force in great numbers.

He did. At day-break, 3:30 a. m., April 1st, he threw his weight into
three waves of assault on the front line and attacked later in the rear.
The stoutly fortified men did not budge but worked every death dealing
weapon with great severity. Rifle grenades came into use as the enemy by
sheer weight of masses surged within their 200-yard range. The machine
guns faltered only once and then a Yankee Corporal, William Russell,
Company "M" 339th Infantry, won for himself a posthumous American
citation and D. S. C. for his heroic deed in regaining fire control by
engaging the enemy machine gun which crawled up to short range in the
thick woods with his Lewis gun. The Russian artillery observer
distinguished himself by his accuracy in covering the enemy assaulting
lines with shrapnel. As on the preceding day every attacking line of the
enemy was repulsed. And darkness closed the scene at 9:00 p. m. with the
little force still intact but standing to arms all night, front, flanks
and rear.

The cold was severe but the Bolsheviki lying on their arms out in the
snow where their assaulting lines faltered and dug in, suffered even
more and many crawled in to give themselves up rather than freeze. Back
to their camp they could not go for they had been promised the usual
machine gun reception if they retired from the fight. That probably
accounts for their commanding officer's riding up on his white horse to
his death. He thought his men had won their objective when fire ceased
for an hour in the middle of the day, and he rode almost to our
barricade.

This was the fiercest fighting. The all night's vigil did not bring a
renewal of the attack till after the Bolo artillery gave the position
two thorough rakings which destroyed one of the barricades and drove
everyone to shelter behind the pine trees. Then the infantry attack
petered out before noon. This was the day that "H" Company and the Yorks
again attacked on the other side of Bolsheozerki, with the severe losses
mentioned elsewhere. But their attack helped the badly wearied "M"
Company who stood bearing the brunt of attack in the Bolo's road to
Obozerskaya. Their artillery vigorously shelled the Reds in Bolsheozerki
and felt out his advance lines with patrols but were content mainly to
stand fast to their works and congratulate themselves that their losses
had been so slight after so terrific a struggle. The horse shoes had
again been with that outfi