New-York tribune., 1918-04-10
Americans Fought Shoul-
der to Shoulder With
Allies at St. Quentin
Fell Back When
Rifles Burned Hands
Took New Position and
Poured Stream of Shot
Into Advancing Ranks
tRy Tho Associated Frcss>

FRANCE, Monday, April s.-The Amer
can railway engineers who helped stem
the tide Of the onrushing Germans dur
ing the opening days of the battle now
IN progress fought shoulder to shoul-
der with Canadian engineers in carry
ing out their task.
They held their ground stubbornly
and retired to previously prepared po-
inflicted casualties by the thousand
upon the Germans as they advanced in
close formation, in one place as many
as seven waves, each wave ten men
deep, with one hundred yards between
the waves.
The Americans with the Canadians
had all the ammunition they needed,
and although they were unsupported
by the artillery and armed only with
rifles and with few machine guns they
poured scythclike streams of bullets
into the enemy at several different
times until their weapons were so hot
dS 10 De useless.
Fought Furiously for Days
This handful Of American soldiers,
who were no. hardened to such terrific
slaughter, were sickened by the sham
bles they created. but fought furiously
for several days, helping to hold the
enemy all ;hc way from near st. Quen-
+ip {bc xicip;ty of NovoO
These were the Americans mentioned
at the time in the official communicates.
but these details of their exploits it
has only now been possible to secure.
When The German attack began the
Americans were working in the rear
lines with the Canadians under Cana
dian commend. They quickly threw
down their tools and seized the weap-
ons with which they had been armed
for some months and formed them
selves into fighting unit. The Ger
mans came en- and finally reached the
positions where the Americans were
waiting.
The exact number of the engineers
cannot be given, but they were COM
paratively few. They had no inten-
ton of retreatng, however, and were
bent upon killing all the Germans pos
sble
Held Their Fire
AS the first gray enemy wave adj
vanced the American forces let them
come until they were within certain
range, then opened fire, pouring in
storm Of bullets. Gaps appeared in
the advancing lines at many places,
some of them large. where the machine
guns had chewed through. Still the
German waves came on, without firing
Il single shot--just advancing.
The Americans were unable to un
derstand these tactics, but neverthe
less were certain that it was a ques-
ton of Strengthening the enemy or be-
ing themselves smothered under the
advance. BY this time their weapons
were so hot that they could not be
used effectively. and the enemy was
fighting. took up another position, then
turned and began operations again. A
British officer who witnessed the en-
cagement is reported to have said:
"They held on by their teeth until
the last moment, inficting terrific
casualties on the enemy. Then they
moved back and waited for the Ger
mans and repeated the performance.
Sample for the Germans
BY the time the engineers reached a
place somewhere near Noyon they were
nearly exhausted and almost without
equipment There they were given a
chance to rest and reequip. According
to all reports, they were entitled to it,,
for certainly they gave the Germans a
generous sample Of what the enemy is
20 expect from the American army.
During battle unusual stories al
ways crop up, but the following is one
which the correspondent heard from an
unquestiOnablc source, and it is said to
have been verified:
In one of the periods when the Amer
lean engineers and their Canadian
comrades in arms were holding posi-
tion what appeared to be British staff
motor drove up. The driver was in the
uniform of British soldier, and a man
in the tonneau was in the uniform of a
British staff officer The officer stepped
out and asked for the commanding Off
Ger. He was taken to a Canadian officer
near by. The staff officer ordered the
commander to retire four Kilometres,
saying that the Germans were pressing
on both fanks and he might be cut off
For some reason the Canadian com
mandcr became suspicious. He had the
staff officers searched when the latter
failed TO produce his authority, and
papers were found on him proving that
! he was German officer. He and his
chauficurs were Immediately shot.
American engineers are said to have
been present when thz incident oc-
Cured