Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1918-06-07
u. S. VICTORY AT
NEUILLY WOOD IS
BRILLIANT FEAT
Americans Ride All Night in
Trucks and Enter Battle With
Dash That Sweeps Hun Re-
SiStanCe Off Its Feet

WITH THE AMERICAN ARMY IN
FRANCE, June 4.-(By the Associated
Press)-The American troops thrown
front northwest of Chateau Theory in
a brilliant bayonet attack drove the Ger
mans from Neuilly wood in which the
enemy was attempting to establish him
self after occupying the village of
Neuilly- La-Poterie in severe fighting.
The Germans poured heavy machine
gun fire into the American ranks but
the Americans rushed forward and de-
stroyed the hastily erected machine gun
positions on the edge of the woods. Con-
tinuing their advance they engaged the
Germans at close quarters and cleared
them entirely from their positions driv-
ing them back upon the ruined village.
In a sharp combat, marked by the
ferceness of the allied machine gun
fire, French and American troops fight
ing side by side, almost wiped out small
German forces which had reached the
left bank of the Marine near Jaulgonne,
east of Chateau Thierry. Most of the
small groups and made prisoners.
On Monday in the attack against the
Germans at Vouilly the Americans drove
them back one and half kilometers on
the front of a narrow salient. The
ground was cleared of the enemy and
the Americans are now holding their
position there. The American losses,
according to the latest reports available,
were exceedingly slight, most of them
resulting from shell fire.
Rode All Might
The first Americans to enter the bat
tie zone were troops of a machine gun
battalion. They rode on trucks during
all of Friday night and arrived at their
new position on Saturday morning.
These were the troops which repulsed
the enemy forces which attempted 70
cross the Marine river.
The machine gunners were stationed
within a certain town and began oper-
atoms by poking the muzzles of their
Iyeapons through broken walls, bushes
and holes knocked in the side OF houses.
The guns were skillfully hidden and the
Germans were unable to locate them.
The Germans shelled the town heavily
and the Americans took positions &C
cordinglv. Later the enemy entered tS-
outskirts only to be pounded by tfIo d.
lied artillery. The correspondent TO-DAY
went over the battle area and inter-
viewed many of the American anu
French soldiers. They are in excellent
spirits and confident that the line VIII
hold. although the worst probably is
vet to come, as the Germans nave not
been able to bring up much heavy artil-
lery. Until then probably the outcome
cannot be determined.
haftle iS raging over a hllly COun-
try where crops are growing and there
are no prepared trenches. When the
Americans entered the line the hghting
was shifting back and forth like seeth-
ing maelstrom. The Americans dug In
and they went at it like experienced
hands. One of the American officers
said:
Germans Pear Americans
THE Germans are now learning that
the Americans are as resourcetul as any.
The Germans do not like the Americans
because they can dig in with one hand
and fight with the other and smile at
the same time"
In villages along the Marine the Ameri-
cans are aiding the French in guarding
homes of the civilians who were driven
out by the enemy Smelling by day and
bombing by night. Many of these hith-
erto peaceful villages are almost de-
serted.
The battle area presented a peculiar
and impressive picture this morning.
The correspondent had motored all
night in the rear of the front, where the
low rumble of guns was followed by
flashes along the battle line and shrapnel
bursting against a starry sky which
seethed with enemy airplanes. There
was a lull at dawn and the clouds melt
ed into silvery patches. The rays OF
the sun shone upon the battlefield where
for a moment il might have been imag-
ined the hell by night had been turned
In neace nv daY-