The Nevada County picayune., 1918-09-19
CHAPTER Vil-Continued.


 At ten o'clock the French attacked n fourth time They came on in enor- nous numbers. Our leaders recognized the danger of our position and ordered us back. abandoning the wounded and much booty. By a superhnman effort we did manage to save the machine guns and ammunition. We retreated 1000 meters and took a stand in our former trenches. The officers told us We would have to make stand under any circumstances and that the re-en- forcemcnts would come soon.
 In il moment the machine guns were set mp and soon we were sending hail of bullets into the ranks of our pur- suing enemy. His advance stopped in- stantly. Encouraged by this success we fired harder, SO that the French were compelled to seek cover.
 The promised re-enforCements failed to appear About 600 meters to our rear were six German batteries In po- sition, but they maintained only very weak fire. An artillery officer appeared before us and asked the commander of our detachment if it would not be well 10 recommend that the batteries be taken back. He said he had learned by telephone that the German line was wavcring on its entire length.
 Before the commander could reply, another attack en masse followed, which outnumbered us by from five to seven times. Our commander now gave ID this position also. Completely de- moralized, we retired in flight. leaving the six batteries (36 Suns) to he taken by the enemy.
 The French stopped their barrage fire because they feared to hurt their own troops. The Germans utilized this moment to bring up re-enforcementS made up of all branches of the service. Scattered infantrymen, unmounted cav airy, detached pioneers. had all been assembled. Every makeshift was em- ployed to fill the ranks. Complete re- serve units apparently no longer exist ed on this the third day of the battle of the Marne.
 Once more the command was given to turn and tnke position and the un- equal fight began anew. We saw the enemy advance. and seize the bat teries. Fhen We saw him stsrming .head with fixed bnyonets We fought like wild animals. For minutes there ragged n bayonet fight beyond deScrip- ton. We stabbed through the breast, through the abdomen. and wherever else We could. This was no occasion to employ the bayonet tactics taught at drill. something which must be left for drill ground practice only.
 The butts of the rifles whizzed through the mir and any mans head which they struck was broken. Hel- nets and knapSackS had been lost long since. In spite of the superiority of numbers. the French could not defeat this little group of desperate men. We forgot everything around us and fought like hloodthirsty beasts, thinking of nothing else Part of our men pene- trated the hostile ranks and fought to retake the lost cannon The enemy recognizing the danger, retreated, and tried to hold the conquered guns with @ v to club. man for man, but the enemy held on tu the batteries Every can non was surrounded hy cerpSes, and every minute new victims were ere ntcd The artillerymen who were fight Ing with us tried to remove the hreech blocks of the guns.
 Three Germans fought four French msu 0t the third gun which was just "a my right They were all that was left around that piece, Al another gun 70 men lay dead or wounded. A pio- neer went to the mouth of this gun and with astounding calmnoSs pushed shell after shell into the barrel touched them on and ran Friend and foe alike were torn by the terrible explosion. The gun was completely demolished. Seventy to eighty men were killed for nothing.
 After an hours fight. all the guns were once more in our possession. We were now able to approximate the ter ihle casualties in the battle for this . battery. Dead and wounded by hun atedS, infantry, cavalry, artillery and nioneers, covered the narrow strip of round.
 Once more we received re-enforce- -eents. This time four regular compa- aies of infantry had been taken away from another detachment Even