The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1918-08-21
An AMERICAN FIGHT.
.accoun; os the Fight at Ni,raN-Gcr-
mans Lost as Many Ascn as We're
Facing Them.

With the American Troops in
France. June 80 Correspondence OF
The Associated Press Though the
American troops have had three en- !
easements in the foul sector during
the past three months men III the d.
vision say there has been just enc
fight.
The big raid on .Apyemont in Apri;
they call the Apremont affair; they
refer to the attack on Seicneprey, tea
davs later as The SeicleDrey thing;
but the morning OF June 16 at Nivr,'y,
they say there was fight.
This distinction does no wrong TO
the defenders OF Apremont anc
Seicieprey. TIE men did their besc
there, and that best was as good as
could be expected under the circum-
stances. but their best then was not
so good as their best 1T Aivray In2s
is the significance given TO the dis
tinction by French officers. They say
that it was at c[ivray the men hold
ire tllt sector showed they h;tc learn
ed how TO do what must be gone N
the front line.
Eivrav has SIMILAR meaning to the
Germans in that sector ii the evl-
dence of prisoners may be trusted.
,rhe men captured there show increas-
ed respect for the fighting. qualities O.
the Americans ard betray q deeper
awe oc the American machine gun
/! is no disparagement OF thS
work the ordinary rife Gid there to
say that the quicH-lirers decided t;la
issue. Two companies OF infantry.
without dUgouts TO shelter them nela
their grounds on the right OF the 2o-
sit:on through heavy artillery prep
2rat;on and kept the enel3ly IRON
bringing up reinforcements through
out the Gght. Meanwhile. in center
at Xivray and on the left. the ma
chine eunners I'D the rest.
The enenlys plan according to prls-
| oners. was to force the village. de-
! stroy the defence works. make the
Mace untenaplc and take prisoners
The effort was well organized ana
might have succeeded but Tor tn
work of the Quis.l-firers.
Six hundred men advanced 10 tas
attack in 10 less than dozen 0lief-
Ont columns. led by two hundred DICK
Cd Bavarian stornaing troops They
came up on the right flank. On tae
left and on the center under coEes
of smoke making a dark night sui!
| darker. Yhey crept up the raEifles
and slipped through the hoiloTs. 1h@
sharp ears of sentries alone prevent
! ed a total surprise.
Their guns laid down heavy box
barraee that prevented the reiniorc-
ine of the front line. One platoon.
! les hv Lieut.. Doan, from Maine, Sot
Through the first curtain Of :lie ooaa
even went through the second WITH
some volunteers, but that was a!i n !,
help that could he sent to the -
men that were holding the line at
I tackled. They were only one to three
but they fought in a way to surpr'se
and dismay the six hundred Germans.
! One machine gun section III the VII
| laee was reduced to two men, Mon
fort Wyckoff and John Flynn. The.
gun janmed and Flynn kept tbe Ger
mans off with his revolver while
Wyckoff got the Quickfirer goins
again. They held their ground to the
end. Two other men, unable to Set
! . sight at the Germans from their
trench climbed the parapet and stood
,nere erect i;ring their autonatlcS
from the shoulder. Two infantrSmen
crawied cut o: q shell TO get q better
aim.
The Germans had lost third o.
their 500 men When growing dariiS!!,:
impaired the effectiveness OF their
smcke screen a1d they began 10 re-
tire. The Gfty-odd ui,wourGeG An2e.-
cans left out o. 225 went over ti2e
top after them.
TWO hundred is q conservative es-
innate OF tie German losses for ou:
men buried fcrty-scven O. them c:'
the field and there We're Ho:c cocDscs
in the tall grass facing the position,
out Of reach. Thus the Gcrlaars
lost nearly as many men as they hs.G
racing them during the fiGht.
One OF tie heroes of The day was
q cook who had Been dismissed
from the service on account Of loose
habits with respect to drink. When
+ Scr he was possessed Of IN astonisn-
IN, al:2o,:Dt al perseverance. lie had
fo;led ali efforts o; the officers 20 put
him out Of the division. He LEI; one
regiment 10 appeal: 10 another. ii@
! passed frcna ore co;npany 70 ¬h-
er Until he had reached thc last one
! IF he was tllrcHn OFT oi that it Vas ;lf
! over with hrs soldering. lie va
] one o. the vol:,.>tecEs ,ll:;t went
+ through bo.h Ia:Gs,ees and he stayed
/ through tho GEh1 giving t!.:.t aid to
! the wounded under the sh:-pest lil,'
! from the ;i>s;iiiants.