Evening star., 1918-07-31
Capture of Town by Yankees
SpectacuIar-c Conflict Of
Terrible Intensity.
TWO COUNTER ATTACKS
REPULSED IN NIGHT
Men in Action Give Interesting
Sideights on Tremendous Strug-.
gle and Glorious Victory.
By JUNIUs b. WOOD.

BY JUNIUS b. WOOD.
CableEram to The Evening Star and
Chicago Daily News. Copyright, 1913.
WITH THE AMERICAN
ARMY AT THE 'FRONT.', July
31.-The sun was rising in the
eastern heavens yesterday when
the Americans started to attack
Seringes-et-Nesles, and it was
setting in the west before the
fighting stopped and the village
was securely in our hands.
Its capture was one of the
most spectacular features of the
fighting along the whole front
between scissors and Rheims,
and its holding through the
night by a small number of
Americans against two counter
attacks by the 5th Foot Guard
Regiment of the Prussian
Guards was one of the bravest
deeds of the war.
Make Further Advance.
Later the Americans advanced into
the southern fringe Of Forest Denesles
and the heights dominating the coun-
try for many kilometers beyond.
It was like q scene from q pano-
rama as the Americans advanced to
attack the town with the hyphenated
name. The artillery had been she'll
ing it. but the garrison of infantry
and machine guns remained prac-
tically unharmed. Advancing from
two directions our attacking lines
forded the little Ourcq river and
started up the gentle slope OF . neld
toward . highway bordered by tall
popiars about haif way between thans.
and the village. s il. ~ { ssis ~
Hardly had they crossed the river
when the Germans cut loose with a
hail of machine gun bullets which
swept down from the village and from
every bush and rock on either side.
At the same time a German barrage
dropped between the first assaulting
line and the second wave. According
to all the rules Of warfare that at
tacking line was due to be wiped out.
Line Grows Thinner.
It was growing thinner with every
step it went forward. but It con-
tinued until with fnal cheer it
reached the outskirts OF the town and
dashed in. The hardest part Of the
fight was now over and 1t was steel
against steel or that kind Of warfare
against which tho Germans cannot
stand.
.Tt seemed as II there was machine
gun firing from the window of every
house in that awful village" said
ington, Wis. in describing the attack
q. few hours later. Most Of the guns
were in the second story and 80
placed that they could sweep the
streets"
'Privates. Lawrence Mapes and
al home, were with me when we got
orders to clean out two nests of ma
chine guns in that village" said Sergt.
Charles Grundy, Of New York. with
half q dozen other we divided into
tured both. though we lost several
men in the operation"
Buried in Shell Hole.
IT was buried in q shell hole before
we reached the village" said Bugler
Percy RAIDER Of Columbus. Ohio. 'I
thought my last hour had come. When
1 recovered my senses, probably a Sec
ond later. somebody was pulling me
out. do not know who he was, but
got on my feet and continued lighting
my way into the village.
.There were men and machine guns
in the church. and even at the top OF
the steepIe. Being q machine gunner
myself, and specially trained in that
branch, I shot down the men on the
like birds. Other men rushed up the
narrow steps and fought their way ,ln-
til they reached the rest OF the Ger
mans, and threw them ont with the
guns on top Of them
Repel Foe With Bayonets.
In one village that was taken the
Americans dug themselves in and
waited through the hours OF the night
while the German artillery. alter-
nately battered the buildings down
about their ears and the Prussian
Guards attempted to retake the town.
A. each advance Of the guards our
men would dash out of their little
Mrs and repel the attack with their
bayonets. ~
While these men were putting this
village back on the map of France
another unit was cleaning mp Meurcy
far1n. A few hundred meters across
fha field and behind thick walls the
German machine gunners were In
I'VE had worked our way around the
farm and started Sniping the gunuerS
from the rear when they Jumped M
from the guns and started crying
sRamerad, said Private James YuE-
Gle Of Birmingham. Ala Our men
lost thefr captain, but held the poai-
f{bn until reinforcements arrived. with
INV pal. Private Durham, Z carried sna-
chine gun ammunition until my back.
was almost broken, Is
Garry Last Fringe Of Gums.
still another wave advancing be-
yond the village Of Sergy carried the
last fringe Of machine guns At the
SCoafinusd on 5ixteenth Fax%l