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Show MOROCCANS ROLL BACKGERNANS Rear Guard of Rifle Regiments Acquit Themselves With Distinction at Crouy. AWFUL BAYONET FIGHT Many Germans Killed Some Stand Upright, Lacking Room to Fall. Soissons, via Paris. Jan. IS, 5:05 a m -The rear guard of the Moroccan Moroc-can Rifle regiments, who covered th retreat of the French center across the river on the 14th. acquitted themselves them-selves with distinction They had boen posted in the village of Crouy At 4 o'clock in the afternoon the Germans debouched in the road and advanced toward the village. The riflemen concealed their quickfirers and posted themselves on each side of the road The Germans thought the road was clear and ran to the illntre to fret shettpr from the KYenr h heavy artillery. When they were within 500 yards of the place the riflemen ri-flemen opened fire. The Germans had no room to deploy and they fell In heaps. Those who could, retreated retreat-ed to the brook of Braye. Dusky Riflemen Victorious. Reinforced, they reformed their ranks and attempted to turn the French position from the east side of the iliaKe. Three companies of riflemen ri-flemen were detached and charged. The shock was awful. Bayonets were twlted out of shape and then the dusky soldiers used the butts of their rifles. For a second time the Qer mans gave way The Moroccans were told to hold the place till 5 p m. It was then 6 o'clock, but they still refused to retire. They did so only after a staff officer was sent to them twice with an order to retreat. During the night the German artillery roared ceaselessly in a bombardment of Soissons. Sois-sons. but at dawn of the 15th the artillery ar-tillery slackened and gave place to infantry fire At 7 o'clock a battalion of the line, occupying the farms of St. Paul, were ordered to protect the advanced trenches which were threatened by the German attack. They charged and broke the German ranks, driving them as far as the Crouy railroad sta tion and taking 100 prisoners. Hardly however, had they returned with the prisoners, when they were assailed by fresh German forces and for two I hours St. Paul was subjected to a furious fu-rious assault over plowed fields I through orchards and in gardens, court yards and barns. Terrible Slaughter of Germans The tide of battle ebbed and flowed In the angle of a stable wall. Here the German dead were so numerous that some stood upright, lacking room to fall The good practice of the French : three-inch guns guided by aeroplanes. ! prevented German reinforcements I from debouching from the western I slope of the Vregny plateau and the Germans, exhausted and discouraged at their lack of success retired In a body to Crouy at noon. The French retain the mastery of the suburbs of Soissons on the right bank of the river and of the bridge head. Their front is stronger than ever. |