Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-04-28
HANDFUL Of French
HOLD CHATEAU RUIN:
One of Many Stories Of VAL
liant Hand-to- Hand Fighting
In Present Great Drive.
GERMANS ATTACK SLOPE
BY PAUL SCOTT MOWRER.
Cablegfam to The Sunday Star and
Chicago Dolly News. COpyriGht, 1918.

by PAUL SCOTT MOWHER.
Cabl@gram to The Sunday Star and
Chicago Daily News. Copyright. 1918.
WITH THE FRENCH ARMY. April
26.-The great battle which is still In
progress is composed Of hundreds of
episodes. most OF which will never be
told, but Of which the following per-
haps Is typical: 1t occurred a day or
two ago at place called Montrenaud.
near Noyon. It is a wooded hill
crowned with a ruined chateau. The
chateau itself stands in the midst of a
park inclosed by a rectangular stone
wall. Tho chateau and park are held
by the French. and tho Germans are be-
low in the woods on the north slope.
At the time of which I speak the po-
sftion was garrfsoned by few COM
France-basques from the lower Pyre-
nees and Gascons from the melancholy
moorlands-good soldiers all. Just
! after dawn several German airplanes
flew low over the French lines firing
machine guns at whatever troops were
visible. The French, instead of hiding,
replied with rifles and their own ma
| chine guns.
German Machine Crippled.
One German machine was crippled
and was seen to wheel down the hill
| side and fall inside the German lines.
| Another, maneuvering only sixty yards
above the park. made an easy mark for
clever machine gunner. In falling, a
wing OF the machine caught in a tree.
The pilot was killed and the observer
| taken prisoner. Other German airmen
quickly returned to the charge and by
1 "A
let fall a rain of bombs on the French.
AT the same time the German artil-
!ery ana trench mortars opened a vio-
| lent hre. For ten minutes projectiles
chateau, knocking in walls, splintering
trees and flinging pp columns of earth.
Then suddenly esartillery heightened
| the fire and formed barrage behind
the chateau SO that no reinforcements
could arrive.
German infantry were seen skulkfng
up through the woods on the north
| slope toward the wall surrounding. the
PARK. They were twice as numerous
as the French and their plan was to
capture the park and chateau by flank
| movements. directed chiefly against the
| northwestern and northeastern angles
| Of the wall.
Led by Flame-Throwers.
The German groups were led by fame
l
diers. They advanced rapidly and
boldly with their usul courage and
skill. The French had suffered losses
IRON from the bombardment. but the adju-
charged with defending the northwest
ern angle OF the wall, showing fine cool
| ness. kept his men steadily at their
posts.
Rihemen opened machine gun fire on
the approaching flame throwers and
succeeded in killing one after another.
Then as the German grenadiers con-
tinued to leap from tree to tree. hurl-
ing Ere hnnI toward the wall, the
hilltop was soon chaotic with the
| smoke and noise of the bursting eren-
a Treao, The major commanding the
farther back in the park
In the midst Of this action an ORDERLY.
whose officer had been killed, rushed
INTO tne majors presence bareheaded
ana grlmy. shouting. More grenades,
major, we must have more grenades.
We are holding them!" This appeal was
irresistible. He was given a case of
grenades and. placing it on his Shout
! aers' ne went staggering hack across
fallen branches. His comrades eagerly
ripped the case open. The French threw
1ast and well. The surviving Germans
retired sullenly down the hillside.
Attack Was Repulsed.
The attack on this angle was re-
| pulsed. but at the northeast angle
| things went badly. The French were
unable to bring down the intrepid flame
throWers who succeeded in reaching the
| wall and entering the park A breach
| once effected, grenadiers leaped QUICK
ly through. The French resisted
bravely. as was attested by a score OF
German corpses found later in a corner.
Nevertheless they had to retire: the
lieutenant commanding the position
was wounded in the head. He was try
ing to reach a first aid post when he
heard some one say. 1.-The Germans are
advancing" Immediately he turned and
| tried to rejofn his command, but tainted
and fell unconscious on the ground.
Along the eastern wall, inside the
park, stood three buildings. The first
was a wooden barrack, then the ruins
Of an old chapel and then a cottage.
The Germans reached the barrack.
From the barrack they advanced to the
chapel. and while some groups con-
tinued along the wall toward the cot
tage others opened a thanking fire
across the park on the French detach-
ments defending the northern wall.
who were temporarily forced to fall
back to the ruins of the chateau, car
rying one dead and three wounded.
The enemy progress along the east
wall was so rapid that the park was