Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1918-08-02
HOW AMERICANS
AMBUSHED ENEMY
IN VILLAGE TRAP
Reuters Correspondence De-
Scfibes Strategy of Our Men
in Inviting Foe to SeringeS
and AnnihiIating Him

LONDON, Wednesday, July 31.-Yes-
out fighting on the American front,
telegraphs Reuters correspondent on
the front north of the Marine. He says
that the final capture of Seringes by
the Americans was an especially cred
liable achievement.
After the Americans took the village
on Monday, the Germans made no infan-
try attack on the place, but kept up a
constant artillery and machine-gun fire
to drive them out. This continued all
day on Tuesday and towards evening
the enemy seemed to think that the
spirit of the defenders might possibly
be broken, and then they began to
emerge from the Nesles forest in a wa!
that seemed to forecast fresh attempt
to take the village. OF the fighting
which ensued the correspondent writes:
THE Americans after three days o.
to-an-fro fighting through villages, had
learned subtlety and were determined
to have a real fight to a finish. They
consequently withdrew as if retiring
from Seringes and the Germans crept
down from the high ground convinced
they had their opponents beaten. Ad-
ditional German troops came pouring in
until the town was occupied as it never
had been before.
But as the new occupants began to
organize their defenses they found thar
bullets appeared to be coming in from
three sides of the village, and it was
not long before they discovered that the
Americans, while Withdrawing from the
front of the town, had commenced an
encircling movement on both sides, thus
forming a ring almost completely
around il.
Then came tragic fighting. The
Prussian guard had voted not to sur
render and their opponents were just as
anxious to see the thing through. 1t
was an affair of small arms. but the
Americans proved to be the better shots
and slowly picked off men here and
there.
Then the Americans began to ad-
vance. and slowly their encircling ring
closed about the village. AS the ring
drew closer and the defenders saw their
doom approaching, they redoubled their
fire. but still the Americans came on
unfalteringly like storm or the un-
avoidable stroke of fate.
when the Americans reached the
precincts of the village their fire ceased
and with one wild yell they closed with
the foe. The fierce uproar suddenly
gave place to a strange silence as man
grappled with man. Only the clash of
steel on steel and the groans of the
stricken could be heard.
Outcome Never Doubtful
THE issue was never in doubt for
an instant At this kind of lighting
the American is more than equal to any
Prussian guardsman, and in a little
more than ten minutes all was over. Ex-
cept for a few German prisoners, every
German i'm the village had breathed his
last. Such was the hnal capture OF
Seringes.
During the night the enemy twice
attempted to retake Sergy, but each
time he was repulsed with heavy losses.
Then he made a fierce assault on Meur-
CIV farm, east of Seringes, which was
piled with the dead which he had left
there the day before, when every man
defending it died at his post. There
again the enemy was unsuccessful,
though not until steel had crossed steel
in the big farm Yards and the heaps
Of German slain had been doubled in
the ruins about 1t.
This was classic fighting indeed
man against man. and the bettre to win.
There was no call for quarter. The pride
of the professional soldier was VI