he conquered position four days until finally relieved.

On June 14 the Sixth Company of the Seventh Battalion crawled from its
trenches and deployed toward a clearing in the woods opposite. It then
charged, taking the German trenches. The Germans fled to the woods,
leaving a quick-firer. Our men immediately began fortifying the
position, but our sentries reported that German patrols had been seen
encircling the French. Other companies were ordered forward
immediately to support the one in the trench.

Meanwhile large German reinforcements had been brought up, making it
impossible to reach our men. The captain in the trench, realizing that
he was surrounded, ordered some of his men to form a hollow square and
defend the position while others dug trenches on four sides. The
Germans attacked in great force with quick firers and rifles, but
withdrew at nightfall after a battle lasting two hours. Our men
defending the position numbered 137, including five officers. One
officer and twenty-seven men were wounded.

The following day, despite a well-directed fire from our main
positions, the Germans again attacked in large numbers, advancing in
columns of four. The situation now began to look critical, but at the
crucial moment a hail of shrapnel from our 75.8 completely decimated
one advancing column. The edge of the wood out of which the column
advanced was piled high with German bodies and the remainder of the
force scattered in flight.

In the afternoon the Germans again prepared for an attack, but the
attempt was frustrated by our infantry fire. During the night the
captain told off men to rest in squads, the others being constantly on
the alert. At dawn a second lieutenant and a few men surprised a small
German scouting detachment of twenty men commanded by a
non-commissioned officer. Our men threw themselves upon the Germans,
killing the officer and two men, the others taking to their heels at
top speed.

At 10 o'clock the main body of our troops succeeded in establishing
communications with the isolated company which called for help in the
provincial dialect. We answered that we would attack at nightfall, but
that the attack would be preceded by a heavy bombardment.

Accordingly, they constructed heavy bomb-proof shelters on the four
sides of the square and anxiously waited. At 9 o'clock the attack was
begun with artillery, quick firers and rifles, but it was insufficient
to drive out the Germans, who had in the