Early in the morning of May 30, the enemy, supported by masses of artillery, attacked to the west and south of Soissons towards Villers-Cotterets Wood. North of the Aisne, where the 170th Division, astride of the river, resisted the enemy’s furious assaults, progress was insignificant.
On their right, the Moroccan Division on the Mercin-Lechelle front resisted stubbornly, as usual. On the Montagne-de-Paris Hill, the Foreign Legion stood firm. Zouaves and Algerian Tirailleurs, after desperate indecisive fighting, which lasted until nightfall, succeeded in checking the enemy on the Chaudun-Chazelle-Vierzy line.
Further to the south, at Plessier-Huleu, the Chasseurs of the 4th Division stubbornly opposed the German advance which was very slow in this region, thanks to the bravery and self-sacrifice of this division. It was only with the greatest difficulty that the enemy advanced between Parcy-Tigny and Grand-Rozoy, occupying Oulchy-le-Château after very hard fighting.
In the centre, the Germans who had just been reinforced, were racing towards the Marne. The first division to reach the river arrived at about 2 p.m., the next at about 6 p.m., then pushed on towards Château-Thierry, where the 10th Colonials (General Marchand) were just organising the defence of the town. To the east of the salient thus formed, the French front extended along the Verneuil-Ville-en-Tardenois line, whence it linked up with the Janvry and Gueux positions.
The resistance of the French stiffened and became increasingly effective. Ever on the watch, General Pétain, with that shrewd discernment of which he had given numberless proofs since the Battle of Verdun, realised that this was not a mere enemy feint, and brought up reinforcements. Meanwhile, the Germans continued to engage their reserves in the battle.
GENERAL BERTHELOT.