The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1918-04-10


WITH THE AMERICAN ARMY IN
RANCE, Monday. April $50 By Asso'
f..y engineers who helped stem The
de Of the on-~ushing Germans d2rirg
hs opening days OF the battle now
progress fought shoulder TO should.
er with Canadian engineers in carry
rg out their task. They held Their
round stubbornIy and only retired to
previously prepared positions when
lrced TO do so and inflicted casual.
IS by the thousands upon the Ger
ans as they advanced IN close for
alton, in place in as many as seven
ayes each wake ten men deep and
% yards apart$ The Americans with
,e Canadians had all the ammuni.
on they needed and although they
ere unsupported by the artillery and
med only with rifles and a few nl2.
'l[ne guns they poured sythe-like
.,eams OF bullets into. the enemy at
.veral differeot times until the weap
as were so hot as to be useless.
This handful OF American soldiers,
:ho were not hardened TO such terri
&C slaughter was Sickened by the
handles it created. but tough: fu.'
o,lsIy for several days, helping to
I'D the enemy all the way from ST.
quentin to the vicinity OF NoyoE
aese. were the Americans mentioned
the time IN the Official coulfauuic2
ous, but these details Of their ex
otis it has only now been possible
secure.
When the German attack began the
nericans we're working in the rear
aes with the Canadians, under Can
1ian command. They quickly ; = a%
!own their tools and seized the wea
pors with which they had been arm
ID for soRe months and formed them
selves into fighting unit. The Ger
mans came on and finally reached the
POSITIONS where the Americans were
yaiting.
The exact number OF the engineers
;annot be given, but they we're com
parativeIy small. They had no inten.
ion o! retreatiug. however, and were
rent upon killing all the Germans pos
s!b!e.
AS the first gray eremy advanced.
the American forces let them come
until they were within certain range;
then opened fire. pouring in a storm
Of bullets. Gaps appeared in the adj
vaacing lines at many places, some Of
hem large, where the machine gun :
had chewed through. Still the Ger.
man wave came on, without firing a
single shot-jush adOancing. The Am
orleans were unable to understand
these tactics, but nevertheless were
certain that it was a question o.
slaughterins the enemy or being then
selves srnothered under the advance.
By this time their weapons were 50
hot that they could not be used Ell
,ectiveIy and the enemy was close. so
that the engineers retired. fighting,
ook up another position; then turned
md began opera tons again. A British
officer who witnessed the engagement
is reported to have said:
They held OF by their teeth until
the last moment. inflictiDg terrific cas-.
ualties on the enemy. Then they NOV
ed back AID waited for the Germans
and repeated the performance
By this time the engineers had
reached place somewhere near Noy'
Oh they we're early exhausted and
almost without equipment There they
were given a chance to rest and re
equip. According TO all reports. they
we're entitled to It, for certainly they
gave the Germans a generous exam.
from the American army.
During battle unusual stories al
ways crop Up but the following is one
which the correspondent heard from
an unquestionable source and it is
said 20 have been verified:
In one Of the periods when the
American engineers and their Cana
dian comrades in arms we're holding
a position, what happened TO be a
British staff motor drove up. The
driver was in the uniform OF a British
soldier and man in the touneau was
in the uniform Of a British staff of
The officer stepped gu: and asked
for the commanding officer. He was
taken to a Canadian officer. nearby
The staff officer ordered the com
handing office ITO retire four ktlo-
metres saying that the Germans were
pressing on both fIauks and he nigas
bn cut off ~