Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-06-05
GLORY FOR U.S..
IN NEUILLY FIGHT
Americans S W e ep the
Boches From Strate-
gic Wood
BRILLIANT COU Mt + r
Troops Prove Deadly Adopts
in Close.Up Bayonet
Work
BRILLIANT COU n T T r

With The American Army in France,
June s.
The most savage fighting that the
Americans have taken part in since
their arrival in France took place at
Nouilly Wood (north of Chateau
Thierry) on the Aisne-Marne battle
front In this gently unduiatins wood
the Americans delivered a brilliant
counter attack against the Germans,
engaging the enemy in hand-to-hand
fighting amid the tangled piles of
stumps that had been uprooted by the
artillery fire
The Americans swept the Germans
back from the northern fringe of the
wood and here proved themselves
adopts with the bayonet.
Charging into the gray ranks of the
boches the Americans broke up first one
group and then another needless of the
machine gun fire directed against them.
Our troops were rushed into the bat
tie for Paris" at high rate of speed,
as the Germans were pressing forward
on the Marine. Machine gunners were
jammed into huge motortrucks that
whrled along the dusty roads through
out France, passing long rows of retu-
gees. They pushed past trains of artil-
lery and arrived in the battle zone early
on a certain morning. They took up their
positions in shell wrecked buildings, in
fields and everywhere that offered an
opportunity, pouring out streams of lead
from their ma chine-guns into the ranks
of the enemy The Americans had the
advantage Of occupying higher ground
than the attacking boches.
When the Germans reached the out
skirts of Chateau TherrY the allied
artillery severely pounded their machine
gunners. compelling them to take up
new positions.
The Americans first entered the fight
ing near Chateau Thierry and blocked
the attempts of the Germans to effect
a lodgment on the southern bank of the
Marne. Hundreds of boches were slaugh-
tered by machine-gun fire as they tried
to force crossing and hold IT.
Comparatively few of the Germans
in the battalion that crossed the Marne
near Jaulgonne escaped death or cap
ture. When the French and Americans
counter attacked a large number of the
Germans were surrounded Others fell
beneath the wthering blasts of machine
| gun fire or in the hand to hand fighting
which developed
American Red Cross units have been
continually in action on the Marne
front. establishing countless canteens
| and aiding the refugees and wounded
|
tually engaged in the fighting on the
Marne was released by the censor after
the information was given out in Tues
days French war Office communicate.
It was an inspiring sight to see the
Americans marching up the hills, their
tanned faces lighted by the glow Of GER
tain victory and a look of fearlessness in
every eye On through the shell raked
roads they passed, establishing them
selves on ground made historic by the
first battle of the Marne nearly four
years ago.
The largest number of Americans are
engaged in this fighting since America
entered the war
France was still singing the praise OF
the American success at Cantigny on the
Picardy battle front, when the news
came that the Yankees were upon the
firing line between Scissors and
Rheims, helping the French to stem the
German rush southwark. Then the
Cantigny victory was over shadowed
Our troops first took up a position
to support the French line on the Ode.
leted) front. Then when an opportune
time came they took up stronger pos.