New-York tribune., 1918-12-09

,eeeneoo, from lack or rations, from
terrinc shell and machine gun fife.
stralghtened their lines and prepared
or the attack. 1t came-as the diving
German officer had predicted.
Crack Troops Beaten
At o'clock on the morning Of June
Is 1T was launched by the Germans
along the whole front. Without re-
gard for men, the enemy hurled his
forces against Bouresches and the
Bois de Blleau, and sought to win
back what had been taken from Ger
many by the Americans. The orders
were that these positions must be
taken at all costs; that the utmost
losses IN men must be endured that
tne bols de belleau and Bouresches
might fall again into German hands.
But the depleted lines of the marines
held; the men who had fought on
their nerve alone for days once more
! showed the mettle of which thew were
made"
With their backs to the trees and
boulders of the Bois de Belleau With
their sole shelter the scattered ruins
OF Bouresches, the thinning lines Of
the marines repelled the attack and
crashed back the new division which
had sought to wrest the position from
them 'o'
,;,. % ~ went. Day after day,
messages like the following travelled
to the post commando -
,,o, losses heavy: Difficult to get run
ners ,,' through. Some have never re-
turned. Morale excellent. but trcons
about all in. Men cxhausted'
!, Exhausted, but holding on. And
'hey continued to hold on in spite of
every every dlffIcultq. Advancing their lines
slowly day by day, the marines finally
prepared their positions to such an ex,
tent that the last rush for the posses
sion OF the wood could be made Then,
en- June "a, following a tremendous
oarrage. the struggle began.
ne Darrage literally tore the woods
% pieces, but even its immensity could
not wipe out all the nests chat re-
NAMED the emplacements that we're
Dehlnd almost every clump of bushes
every Jagged, rough group of boulders
But those that remained were wiped
out by the American method of the
rush and the bayonet, and in the days
mat mat followed every foot of Bel!eau
:" ood was cleared of the enemy and
held by the frayed lines of the Amerir
cans.
Praise From French Staff
1T was, therefore. with the feeling
CT work we'll done that the depleted
July, that they might be filled with
requirements and made ready for the
grand offensive in the vicinity of Sois-
sons, July 1S. And in recognition of
their sacrifice and bravery this praise
was lorthcomlng from the French:
Army Headquarters,
June IS, 1918.
IN view of the brilliant conduct of
the 4th Brigade of the I'd United States
W @i.,,4
Bouresches and the important strong
point of Bois dc Belleau, stubbornly
defended by large enemy force, the
general commanding the Sixth Army
orders that henceforth, in al, army
Enpers, the Bois de Belleau shall be
ramed 'Bois de la Brigade dc Marine.
Division General Degoutte,
'Commanding Sixth Army
Pershing Congratulates Marines
General Pershing's congratulations
also were contained in the following
order issued by the brigade com
mander, dated June 9, Q, 1918 to the
units of his command:
The brigade commander takes pride
in announcing that, in addition to The
commander in chiefs telegram of cor
graduation to the 4th Brigade, pub
llshed in the Endorsement from the
division commander, dated June 8, Cen
eral Pershing has to-day visited divi-
sion headquarters and sent his personal
greetings and congratulations to the
marine brigade. He also added that
General Foch, commander in chief of
the Allied armies in France, especially
charged him this morning to give the
marine brigade his love and congratu-
lations on their fine work of the past
week.
by command of Brigadier General
Harboard.
III. LAY, Major, Adjutant.'"
General Harboard's Commendation
"On July IS the marines were again
called into action in the vicinity of
scissors, near Tigny and Vierzv In
centrated machine guns, which con-
tested every foot of their advance, the
United States marines moved forward
until the severity of their casualties
necessitated that they dig in and hold
the positions they had gained Here,
again, their valor called forth official
praise, which came in the following:
" General Orders, No. 46
1t is with keen pride the divisional
ccmmender transmits to the command
the congratulations and affectionate
greetings of General Pershing, who
visited the divisional Headquarters last
night His praise of the gallant work
Of the division on the 18th and 10th is
echoed by the French High Command
the Sd Corps commander American EX-
peditionary Forces, and in telegram
from the former divisional commander
In spite of two sleepless nights, long
marches through sleet and mud, and the
discomfort of hunger and thirst, the
division attacked side by side with the
gallant 1st Moroccan Division, and
maintained itself with credit. You ad-
vanced over six miles, captured over
5000 prisoners, II batteries, over 100
machine guns. minnenwerfers, and sup
plies. The I'd Division has utaned the
bet traditions of the regular army and
the Marine Corps. The story of your
achievements will be told in millions
of homes in all Allied nations tonight.
"'J. G. HARBOARD,
Major General, N. A.
France, July 21'"
"Then came the battle for the St.
Mihiel salient. On the night of Sep
tember II the Second Division took
over a line running from Remenauville
to Limey, and on the night of Septem-
Der Id and the morning of September
Is attacked, with two days objectives
ahead of them Overcoming the enemy
Rupt de Mad. small river, crossed it
on stone bridges, occupied Thiacourt,
the first days objective, scaled the
heights just beyond it, pushed on to a
line running from the Zammes-J quincy
Ridges to the Binvaux Forest, and
there rested, with the second days