Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-07-16
Yankees Drive Foe
Back Across Mdrne
Continued from Page One

Continued from Page One
teau-Thierry was preceded by intense
artillery bombardment, beginning at
midnight. 1t was predicted in these
dispatches ten days ago that the of.
fepsive might start on July IA.
An hour after midnight the whole
countryside was lighted up with the
flare from thousands of cannon in ac-
ton. Not only did the enemy heavily
lombard the front line, but, evidently
using a new long-range gun, he shelled
points twenty, twenty-five and thirty
miles behind the line.
BY noon the Germans had crossed
the Marine where the river makes q
salient northward, with the point at
Jaulgonne, and had advanced three
and one-haf kilometers (two miles,.
This was held partly by Americans
and partly by French.
The salient was exposed TO fire from
three sides. From midnight till 7
o'clock in the morning the German
gunners poured thousands upon thou.
sands of their explosive and gas shells
into the area, putting down heavy
barrages for the purpose of hindering
the bringing up of re-enforcements.
After seven hours of this shelling the
Germans, at enormous cost in men,
pushed forward detachments from the
edge of the woods on the north bank
of the Marne and started to make
attempts to throw pontoon bridges
across the river, which was too deer
to ford on account Of the rains Sun
day
Three times the American guns
baked the enemy's efforts, but finally
he was successful, and soon his troops
were making their costly way across
the bridges.
Germans who were taken prisoner!
said they had been long trained fol
this crossing, and their conduc
showed il. ....
This crossing recalls that six day:
ago our scouts discovered material.
r for a pontoon bridge on the nortf
side of the river. and later our shell
3 fire destroyed them
As the Germans passed across tn
bridges with a large number of machin
guns they went into action In the fac
Of superior numbers the Americans fel
back to the base of the salient made b,
the river.
At IL 80 o'clock the battleline raj
from the base of the salient through ;
point Just north of Crezancy, where ou
men were firmly holding.
IL was difficult in the early hours t,
get accurate reports from all our forces
However, there was enough information
TO show that while the Germans wer
crossing at Jaulgonne the German higl
command was directing attacks all alonI
the line to Rheims and east Of that city
While there is fighting west Of Cha
feau-Taierry, its character shows tina
the German drive is not now directe
that way. The shelling. which starte,
Eenerally at midnight. fell with grea
violence on the American sector north
west OF Chateau-Thierry. Thousands o
high-explosive and gas shells fell in tn
Bols de Belleau, the Bois de la Roch
and the village of Vaux. This shellin
was concentrated on VauN from 4 to
o'clock after which the German
launched an attack with two battalion
against that town,
The Americans. withdrawing froI
their front trenches north of the raj
road track in front of the town waite
until the attackers were very close, an
then opened with a direct and fiaukin
rife fire. The attacking force was CON
pletely demoralized and retired in dis
order.
The Americans Immediately counter
attacked and advanced their lines 76
rsrds and took twepty-seven prisoner,
<e nrther attacks have YET been mad
- ~ r---< 71 81 rs S