right flank. Tne
officers saw that the position could noe
be taken except at considerable loss so
the artillery was signalled. The gun
ners responded magnificently. ~
After forty minutes of violent she'll
;pcr tho iofa ntry rushed forward.
THE men found that the machine gun
emplacements had been blown TO Dlts.
Then other elements to the right OF
this attack cleaned up enemy macnine
gunners at Meusy farm, Immediately 70
the south, which we had penetrated
during the night.
North of Sergy where American
farmer boys administe ed such SUIT
drubbing to crack Prussian guard
in Suday and Mondays fight
ing. we made further progress.
East of this village the Americans
and captured hill number 2l2,
the approaches to Sergy
from the north.
with our machine guns playing
steadily across this road, the Germans
did not attempt to recapture the vi
lage which has been the scene OF such
a desperate struggle.
To the southeast Ol SeiSy' 'hS
mans continue to contest every inch OF
ground, counter attacking with great
violence.
German artillery of heavier calipre
has been shelling the areas In our rea
Indicating that the enemy has concen-
trated considerable artillery on the
nlnteou northeast Of Fere- e-en Tarden-
nois in an effort to impede our advance
toward the Fismes line. Ia.
DESPITE this fire it was possible, WIN
safety to reach severai
points south OF the ourSq
river from which to observe our aa-
vance north of the stream, while the
German barrage was dotting our line
with shell fire.
From one of these points of vantage
,bseryers watched an American lieu
enant leading an attack towards
Jesle. He cleverly outmaneuvered the
,oches. who believed that the Amer
cans would climb the slope through |
he ravine. They laid down their bar
age accordingly. Then the lieutenant
simply shifted his men to the left of
he ravine. thus avoiding the shell tor
ent When German air observers had |
eported this back to the batteries the |
,arrage was moved westward. There |
ipon the lieutenant quickly moved his |
inc of advance back to the old posi- |
ion and sent the men rushing up the I
avine to the ridge above before the |
ierman artillery could learn of the
move.