It is crossed by the Vesle River and linked to the hamlet of Fismette by a memorial bridge that commemorates the sacrifices made by the soldiers of the 28th Infantry Division ("Keystone") [1] who fought to liberate the region during the First World War. The town hall was destroyed during the course of the war.

Sep 21, 2024 · Here in the summer of 1918 men of the American 28th Division took part in a bitter battle for possession of its houses and the bridge over the Vesle, a story retold in possibly the greatest American memoir of the First World War: Toward the Flame by Hervey Allen.

MOMENTS THAT TRY MEN'S SOULS 28th Division, throwing hand grenades, advancing against the town of Fismette, which was captured August 22, 1918. Heavy casualties were suffered by these National Guard troops from Pennsylvania as a result of a counter-attack. The following report is from the war memoirs of Major General R. L. Bullard, U.S.A.:—

OPERATION: At 4 a.m. on the same day a heavy enemy barrage was placed in and around the town of FISMETTE. After 20 minutes the barrage lifted and the enemy attacked with a force estimated at about one battalion. The attacking troops were evidently picked troops, being referred to in the German communiqué as "Baden troops."

Main bridge between Fismes and Fismette, referred to by General Bullard in his report of the Tragedy of Fismette. ONE MINUTE BEFORE THE BARRAGE OPENED As dawn broke on the morning of Aug. 22, Battery C, 56th Artillery, Sergeant C. Swan and crew of Gun No. 1, opened the barrage. The Germans were now committed to the defensive, the offensive ...

Following Napoleon and the French Revolution, 30,000 Prussians arrived in Fismes and, once again, plundered the village. Memorial Bridge for the 28th Infantry Division (United States). In the 19th century, France experienced the rapidly expanding industrial revolution.

Memorial bridge honoring fallen soldiers of the 28th Division in Fismes. The town hall was destroyed during the course of the war. The Second Battle of the Marne was the last major German attack on the Western Front during World War I.

Jul 9, 2014 · A memorial bridge built by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania now stands across the River Vesle connecting the two villages discussed here. I. SITUATION: On the night of August 26/27, 1918, the village of FISMETTE was held by Companies G and H, 112th Infantry. These two companies totaled six officers and 200 men.

vision on the south bank of the Vesle River on August 7. The Germans in Fismette, d. termined to prevent the Americans establishing a bridgehead, demo. shed the bridge and filled the river with entanglements. . night on August 8th Americans put rubble in the stream creatin. a narrow walkway. More than a company of the 111th I.

Dec 18, 2023 · When the Germans retreated behind the River Vesle, American troops encountered obstacles not common to the Great War battlefield: the town of Fismes and its sister village of Fismette. Both would have to be cleared of German troops for the advance to continue.