Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-06-10

Win the Alleu EiEntlng ArHiies' ouhe :
t~delayed).
Fol the first time in the world war
American fighters for the last twenty
four hours have occupied the center of
the stage. on no part of any of the
fronts has there been the same amount
of fighting and the same success as IN
the attacks made by American soldiers
TO the northwest of Chateau-Thierry. The
attacks we're directed by American COM
manders and were carried out solely by
American soldiers
In very case our detectives were
gained. Our losses were not out of
proportion to our gains. Enormous
losses were inflicted or the Germans.
some of the captured terrain being al
most covered with dead boChes. We
took 200 prisoners. American losses in
prisoners were almost nothing. Despite
their losses, which included many off,
GERS, the fighting Americans are in the
highest spirits. and are still hammering
away at the German crack troops.
The brunt of Thursday nights and
Fridays fighting was borne by United
States marines. A unit of marines by
a long light yesterday had prepared the
situation when at see o'clock yester-
| day afternoon orders were given to at
tack with all yigor. Our line at. the be-
ginning of the forward move rested on
Neuilly la Porterie and ran through
Champillon. through Lucy lie Cocage to
south of Triangle. and in an irregular
line to Chateau-Thierry. AS this Is writ
ten our line u n just south of the vii
lage of Torcy, south of the village of
Belleau, the woods Of Belleau being in
our possession through .Bouresches.
south to the highway east of Thiolet,
and thence to Chateau-Thierry.
Bothered by Machine Guns
The hardest fighting last night took
place in the wood Of Belleau. where
the Germans had many m~achine-gun
nests, which greatly hampered our ad-
vance and inflicted many casualties.
The quality of American leadership
is shown in the fact that the German
fire cut almost all the lines of commune
cation, destroying telephone connection
but the Americans simply went ahead
until their objectives We're reached. Ir
the woods of Belleau the Germans had
filled the plateau with machine guns
about twenty of them. The Americans
tried In vain to put these out of com.
mission by rife fire, mortar fire and
hand grena6es without success. Then
despite the streams of bullets. they sur,
rounded the plateau, cut off the Ger,
mans and wen on ahead, capturing the
hill beyond the woods and infictinf
extra heavy losses on the Germans while
they were withdrawing.
After capturing this hill the American.
moved on Bouresches, a large villag
and an important point on the railroad
The men in the fight told me they die
not have great trouble in getting up t
the town, but In the tops of tn,
houses the Germans had macnin,
runs which drove back the attackinl
| a American Sayara1 fip,as Eipalr 7 ia,,
tenant W. c. Robertson. with whom wa.
left a platoon, penetrated into the towr
under heavy German fire and cleared /
of infantry. He held 1t for thirty min
utes until two companies of Americana
came to his aid. They spent an hou
routing out the boche machine gunner
with rifles and hand grenades. when tn,
ammunition began to run low.
Brought Up Needed Ammunition
A runner was sent out, and Lieutenan
Donald Moore, a former Princeton ath
lete, took a truckload of ammunition
along the road toward Bouresches. Ger
mans who had hidden behind the ad
vancing Americans put him under
heavy fire, but he took the truck RICH
into the town and distributed the sorel
needed ammunition. Then he brough
, the truck back. Commended for hi
bravery. he said he merely was lucky.
In the meantime the Americans wer
clearing out the Germans from Bou
resches, which the boches tried to hold b
vigorous couinter-attacks. Finally hi
resistance died down temporarily, an
daybreak showed the Germans busy die
ging In north of the railroad tracks I
the north.
Infantry Also In the Attack
,, These two fights were staged by tn
marines, Meanwhile American infantr
, on the right of the marines had at
vanced against the boche In a surpris
. attack, which was completely success.
full.
q At first the too eager Americans four
the going so easy that they advance
seven kilometers instead of four, as ha
been ordered.
This led to a situation where lack
support units on the right n lie
which had not advanced so far, force
e them to withdraw to the four-kilomet
line. However, in every case they g
to where they were sent.
n The American attack all around W;
e well planned and a complete surprise
the Germans.
Our movement blocked the plans
l. the boche TO make an attack on d
d Americans tomorrow, according
d prisoners. These prisoners. to some
whom ] talked, said the Americans cor
pletely surprised their commanders.
=. Wounded In Good Spirits
The American wounded are In 20
spirits. Many OF them were cared {
d In an enormous chateau. When , ~
4 smons them several nsl11E