The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1918-07-10
ny LOWELL. MELI.Err
Omitted Press Correspondent

WITH THE AMttNttANS pN
THE MARINE. June sS.-thy Mail
Passed by Censor Heres the story
az a thousand American boys In the
hattie OF Relleau Wood ulois de
Americalnsl They composed a bat.
TALON whose number cannot be given
because OF the censorship.
May 80 they were ordered TO leave
Courcellcs ,six miles southeast Of
Ncufchatcaul. and at a. IN. the
next day they were on the road In
motor trucks An aliday ride took
them to 0andclu two miles north.
west OF Neuiliy. La .potcricl. where
they arrived at $50 y. IN.
Form Third Line
Thence they were ordered 20 hike
hack to May. reaching that town ur-
I'd enough TO sleep In field. despite
frequent airplane bomhing. AT day.
break they took the road TO Pyramid
farm and spent the night there. Next
morning they we're ordered TO Mar
tguy n mile and a half south and
east OF Neuiily.ta Poteriel for third
llne support. ard by afternoon were
established in tho third line from
Neuilly wood 10 I'm iss Ia front Of
about a mile. extending from a mile
eoutheast of Neulliy.La. potcric east.
ward
The night was quiet. but the next
day the French. under orders. start.
cd retiring before the German nd.
vance. A colonel OF French chas.
seurs ordered tn. American battalion
commandcr TO fall back.
Failed 10 Fail Back
This he did not do. The French
Infantry. the chasseurs and a com
pany Of Maiaxash tcoloniaisl passed
thru the American line that day.
About 1900 men in all wen, thru
The third line. held by tn. Ameri.
cans. then became tho first line,
without immediate support. Thru
the night the Germans sought TO feel
them out. and daylight revealed the
Germans had crept thru the wheat
fIeld which the line faced.
Capture Gun
a machine gun and 90 men were
0lDcovered In q diamond formation.
TIE gun at the poin, OF the diamond
toward the Americans. Half a pla-
toon--Joo AmericAns--attacked and
captured the gun. The Germans at.
tacked several times IN small groups.
always losing men and gaining moth.
tng.
That evening the Germans started
heavy Smelling. compelling thu
ahAndonment OF three command
posts succcssively.
The next day. June s. the line wa.
kept Intact despite heavy shelisux
~ a. m the next day. the iisth
French infantry came In and re
heved the Americans. who Withdrew
70 the woods north OF Vote Du Cha
tel Il mile south Of Hill isel. They
spent the day and part Of the nigh,
there. under orders TO proceed TO a
paint near Hin 100 IA mile east and
slightly north OF Hill is7l northeas,
q the Lucy -Torcy road.
Drop Flat In Road
The situation in the big ravine and
wheat fields facing them looked sus
pictous and accommodating platoon
headed by the colonel himself. went
out TO Investigate. They go, within
five-eighths OF a mile OF the town OF
Torcy fhalf a mile northwest OF Hill
13D when a blast OF rifle and ma.
chine gun bullets was turned loose
on them from the left Some dead
and wounded was the result.
They dropped flat on the road and
heard bullets flying overhead and
blowing up the ground. These came
from the right. where Germans were
suspected OF being. but the frs,
shower from the left could only have
come from American troops
Private Gives Warning
A private from the reconnoiterine
platoon ran straight across TO the
American position and stopped their
firing. He found the Cdeleted) regi
ment there.
Meantime another platoon had sal
He'd forth 10 the aid OF the men IN
the road just as the Germans on the
right attacked across the field. The
Germans were beaten off and ths
rcconnoiterers returned to their DO
s;tion.
They relieved a battalion Of their
own brigade which had been caught
In a wheat field while attacking the
day before, and practically wiped
out This was when the discovery
was first made OF the German prac
ticc OF filling the wheat fields there
abouts with machine guns.
The night WAS spent in holding off
German attack. The next day. June
~. they underwent heavy shelllnr
and the following day and night
we're continually being swept by mn
chine gun fire and one Founders. The
night Of the sth they were told thcy
wonld attack the next morning.