The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1918-04-13
AMERICANS IN BiITtl[E.
ENGINEERS JOINED CANADIAN
ENGINEERS IN STEMNIlNG
TIDE OF GERMANS
Blazed Away SO Fast ut ENEMY That
Rifle Barrels Became Overhead
ed.

| WIN 'Ho <AH'cii iSdh Army II
France. Monday, April S.-(By tho
Associated Press. )-The American
railway engineers who helped stem
the tide of the onrushing Germans
during the opening days of the battle
now in progress fought shoulder to
shoulder with Canadian engineers ir
carrying out their task. Thev held
their ground stubbornly and onlv re.
tired to previously prepared positions
when forced to do So and inflicted
casualties by the thousands upon the
Germans as they advanced in close
formation, in one place in as many az
seven waves, each wave ten men deer
and 10 yards apart The Americans
with the Canadians had all the am
munition they needed and although
they were unsupported by the artillery
and armed only with rifles and with q
few machine guns they poured scythe-
like streams of bullets into the ene-
my ut several different times unit
the weapons were so hot as to be use
less.
This handful of American soldiers
who were not hardened to such ter
rifle slaughter, was sickened by the
shambles 1t created, but fought furi-
ously for several days, helping to hold
the enemy all the way from ST.
Quentin to the vicinity of Noyon
These were the Americans mentioned d
at the time in the official communi-
ques. but these details of their ex-
ploits, 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 command. 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 a fighting unit. The Ger
mans came on and finally reached the
positions where the Americans were
waiting.
The exact number of the engineerc
cannot be given, but they were com
paratiyely small. They had no inten
ton Of retreating, however, and were
bent upon killing all the Germans
possible.
AS the first grey enemy advanced
me American forces let them come
antil they were within range, the,
opened fire, pouring in a storm o.
outlets. Gaps appeared in the ad
vancing lines at many places some
OF them large, where the machin,
guns had chewed through.
Still the German waves came OF
without firing single shot, just ad
vancing. They were unable to un
less were certain that it was a ques.
ton OF slaughtering the enemy O
being themselves smothered under thi.
advance BY this time the weapon
were so hot that they could not bs
used effectively and the enemy was
| close that the engineers retired fight
ng and took up another position, thei
| turned and began operations again. A
British officer who witnessed the en-
gagement is reported to have said:
They held on by their teeth unit
the last moment, inflicting terrific
casualties on the enemy Then they
moved back and waited for the Ger
mans to repeat the performance"
BY the time the engineers hat
reached place somewhere near Noy.
on they were nearly exhausted an,
almost without equipment. Their,
they were given chance to rest anC
reequip. According to all reports
they were entitled to it. for certainl,
they gave the Germans a generou.
sample of what the enemy is to ex
pect from the American army.
During a battle unusual stories al
ways crop up, but the following l.
one which the correspondent hear
from an unquestionable source and (
is said to have been verified:
In one Of the periods when tn
American engineers and their Cana
dian comrades in arms were holdin.
q position, what appeared to be
British staff motor drove up. the driy
er was in the uniform Of a Britisl
soldier and the man in the tonneal
was in the uniform OF a British stai
officer.