The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1918-06-08
GRAPHIC STORY
MARINE BATTLE
American Marines Stand as
Stone Wall in Path of Ger
mans Toward Paris.
FIGHT INDIAN FASHION
Advance in Face, of Heavy Bar.
, rage of Shell and Machine
Gun Fire.
YBy Bert Ford International News
- c.A....aa Go ff C,orraspnndenf

yBy Bert Ford. International News
Service Staff Correspondent
With the American Army at the
Marne, June 7-(s p.m)-American
marines. who are standing with the
French between the German armies
and Paris, have extended their gains
Of Thursday. They have advanced 70
q denth of nearly two and one e-nail
miles over front Of about six miles
northwest of Chateau Thierry, cap
turing several villages and 3oo prison.
ers. Not one of the marines mas peen
taken prisoner. ..
a railway station on the right
wing of the line was the scene @ Oh the tt,e
most gruelling fighting. There the
men fell fast, but I hear that the en-
eny's losses were very great.
At no time nor on any otner Iront
has the enemy massed such formld :
able array of machine guns. In fact'
the fighting developed into macnlne
gun duel in the open.
Our troops drove back the Ger
mans steadily despite the hot nre
from batteries of boche machine gun
batteries.
The Germans took cover behind
large bouIders and were thus able TO
check our men somewhat, but as fast
as a blonde head showed 1t was
picked off by an American sharp
shooter.
It was like the old-time Indian
fighting, with the men hiding behind
trees and stones. A majority OF our
men were compelled to depend en-
tirely upon the tall grass and the
growing wheat for screening purposes.
AS the wind would flatten the grain
and the grass, thus exposing the
Americans the Germans would open
up with continuous volleys
The village of Bouresches, three
miles northwest of Chateau -Thierry
was taken by company OF Ameri-.
can marines. that had seen action in
Haiti.
when the officers of another COM
pany were killed or disabled, a young
corporal took command. rallying the
men. He led them in brilliant
charge right up to the muzzles of the
German machine guns where the Ger
man gunners were either killed or
captured.
Some of the captured machine guns
were afterwards turned against the
Germans. -.
The fighting during the two .Ameri-
can assaults on Thursday lasted nine
hours. The first attack began at
o'clock in the morning and continued
for three hours while the second
started at in the afternoon and
lasted for six hours. During the in
terval there was skirmishing. Our
men found heaps of German dead as
they advanced.
Crack Prussian troops massed ma
chine guns and one-pounder cannon
and made desperate efforts to break
up the American attacks. putting
down a terrific barrage.
The most of the Americans who
were wounded were struck by ma
chine gun bullets and flying shrapnel
Our casualties. however, were slight,
compared With those of the Germans.
After storming the village ofATorcy
(just west of Bouresches) and capt -
ing the machine guns amidst the viii
lage ruins, the marines retired, estab-
fishing their line just outside of Torcy.
This movement was made because the
order for the battle did not call for the
capture of Torcy. In their enthusiasm
the marines swept forward farther
than they had been ordered to go.
A salient waSsestablished there. how
ever. and today Torcy lies at the mercy
of our men.
During the fighting an American
eunnery sergeant captured three
boches and started back with them
Twelve others threw u their hands |
and surrendered voluntarily. All Joined
the procession. The Americans howled
with delight as they saw the sergeant
with his cooked rifle leading his fifteen
captives into the line.
you had better try to hike to Ber-
lin and try to hypnotic Kaiser Bill" |
yelled one husky doughboy.
On the spot the doughboy sergeant !
was nicknamed "the Hun hypnotist"
Not only did the Americans carture
villages in their dash on the Mdrne, /
but they advanced over long strip of |
the Paris -Thierry highway. Nearly /
score of German machine guns fell into |
our hands.
Marines Enjoy Sleep.
Many of the marines late Thursday |
were enjoying the first sleep in four
days and four nights. lying in the |
woods, where the trees screened them i
from enemy snipers and airplanes. At !
4:45 o'clock in the afternoon they were
awakened and given the order to "go /
over the top at 5 o'clock on the dot.
The men sprang to their feet, adjusted
their equipment and showed them
selves to be happy as larks to get
second chance at the Germans in one
day. Our men in action have proved
themselves to be gluttons for fighting.
The attack was skillfully organized.
The men swung out across a wheat
field. Through the TALL waving grain
the boys moved at double quick"
crouching like football players, the
fixed bayonets forming line of gleam-
ing steel in the late afternoon sun
shine.
The roar of the battle resounded
around them. with the machine guns
splitting and the shells bursting with
continuous era shes.
Our left and center found It easier
going than the marines on the right.
The soldiers of the sea ran into a veri-
table wall of machine guns inS-ead of
the customary nests" these weapons
being strung across a clearing in a
solid lone. But. despite the rain of
bullets. the marines swept on a way es