The destructive bombardment of the town continuing, the French High
Command decided, at the beginning of January 1915, to make another
attempt to free Soissons.
On January 8, a battalion of Chasseurs and one of Moroccan
Sharp-shooters, supported by men of the 55th Division, attacked and
succeeded in gaining the top of the north-east hill, thus obtaining a
footing on Spur 132 (_see map., p. _53).
On the 12th, the Germans attacked violently in front of Crouy and Hill
132, at a time when the Aisne floods had carried away the foot-bridges,
and threatened to cut the French communications, which at the time
depended solely on the Saint-Waast bridge.
After a fierce struggle which lasted till nightfall, the French lost
the line, along the hills north of the town. A division of the 7th
Corps was thrown into the battle, and by a brilliant attack recaptured
part of ridge 132. However, as the communications with the left bank of
the Aisne were becoming more and more precarious, it received orders to
cover the general retreat decreed by General Maunoury. On the night of
the 13th, the French retired across the Aisne leaving only one strongly
fortified bridge-head between the distillery and Saint-Paul on the
northern bank (_see pp. _56 _&_ 61).
From the 14th onwards, the Germans commenced attacking the bridge-head
in massed formation. They succeeded for a moment in getting into the
little hamlet of Saint-Paul, about a mile from the first houses of
Soissons, but they were driven out on the same day. On the 16th, enemy
bombardment compelled a fresh party of the townspeople to leave their
homes. After further fruitless endeavours the Germans abandoned their
attacks, and the relative calm of trench warfare set in again in this
sector.