New-York tribune., 1918-06-08

hre from the hanks into the areas
evacuated by the retiring troops.
The enemy was now sheling the
south bank more heavily and the en-
emy machine gun fire was multiplied.
The commander of Company A was
forced to change the position of his
guns IN order to secure better field
or fire. With the light Hotchkiss pieces
on their shoulders he led his men into
a, wood farther down the river. Here
they were spotted by enemy observers
ana thirty high explosive shells crashed
INTO the wood. The Smelling ceased and
the guns went into their positions
The French were still retiring at
iV:30 p. m 1t was pitch dark, except
TOR she'll bursts and the streaky flame
stabs from the machine guns on both
sldes-the Americans were in the wood
and ar along the south bank of the river.
Inc Germans on the crest of the hill
on the other side.
Suddenly there was an immense de-
tonation. 1t was the big bridge blow
ing. up. Then there came out Of the
darkness across the river as the firing
lulled, the ghostly chant of the ad-
vancing enemy. 1t was one of those
German mass attacks, where men,
shoulder to shoulder, singing in gut
tural tones the praise of Germany and
the Kaiser, blindly walk into death
like fanatics.
Guns Reach Their ''Targcts'
The sort of creaky. shutting sound
their boots made as they trotted into
the open road came across the river
like the wailing of lost souls, converged
toward the bridge and was heard by
these young Americans, who strained
their eyes across the river to get what
machine gun men cali "the target" But
1T was in pitch darkness, and there was
only the soundsto tell them there were
plenty of targets" Every little black
devil OF machine gun tore loose with
helltlre. The Americans behind them,
who saw their first glimpse of war
about thirty hours before. fed in bull
work. And the bullets caught their
targets" on the opposite side.
The "target" came on again and
again, but nothing could live in that
leaden hail. The enemy waves melted
in the darkness.
Now come the even more thrilling
experiences of the little band of Amer
leans under the young Pittsburgh lieu
tenant who had been cut off and sur
rounded by the enemy across the river
Even experienced soldiers could not be
At the beginning of the German mass
attack few French Colonial soldiers
also cut off by the blown-up bridge
made the lieutenant understand that
then it was every man for himself
i, The north bank was becoming a seeth-
ing mass of Germans. All other forces
had retired across the river. Bullets
were registering on every foot of the
space approaching the bridges.
The Germans chant to keep up the
courage of the advancing masses. They
sometimes yell to disconcert their en-,
emies. With this siiostly chanting
| drawing nearer the lieutenant and his
men and the weird yells of the Ger.
mans occasionally splitting the night
there was no thought of surrender
Their orders were to retreat by the
main bridge, and orders were orders.
Picking up both guns, each man car
rying his allotted piece in maneuvres
the party of thirteen started along the
river for the main bridge. Reaching
the vicinity of the approach, they dis
almost upon them. Still carrying thei,
guns, they jumped down, taking cover
under the stone parapets at the rivers
edge. Thus they worked their way
down to the iron bridge, though the
Germans on the very parapet above
were marching into hail of Ameri
can machine guns from the south
bank.
B Company did not know that {
detachment had not escaped. The
German attack remained at its. heigh
and the enemy, despite it's losses, KEEP
sweeping toward the iron bridge. His
sell and his men attempted to eros:
under, their own fire. Three .wer,
Immediately wounded. They retired
picking up their wounded
The lieutenant knew that B Com
pany's guns were across the bridge
and he approached as near as he daret
and yelled repeatedly B Company
officers finished the story, which wa:
narrated and corroborated by the lieu
tenant and others at the rest camp
to-day.
The first B Company knew tha
Americans were opposite was whe
they heard a voice calling "Cobey
Cobey!" Cobey was the other lieu
| tenant.
! This time the German attack melted
r Comnanv'S p,jnS ceased fire Ion