The New York herald., 1922-07-30
American Troops Were in
Fierce and Successful
Struggle for Positions
Along the River
Ourcq.
By DONALD A. CRAIG.

Second was another regular division
4 tho Fourth, which was engaged until
July %, in line with the French. The
First American Army Corps, Major
Gen. Hunter {Liggett commanding
which included the Twenty-sixth
American Division New England
National Guard) and a French di-
vision, acted as a pivot to the whole
movement toward Soissons, capturing
Torcy on July is. 1t reached the
Chateau Thierry- scissors road on July
81. Another regular army division, the
Third, at the same time crossed the
! Marne and took the heights Of Mont
| st. Pere and the villages of Charteves
and Jaulgonne.
Other American Troops
Engaged in the Fighting
Still other American troops taking
part in the movement and the constant
| fighting to the Aisne-Vesle line were
the Twenty eighth Division, Pennsyl-
vania National Guard the Thirty
second Division. Wisconsin and Michi-
gan National Guard, and the Forty
second or Rainbow National Guar,.
Division.
The Thirty-second Division was
commanded by Major-Gen. w. G.
Haan. The history of the division is
sued by the Joint War History Com
missions OF Michigan and Wisconsin
says:
"After midnight of the 2Sth (July,
1879 the Thirty eighth French Corps
ortiered the relief of the Third Division
by one brigade of the Thirty-second
the relief to, take place the night of
July 80 and 80 Orders for the relief
at once were issued. The command
of the sector was to pass to the COM
manding general of the Thirty second
at IL A. NJ. July 80, and arrangements
were made to move the Division =. c.
to lie Charmed Chateau. near the viii
lage of lie Charmed on the morning OF
July 30
"The big gun flashes as the troops
passed through the American battery
positions gave the sweating soldiers
glimpses of smashed and dusty road,
the center of which they were forced
to avoid in favor Of the necessary
ambulance and supply traffic. AL
less than the long hike few nights
before when they moved up from re-
serve to support, the effort was more
trying to both nerves and muscles
but Col. Langdon's regiment and Col.
McCoy's 12Sth, which followed in
close support. finally made their way
through the blind night, and when the
damp darkness started to dissolve in
the early morning hours they had
taken the places Of the fatigued regu-
lars from the Third and were in posi-
tion on the line of the Ourcq in the
vicinity of Ronchcres.''
General Planned to Take
s German Position at Once
Information was received during the
morning of July 80 by Gen. Haan that
the Twenty eighth Division, consist
ing of the Pennsylvania National
Guard, would be unable to advance
further in its sector until the menace
of the Grimpettes woods was removed
from its flank, and Gen. Haan accord
ingly planned to take the German
position at once. He established liaiso,l
the support of their artillery.
In the afternoon, just three and
one half hours after the Thirty-second
Division had taken over this sector,
the 127th Infantry went over the top
and followed rolling barrage into
the Bois des Grimpettes The regi-
ment dashed across an open space to
the wire in front of the German posi-
tons. forced its way through this and
the fallen trees at the edge of the
woods and cleared the Germans out,
until its advance was halted by ma
chine gun fire from another clump Of
woods on the right in the Bois des
Cierges.
During the night of July 3o-31 Mich
igan troops of the Sixty-third Brigade
moved up from their supporting posi-.
ton and were in readiness for the
combined assault later upon the line
of the Ourcq. On the night of August
5 the Thirty-second Division was N
possession of Fismes.
Four years ago on July 80 also wit
messed the memorable fight OF the
Fourth Division of regulars for the
village of Sergy on the Ourcq, where
the advance was temporarily held, up
by vicious German counter attacks.
Information was received shortly be
fore daylight by the Fourth Division
that the artillery of the Forty second
Division on the right would place a
barrage north of the village, which
had been partially penetrated the day
before by the Americans. At Q o'clock
that morning the Fourth Division
moved forward through the village be-
yond its northern edge.
For some unknown reason the ex-
pected barrage did not come and the
American infantrymen were met by a
severe machine gun and artillery fire
which was followed by German coun-
ter attack that drove them back
through the village to the river Much
of their ammunition had been ex-
pended. Some of the Americans were
using German rifles and ammunition
and German potato masher' hand
grenades. What was left of the Third
Battalion, which had made the first
advance through the village. was
promptly reorganized. It counter at
tackled and reoccupied the village
about noon. A Captain had been killed
and seven Lieutenants wounded. The
village was filled with dead and
wounded. both Germans and Ameri-
cans. Many wounded men on both |
sides still kept UP the fighting.