The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-06-07
IT WAS A GREAT
FIGHT FOR THOSE
HAPPY MARINES
Just Battered and Chopped
Their Way Thru Huns.
One Yankee as Good as Five
Germans "Over There"
PRISONERS GLAD IT Is OVER
Some of Them Called "Com-
rade, and Then Fired Shots.
But They Didn't Live Long
After Marines Discovered 1t.
GERMANY IS HIDING TRUTH
Leads Her Troops to Believe
New Yankees Are British.
Prisoners Say Yankees "Are as
Good as Germans"
Some of Them Called "COm-
rade" and Then Fired Shots.
But They Didn't Live Long
After Marines Discovered 1t.
GERMANY IS HIDING TRUTH
Leads Her Troops to Believe
New Yankees Are British.
Prisoners Say Yankees "Are as
Good as Germans"

With the American Forces on the
Marine, June IA notable develop
ment was the low morale of the prls-
oners, all of whom are Prussians, ta-
ken by the marines of the United
States. They expressed themselves as
tired of the war and glad to get out
of the fighting. This was despite the
fact they say, that they are furnished
with food altho the SaXons, the Wuer-
temberg troops and others may go
without.
Yank Killed 2, Wounded ].
1t must not be imagined, however
that they did not put up a fight this
morning for their officers were among
them urging them on but the marines
dashed into them yelling like Indians
and plying bayonet and rifles. One
marine who was taking back pris-
oner ran into two German officers
and ten men. He tackled them single
handed with his rifle and bayonet,
killed both the officers and wounded
seven of the men.
Another sergeant was about to take
a prisoner when the German threw
himself on the ground and discharged
his revolver at the American after
calling "Comrade."
That settled the German for the SER
geant snot him as he did four others
who had also surrendered but refused
to put up their hands.
Went in Four Waves.
The marines advancing in the Bel
leau wood region went forward in
open formation. The men in the first
wave were for the most part armed
with rifles and bombs, while the rear
waves were equipped with automatic
rifles. With them came squads of
machine gunners tugging their collap
N10
space and toiled up the slope bent
over like gnomes. The trenches the
marines passed over were clearly
visible from below but they hardly
deserved the name, for they were SIM
ply lines of little holes big enough to
hold a man. while barbed wire was
lacking There was some, however,
interlaced among the trees of Belleau
wood, but the marines pushed their
way thru it.
Out in the open field artillery Of
ficers with glasses were directing the
supporting fire while on the roof of
a nearby farmhouse a signal man
wig-wagged with his red and white
flags. On all sides the guns were
flashing, some of them stationed right
out in the field while others were hid
den in the woods. Looking down into
the valley only a mile away, the viii
lage of Bussaires could be seen on
fire. AS the correspondent watched
the scene, the clouds of white
shrapnel smoke over the village of
Torcy also became brownish and
flames appeared in that town.
Barrage Was Effective.
The artillery fire that preceded the
attack lasted an hour and was of spe-
cial intensity for five minutes preced-
ing the time when the marines went
over the top. French and American
batteries both took part in the firing,
=
then shifting to the roads behind the
German lines.
1t appears that the marines in going
in forestalled an attack the Germans
had planned. 1t was to have been car
ried out by the Prussians who had
been put into the line for that pur-
pose and was to have taken place
either today or tomorrow. These men
had relieved the Prussian guard divi-
sion which was badly chewed up in
the fighting of the last day or two.
They in turn had relieved the Saxons.
just after the marines took over the
sector, so the marines are proud of
the fact that they have used up three
German divisions in less than a week
and are still very much alive them
selves.
Morale Is Wonderful.
The morale of the men is wonder
full. They are willing to attempt any,
thing and are talking with pride of
the heavy losses they inflicted upon
the Germans in their attack this
morning, while all the early reports
indicated that the afternoon had been
even more costly to the enemy.
IT Wish 1 Had More.''
This latter attack was undertaken
largely because of the splendid show
ing the marines made in the morn
Ing, coupled with the discovery that
the morale of the Germans in the op-
posite position was low
The advance was carried by the
same men who attacked in the morn
ing and who had had no rest. They
asked nothing. however. but plenty of
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