The sun., 1919-10-26

tiveness that not even the possibility OF
death and wounds could completely KILL
At last the Twenty-sixth and Third d.
visions, moving forward from the Marne
through the Forest de Fere on the left
and lie Charmed on the right reached
the highway from Fere en- Tardenois to
the Marne. and the Third Division, pass
ing 1t, crossed the Ourcq at Doncheres
| Forty-second Comes In.
Then came the Forty-second Division
to relieve the Twenty-sixth. 1t had ar
rived at the right moment for desper-
ate fight. The Germans had found that
the Americans we're pressing them too
closely.
There was the possibility of their be-
ing overrun. and they made temporary
stand on the low. open hills that rieo
from the Ourcq east OF Fere en- Tarde-
nois. For this purpose reenforcements
were brought up and the Fourth Guard
Division, coming from Metz. was held
ready for battle.
/ Everything favored the Germans for
defensive action. They had the ad-
vantage of position, and could sweep
the surrounding hills and ravines with
machine gun and artillery fire. To eject
them became the task OF the American
divisions, the Forty-second. Twnety-
eighth and Third. from left to right.
1t was contest solely between
| the Americans and the Germans. for, for
the first time in France, three American
divisions were in line without any inter-
vening French troops And mighty
contest It proved to be. On the dawn OF
July % the Forty-second Division at
tempted to cross the Ourcq River. which
! 1lxfa etH m n
! fifteen meters wide.
From the village OF Sergy and from
Meurcy farm the Germans poured a
steady and very disconcerting fire into
the American fanks, and the crossing
| OF the river was only achieved by the
! force of sheer audacity. Hut the Amer
leans dashed forward to capture Sergy,
which they found only placed them in
the best of positions for receiving the
full effect of German crossfre from the
edge of neighboring woodlands
Once they were swept back to the
river bank, but they charged again and
this time met the Fourth Guard Prus-
sian Division Of the Germans. A des-
perate fight ensued
Little Quarter on Either Side.
The bayonet had its quota Of victims
Little quarter was given on either side.
Sergy changed hands nine times in the
day and the New York Irish Regiment
held It for the night. On their left the
Twenty Division were vainly en-
deavoring TO capture Hill 22o.
The Third had reached Roncheres and
was advancing toward Cierges. The
next morning the American line again
attacked.
The Forty-second. driven out of Sergy
early in the morning by a German
attack, returned again with some troops
Of the Fourth Division to the village
| and finally made II theirs. Then on
the plateau between Sergy and Meurcy
| farm, through the wheat fields con-
cealing machine guns, the Americans
once moro moved forward. Meurcy
farm was captured. but only by the
bayonet.
The Germans. like tho Americans
were thoroughly aroused. Few were
the prisoners and they were all wounded.
The rival troops seemed only content
to plunge the bayonet into one an
other. The little village Of Seringes
mounted on a hill, was taken at the
point of the bayonet after the Amer
leans had taken Hill 1s4 at Its rear
and the Germans were driven into the
Forest de Nesle.
On the right the American line was
held. No progress was possible. On the
| 30th the Americans again attacked
over the hills and plateau. green in
the summer sun. they faced all that
the Germans had to offer.
Machine Guns Move About.
The whirr of machine gun fire would
set up in one place and then die Down
Then II would recommence at another
point. Every movement of the Amer
leans was seen and fired upon. Life
was indeed cheap. At Seringes the
Prussian guardsmen. tall. ferocious and
angered. srtove to retake the village.
| They succeeded in the afternoon, but
the Americans surrounded Seringes at
night 1t was a combat OF death. Good
progress was made by the three Ameri-
can divisions that day, the Thirty-sec-
end being on the extreme right in place
OF the Third. and by August the
Americans stood with their faces toward
the Vesle
The Thlrty-second Division, however,
spent very exhilarating first of the
month attacking Bellevue farm, which
lay poised on a slope: Reddy farm,
where Prince Eitel Friedrich had made
his headquarters some time before, and
the Bois de Jomblets. with two other
| woods. But they succeeded, and win
ming breathing time stood on the hills
that looked across the plains to where
the heights Of the Vesle rose once more
| They could see the Germans retreat
| ing in the distance and watch the
smokes and fires of exploding ammuni-
tion dumps. With the Forty-second and
| accompanied by a brigade of the Third
| Division they pressed on to the Vesle.
the heights of which on the southern
| side were attained by the Americans
| without much resistance.
American Losses HEAVY,
The losses of the Americans from the
Marine TO the Eesie had been partlcu-
larly heavy. The men had fought with
such contempt for exposure, with such
fierce anxiety to show the Germans what
they could do, that casualties had
mounted up. and It was only when the
divisions relieved counted up their losses
that they realized with what cost thew
had succeeded in so soundly thrashing
the Prussian Guard and driving the Ger
mans to the river
The Fourth Division relieved the
Forty-second at Mont st. Martin. and to-
gether with the Thirty-second endeavored
TO cross the Vesle and take Fismes. But
the river, although very narrow, lay in
a wired in hollow exposed to both ma
chine gun and artillery fire, and the at
tempt to reach the opposite bank was
frustrated again and again.
The Seventy seventh New York Ma
tional Army Division and the Twenty.
eighth took over the sector later. and