The attackers were divided into three groups: one to attack along the road on the left, the other across a field on the right, the third to act as reserve.

The artillery started shelling as per plan. Our tanks came up also and shelled the Churcl1 from a distance of about 500 yards while our machine—guns opened up a heavy covering fire.

When the advance started the men on the left ran into a heavy machine—gun barrage and suffered many casualties without being able to make much progress.

The group on the right, only a couple of dozen men, charged from

the trenches about forty yards from the Church. They were led by Dave Engels, Commissar of No. 1 Company of the Lincoln—Washingtons. They had to cross a deep gully that ran along the entire length of the Chur2Qh—wall. Once across they knocked down the Fascists parapets built on the further side of the gully (now abandoned owing to the she- lling) and advanced on the Church. Just as they entered from the rear the Fascists began to come back through the front door which faced the interior of the tow11. There was a battle of hand—grenades and the Fascists ran out.

Several men led by Levick ran up to the front door and standing in the open doorway started shooting at the Fascists. Levick’s squad in turn was being fired at from all sides by the Fascists who had positions in the houses surrounding the Plaza in front of the Church. One after the other was hit, but they hung on since this was the only entrance through which the Fascists could rusl1 the Church and regain control.

The fire was becoming more and more deadly but the boys held on grimly until the others succeeded in bringing up a machine-gun which, placed in the doorway, gave us definite control. Some of the men ran back to the trenches, brought back sandbags and built a barricade at the front door to protect the macl1ine—gu11 a11d the men behind it. The Church was now definitely ours.

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