East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1919-09-20

The enforced retirement was sue
cessfully carried out through tn,
bravery of such men as Opt s. u
Manning, 167th Infantry. who being
In charge of an automatic rifle squad
from which no had lost several men
while he himself was wounded, con-
tinued advancing with his platoon
until 1t was forced back. when he re-
mained behind alone and covered Its
retirement, finally escaping himself
with nine wounds In his body
Back 10 Ourcq Line
Despite momentary- reverse, how
ever. Ia Croix Rouge Farm was the
key to the position and. having lost
II. the enemy during the night evacuat
ed this front. falling back nearly Six
kiiometers to the strongest defensive
line he had yet taken up behind the
Ouecq river.
Sacrifice machine gun dotachments
We're left behind to fight the Allied
advance at La Croix blanche Farm
and other isolated defensive positions,
but nothing greatly delayed the for
ward movement of the 42nd Divi-
sion Infantry, marching In regimental
columns, or the scouts and French
uimored cars accommodating ahead of
them down the long, open slopes ex-
tending frcm the Foret to the Qurcq
until about o'clock In the evening,
when the armored cars gained contact
with the enemy by coming under ma
chine gun fire on the bank of the lit
tie river. The Infantry then came to
halt for the night about kilome-
terrsouthwest OF the stream.
IT was evident from the map and
more so from reconnaissance, that IL
the enemy elected to stand on the po.
sitions he now occupied. the lines
were drawn for a stubborn conflict.
on the side OF the ourcq opposite the
s2nd Division the hills. for the most
part devoid of timber. sioped back
gradually from the struggling village
to Sergy in the valley, to heights of
from 40 to 80 meters above II on the
plateau TO the north and east
These heights to the east had faux
ed protection for the troops opposing
the 42nd in a group of small. detach-
ed woodlands. the Arbre les Jomblets,
the Bots de La Plauchette and the Bois
Pelgor
Rampant Behind Wet Ditch
on the other flank a creek. the Ru
dl Pont Brule. came down from the
east, holding in its valley near Its
tunntlon with the Ourcq Meurcy arm
and the patches OF woodland called
the Bois colas and the Bois Bruie and
further up. the village and the cha
teau, of Nesies. Behind Nesles, the
edge of the forest of the same name.
sloped almost down to the creek.
while on an open crest still further
to the right, the village of Seringes
commanded Meurcy Farm.
In effect. Sergy and is plateau
were a rampant behind the wet ditch
of the Ourcq. with Ru de Pont Bruie
as second line, both thanking and
supporting 1t and in turn. flanked and
supported by the third line, seringes-
Foret de Necie.
To garrison this natural fortress tho
enemy according to the statement of
prisoners, in what was left of his Cc1
ct Division had now added the XIV |
ITIth Division and the xth I-andwehr
Division and though, his heavier cali /
bers of artillery were not in evidence
there was n great plenty OF 1fmm,, |
105mm. and 150mm, batteries and. as
the event proved, an overwhelming |
concentration of avions.
AS for the assailents, there would |
be nothing for ii except to go In head |
on and batter their way through these |
lines. Along this part of the front 1t /
was to be now a straight contest be-
tween American and Germans, for
the intervening French divisions had |
all been taken out and General Lig-
gett with the staff of the First United |
States Corps. for the moment COM !
manded the a2nd. 2sth and 3rd Uni
ted States Divisions in front line
from left to right. The 42nd. having
now displayed two French divisions
and one American was strengthened
III one rcspoct--it had accumulated