hillips and the other under the First
Sergeant. These platoons under Capt. Ballensinger's command, as part of
the reserve, joined the column on the road at the appointed time.

They arrived at their position on the road about four versts from
Bolsheozerki about 1:00 a. m. April 2. Zero hour was set at daybreak,
3:00 a. m. The first firing began about thirty minutes later, "A"
Company of the Yorks drawing fire from the northern or right flank of
the enemy. They reported afterward that the Bolos had tied dogs in the
woods whose barking had given the alarm. That company advanced in the
face of strong machine gun fire and Capt. Bailey, a British officer went
to his death gallantly leading his men in a rush at the guns on a ridge.
But floundering in the snow, with their second officer wounded, they
were repulsed and forced to retire.

At 5:00 a. m. Lt. Pellegrom, having hurried out from Archangel, reported
for duty and was put in command of a platoon.

At 6:00 a. m. "A" Company Yorks was in desperate straits and by verbal
order of Col. Lund one platoon of Americans was sent to support their
retirement. Lt. Phillips soon found himself hotly engaged.

The original plan had been to send the Polish Company in to attack the
southern villages or the extreme left of the Bolo line, but owing to
their lateness of arrival they were not able to go in there and were
held for a frontal attack, supported by the American trench mortars.
They were met by a severe machine gun fire and after twenty minutes of
hot fire and heavy losses retired from action.

Meanwhile "C" Company Yorks which had been sent around to attack on the
north of Bolsheozerki got lost in the woods in the dark, trying to
follow an old trail made by a Russian officer and a few men who had come
around the north end of the Bolsheozerki area a few days previously with
messages from Obozerskaya. The company did not get into action and had
to return. Thus the attack had failed, and the force found itself on a
desperate defensive.

The "A" Yorks, who had suffered severely, retired from action
immediately after the first counter-attack of the Bolo had been
repulsed. Then the whole defense of this messed-up attacking force fell
upon the American platoon and a dozen Yorks with a doughty British
officer. Phillips, through the superb control of his men, kept them all
in line and his Lewis guns going with great effectiveness and gave
ground slowly and grudgingly, in spite of ca