Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1918-07-30
AMERICANS STOOD FIRM
Beat Back Twenty-Five Attacks IN
Two Days.

Beat Back Twenty-Five Attacks IN
Two Days.
Tho great Allied attack has over
shadowcd the important feat OF two
American units which shattered the
opcx of the German advance towards
Chalons. the German objective point
at a point on the battle line east OF
Rheims, on July l6, the second day "l
the Crowned Princes big push.
Gen. Gouraud, French commander IN
this action. has visited the two GAL
liant units and commended them in the
highest terms for their gallantry ana
lighting spirit.
Spoiled Plans Of Germans.
Mans found on captured Germans
indicate that the hold-up of the Ger
imam adSanC" ~ this point diStrii'h"-
rd the general programme al tn" en-
,ir.. offensive. aiding materially IN th'
wholesale. German defeat. now apiar-
rn,. and opening the way i"r
rho Franco american counter attack
which commenced July is. This bat
tie in question was found on tn" ms
roric rlains of Chalons. tn" scene "i
man> decisive encounters in the CEN
turics past.
The German attack opened with
hombardmcnt of the area Of the front
line, extending back us far rs 'haions
itself and continuing from midnight "f
July Il until i.30 the following day.
At that hour the German shock di-
visions. carrying light machin" guns.
bombs and grenades, advanced. Inc
front trenches OF the Allies w'r" h'id
by u small force of Fr"nchm"n ana 10y
nrr,rrnn,.cd planS were evacuated al
the conclusion of the on'iardn"h''
and in anticipation of the advance oi
the German storm troops.
The advancing Germans. irhmaSln-
ing that the Allies were in retreat
botly pirsucd. To their surprise they
encountered the American uhi'S
which had been pl iced in intermediate
trenches behind the abandoned nrst
line to take the shock of their on
Slaught.
The Americans had been ordered
To hold their position until every man
was dead if necessary. This grim
necessity did not Cvacuatc. h"rahS"
the determined resistance of the
American units broke up the unity OF
the German attack.
Beat Back Twenty-Five Attacks.
The Germans attacked ten times on
Monday, withdrcwing at dark. They
renewed the attack at daylight on
Tuesday, coming over dozen tunes
during the day. The Am arican units,
which had borne the brnnt o. these
constant assaults for two days. did not
yield Il foot.
The. trenches of No Mans Land w"r"
clogged with dead Germans. lew
prisoners we're taken in hand-to-nahd
trench fighting. On "Wednesday the
Germans made few attempts to drive
through the impregnable American
defence. but their attack lacked riGor
and finally ceased on Thursday, coin
cidcntally with the start of the Allied
counter attack 10 tine westward.
During tho series of engagements
Corpl. Brockhill of Gadsdcn. Ala.' diS-
tinruished himself. He WIS tic lrst
soldier of any army, so far rs Is
known, TO bring down an acropianc ID!
4 rifle shot. He caught the pilot win
a bullet from his automatic rifle whcn
the Roche flyer was sweeping low over
the American position and spraying
our men with his machine gun iirc.
The day after this exploit Private
Martin Foody of New York City
brought down another German aero
plane in exactly similar circumstances
Among the hundreds in both UNITS
who distinguished themselves for
bravery in action q tho chaplain VINO
remained in trerch dressing stations
through the engagement. In inc
midst of the fighting men he assisted IN
removing wounded and kept up the
spirits of the fighters by his presence.
Another man who won distinction
was Major (dclcted) of New York, to
whose foresight in preparation. In en-
couraging his men during the attack
and rcsourcrfulncss in supplying food
and ammunition, was due to no small
measure the success achieved by one
oc the units. This was the first hiS en-
gagcmcnt in which either OF these
units had participated.