New Iberia enterprise and independent observer. (New Iberia, La.) 1902-1944, 1918-08-03
HAND-TO-HAND BATTLING
TAKES ONE TOWN NINE
TIMES, ANOTHER FIVE
TIMES FOR U. s. SOL
DIERS.
BY Edwin L. James.

france, July ~, y a. m.-Sergy
has changed hands nine times in
"A hours. That tells the story Of
the bitter fighting when the Ger
man command threw two fresh
guard divisions against the Amer
s-lcans north of the Ourcq yester-
(ay In an endeavor to put them
Back across the stream.
The result may be best told by
saying the Americans are not only
on the north side Of the Ourcq
this morning but in a position
further advanced than when the
enemy hurled the violent attacks
against our line yesterday.
At least one German guard di-
vision was made fghtless for some
time to come. Had the Americans
not held back the able fighting
Prusslans the French would not
have been able to make the ad-;
vance, nor to have taken Fere-en-
Tardenois, nor to have gained onl
our right.
Reinforcements Rushed Up.
The Prussians and -BaHarians,
now trying to hold back the}
Americans, were brought hur-j
riedly from the rear, where they
had held to make the attack
against the English preparatory
to the Crown Prince grand drive
in August. Thus the Americans
have put one move crimp in the |
kaiser's plans.
1t shsuld be a source ,nf the |
greatest pride TIC Amreica that |
their ynplthful solliers we've able |
to. hold their own against the |
-Kaiser's best SHOCK troops. which
are the .Prussian sand Bavarian /
guards.
AT SeIgy it was the American
divisions that met the Fourth,
Prussian guard division. The re-
suit speaks, for Itself.
AS told in these dispatches yes
tarday, a part of thesGerman plan
was to stand on the north, bank
oftthe Ourcq and he'd the Amer
leans while fhe Withdrawal behind
the lines was made 3aore easily.
The charge sof the AmerS ans
across the river Sunday in which
they took Servings and Sergy and
esta Hished themselgess broke up]
this part Of the German plan.
Foe Fires From Red Cross, 4
Earh yesterday morning the
in Sergy were attacked !
by the fourth Hrussian guard d.
vision, which arrived only few
hours before from the frraining 8
area in Lorraine. Overwhelmed t
BY vastly superior numbers, the s
had to withdraw be- tx
fore the terrific small artillery q
md machine gun fine. But when I
he Prussians got inso the town.
he German artillery could no d
Onger shoot into it. That gave s.
he chance for man-so-man and Il
hand fight and the Amer a
cans grasped the opportunity. II
hey rushed back into the village 0.
ID against a whitening fire of the II
Machine guns, placed practically
a every building. When the ly
barge was at its height from u "
bearing a Red Cross five as
lachine guns spoke with telling W
fleet. To
Soon, however, the Americans Iu
OF hand-to-hand with the Prus- "
ans. In repayment, for the M
eadly machine gun work onr men g
lnTed with their hayonets, and ae
o German was yet known to w
and before q ibayonet with an AZ
merican behind it. In behalf an De
our they had possession Of the de
'wn.. O.
Airplanes Aid Enemy. q, a.
Down came the German artil- ~
ry fire again and we had to re- ~,
re. Into the village came the n,
russians and when the artillery
e stopped back went the Amer
ans. Again we drove them
It. DGu
No sooner had we got into the Si
lfage when back came the Prus- rss s
ms. German airplanes rendered -
cir men great aid. sweeping Z
Iwn close to the ground and rak- 4
< our lines with machine guns.
ley also used bombs against us. s.
II u \ Il -