The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-07-10
STORY OF BELLEAU
First Detailed Account of
Yanks' Fight Near Marine.
Americans Held While French
Troops Retired.
CAUGHT IN THEIR OWN FIRE
Accommodating Platoon Was
Mistaken for Germans.
Firing Troops Did Not Know
They Were in Vicinity.
CAUGHT IN THEIR OWN fri
BY LOWELL MELLETT.

With the Americans on Marine, June
Is (by maiD (passed by censor)--
Herewith is the story of a thousand
American boys in the battle of Bel
leau wood. (Boies des Americains).
They composed a battalion whose
number cannot be given because of
the censorship; part of a brigade
which cannot be named for the same
reason.
Nav 80, they were ordered to leave
Courcelles (six miles southeast of
Neufchateau) and at a. m. the next
day, they were on the road in motor
trucks. An all day ride took them 10
Candelu (two miles northwest OF
Neiully La Poterie): where they ar.
rived at $50 p. m. Thence they were
ordered to hike back to May, reach
ing that town tired enough to sleep
in a. field, despite frequent alrplane
bombing. At daybreak they took the
road to Pyramid farm and spent the
night there. Next morning they were
ordered to Marigny Ca mile and half
south and east of Neuilly La Poteric)
for third line support and by after
noon were established in the thlrd
line from Neuilly wood to Hi! IA"
"a front of about a mile, extending d
mile southeast of Neuilly La Poterle
eaStward).
ETcnCD StdEtCSI AhStAhLhps
The night was comparatively quiet
but the next day the French. under
orders. started retiring before the Ger
man advance. A colonel of French
ohasseurs ordered the American bat
talon commander to fall back. This
he did not do. The French infantry,
the chasseurs and company of Ma
Iagash (colonials) passed thru the
American line that day. About 1000
men in all went thru.
The third line held by the Ameri-
cans then became a first line, without
imm ediate support. Thru the night
the Germans sought to feel them out
and daylight revealed that the Ger
mans had crept thru the wheat field
which the line faced. A machine gun
and ninety men were discovered in "a
diamond" formation, the gun at the
point of the diamond toward the
Americans. Half a platoon-thirty
Americans-attacked and captured
the gun. The Germans attacked sew
eral times in small groups. always los
ing men and gaining nothing.
That evening the Germans started
heavy Smelling, compelling the aban-
donment of three command posts sue
cessively The next day, June 5, the
line was kept intact despite heavy
Smelling. At o'clock the next morn
ing the 116 French infantry came liz
and relieved the Americans, who with
drew to the woods north of Voie-du-
Chatel Ga mile south of Hill 1920
| They spent the day and part of the
night there, under orders to proceed
to a point near Hill 1913 Ga mile east
and slightly north of Hill 142), north
east of the Lucy-Terry road.
Fired on by Friends.
| The situation in the big ravine and
wheat fields facing them looked sus-
| picious and a accommodating platoon
| headed by the colonel himself went out
to investigate. They got within five
| eighths of a mile of the town of Terry
| (half a mile northwest of Hill 1859
| when a blast of rifle and machine gun
| bullets was turned loose on them from
| the left. Some dead and wounded was
| the result. They dropped flat upon
the road and Immediately heard bull
lets flying overhead and blowing ur
| the ground. These came from the
| right, where the Germans were sus-
| pected of being, but the first shower
| from the left could only have come
| from American troops. A private from
the accommodating platoon ran straight
across to the American position and
| stopped their firing. He found the
(deleted) regiment there.
| Meantime. another platoon had sal,