New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1918-06-16

|
had been established by this regi-
ment.
There is curious old-fashioned
little suspension bridge at Jaulgonne
uniting the village to the main Paris
road and railway, which runs on the
southern bank of the river through
the flat land within the curve. This
bridge had, Of course, been destroyed.
The Germans succeeded probably by
night in throwing across a number
Of very light bridges-that is, bridges
extensible like an extensible ladder
pulling out-making a roadway just
large enough for two men and re-
posing upon the small floats by the
way of pontoons where the water is
too deep or the time and security
from fire are too limited for driving
piles. They threw no less than TWEEN
ty-two of these across the river and
got the equivalent Of a battalion, or
rather under thousand men, up to
the railway line 600 yards from the
water. They had crossed just where
the northern bank most deeply dom
mates and masters the fiat land Of
the southern bank. They seemed to
have thrown some sort of temporary
work around the railway station,
which they garrisoned with a COM
pany of men and a half-dozen ma
chine guns.
The creation Of this bridgehead
was a very serious matter, and
though the troops which could be
brought up to meet the German
pressure at this point were still very
scanty the French determined upon
q counter attack. They tried to rush
the little post at the railroad station
with cavalry and to get around it
at the same time with infantry on
the right flank, but the cavalry was
stuck by machine gun fire.
Americans Master
and Destroy Post
Just after they had fallen back an
, American company of machine gun
Eers came up and supported the at
tack and mastered the counter fire
from the station. 1t was this which
permitted the French infantry to
work around by the right and to
destroy the advance German post of
rather less than one thousand men
who had got across just before the
counter attack began. Much the
greater part were destroyed, a GER
tain number reached the further
bank by swimming and a few got
away In two boats, accounting, per-
haps, for thirty or forty men who
safely reached the further bank.
But most of those attempting to re-
cross found that the means of con-
veyance by bridge or boat had brok-
en- under fire as they did so and a
number were killed in the open
ground as they ran for the river.
About one hundred prisoners and
six machine guns remained in the
hands Of the French and Americans
at the end Of the action.
The whole affair, though on a
small scale, was Of a significant char
acter. 1t proves that the enemy even
as late as June 8 intended if pos
sible to force the obstacle of the
Marine. 1t proves that he had all the
material ready for such an effort
and at the same time that he did
not know that even a small force
mustered against him could appear
so early. On the significance Of the
combined action of the French and
Americans l need not insist.
Already, three days before, that is
on May 81, American troops had
come into action on a larger scale
and helped to prevent the main eff
fort to cross the Marine which the
Germans made while their victorious
march from the north was still in
: full swing. This attempt was made
at Chateau Thierry itself, where the
cover of the town, the fact that a
good stone bridge had not yet been
destroyed and the narrowing Of the
! stream at this point gave the enemy
, great chances Of success. All dur
, ing the night Of that Friday aud Of