The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1918-06-07
MAHINES IN FIRST
U. S. OFFENSIVE
HuTI Germans Back Two Miles
on the Marine.
Then RENEW FIERCE ATTACK
Americans Fight Like Tigers, Attack
ing in the Morning and Renewing
Battle at Night

Americans Fight Like Tigers, Attack
ing in the Morning and Renewing
Battle at Night.
With the American Army in Picar-
dy, June 1.-American marines attack
ed the Germans at dawn yesterday
morning and gained three and one
half kilometers 1.-TWO miIes) over a
four-kilometer front and captured 100
prisoners in the Chateau Trierry sec
tor.
The French, attacking al the same
time on the left, took $50 prisoners.
The Americans now hold all the i'm
portant high ground northwest of
Chateau Thierry
The marines again attacked in the
afternoon and the battle is still rag
ing.
The fight started at $40 o'clock in
the morning and the Americans had
attained all their detectives by 7.45
o'clock
The Americasn have been pressing
the Germans so hard that the enemy
has been forced to throw new divisions
of his best troops in the line during
the last three days
The Americans are like tigers. Their
commanders have all they can do to
hold the men back Even the wounded
are enthusiastic and eager to fight.
They are proud of their wounds. A
general who visited Il field dressing
station said he was elated by the
sight.
The American marines wrote an
other glorious page in their history
Tuesday night and Monday in beating
off two determined German attacks
on the Marine battlefield.
Tuesday night they wiped out a
ing charged and captured enemy ma
chine guns and Wednesday afternoon
killed many of the enemy and took
prisoners.
The Germans concentrated forces
before Veuilly wood and began mass
attack They were mown down by
the American machine gunners The
attack was broken up before reaching
the American line, the Germans fee
ing in confusion
The marines are fighting like Tro-
jams and have no desire for sleep
The account of how the Americans
aided the French in stopping the Ger
man advance at Chateau Thierry is a
most remarkable one. The regiment
which bore the brunt Of the fighting
has had glorious career dating back
to revolutionary days. Although it is
now compC sed mostly of enlisted men,
many of whom had never been under
fire before, it arrived in Frapce and
marched directly to the bate line
from its training camp
The regiments fire was so deadly
they broke up an entire German for
nation and drove off the enemy in
confusion. Their French cornrA
say they showed the greatest skill and
accuracy while under fire.
An American machine gun battalion
accounted for approximately 1000 Ger
mans while holding a bridge ar Cha
teau Thierry during the recent fight
ing. The Americans lost only one man
killed and a few wounded At the
same time the French troops wiped
out a force of 300 Germans who had
obtained footing on the southern
bank of the Marine.
While the Germans dominated the
town from Hill 204, the Americans and
French set up machine guns in the
windows and doorways Of houses
Great fiercenesS marked the fighting
which ragged several days
Two American lieutenantS, both
from Pittsburgh, played conspicuous
parts in stemming the German adj
vance along the Marine. Lieutenant
Waiter r. Flannery was the frs
American decorated with the Frenc
war cross, for participation in the
present great battle. Lieutenant John
T. Bissel, West Point graduate, con-
handing two machine gun units, was
the tirsi American To cross to the
north of the Marine during the fight
ing
Lieutenant Flanner:. volunteered
swim the Marine Monday night to res
cue a wounded Frenchman who hat
been cut off and made prisoner by the
Germans, but had escaped TIL
Frenchman crept to the north bank o.
the river in the afternoon and signal
led To the Americans He was told t,
hide in certain spot until nightfall
Tying a rope around himself. Lieu
tenant Flannery swan to the rescue
while enemy bullets flew all around
him and brought the wounded French
man back.
Lieutenant Bissel has been cited for
the French war crcSS. During the
height of the fighting the Germans had
captured Hill POI and were sweeping
the river front with their fire. Bissel
and his men were in an isolated posi-
ton and their retreat to the southern
bank of the river had been cut off by
allied guns which were sweeping q
nearby bridge.
After he had held up the German adj
vance for twenty-four hours, Bissel
signalled his comrades to cease firing.
lie and his men then recroSsed the
ridge and saved themselves ana 300
"enchmen, who also had been cut Oft