The Washington herald., 1918-07-13
YANKSRANKED
AS GOOD men
] BY KAISERITES
Nerves Unshaken," Says
Hun Spy IN Captured Doc
ument Given Out.
SOLDIERS ARE GOOD"
Healthy, Vigorous, Well
: Developed; Good
Il Americans"
SOLDIERS ARE GOOD"

aThe nerves Of the Americans are
stiil unshaken-"
FThis, with other unsunted praise Of
American troops, Is revealed in Ger
mar document recently captured. ac-
cording to a continuation Of Gen
Pershing's communique of July H. an
made public by the War Department
Yesterday afternoon
Under the head Of Fighting Value"
the report says:
THE second American division may
bs classified As very good division.
even as assault troops The various
stacks OF both regiments on Belleau
Wood were carried out with dash and
recklessness. The moral effect Of our
firearms did not materially check the
advance Of the infantry; the nerves
% the Americans are still mistaken"
secretary Baker gave out Gen.
Psrshing's communique which re-
uealed the captured documents con-
tents. Gen. Pershing's report II dated
Jufy II. The document is the formal
report OF a German intelligence off,
Ger at the headquarters Of the Sew
enfh German army, is dated June II,
ms. and reads:
Second Infantry Division.
'InteIligence oficer Of the su-
preme Command at Army Headquar-
ters. No. Z. J. No. 352s.
Second American infantry diyi-
sion.
Examination of prisoners from
the Fifth. Sixth. Ninth and Twenty
third regiments captured from June
5 TO IL in the Bouresches sector.
The prisoners were not informed
OF the purpose Of the attacks. The
orders for the attacks on Belleau
Woods were made known only a few
hours before the attacks took place.
The marine brigade went into
sector from June 2 to June 4. and
elements Of the other two regiments
from June 5 to s in the area Torcy
Naux a KIM. W. OF Chateau Thierry)
one battalion from each unit being
IN the front line. There they re-
Ileved French troops OF various d.
Visions whose identity they did not
know They had no information
concernig their relief. Only the
prisoners from the Marine Brigade
considered that on account Of heavy
losses their relief was imminent
The third marine brigade belongs
10 the Marine Corps which was al
ready in existence in the United
states during peace time. The FIRST
and second marine brigades are said
to be still at home
ssRegarding the distribution Of ma
crime guns the prisoners made con-
Trajectory statements. They claim
that, in the Third Marine Brigade,
for instance, each regiment, in addi-
ton to the infantry battalion, has
one machine gun battalion of four
plztoons, each platoon having twelve
machine guns. Furthermore. each
brigade Is said to have one brigade
machine gun battalion
The Marines.
'.According to a captured order of
battle Of the Twenty-sixth Amer
lean Division Intelligence oficer Z.
No. s2zs. June 8. 1873, that division
has only one machine gun company
TO a battalion in each regiment. In
case the vague statements of the
prisoners are correct. the discrepancy
can perhaps be explained by the fact
that the Marine Corps was part Of
the United States peace army, and
was therefore equipped according to
principles other than in the case Of
the Twenty-sixth American Division,
which has been formed from National
Guard troops since the war began.
Elements of the Second American
Division were put into the Moulan-
Vile CVerdun) sector from the middle
OF March to the middle Of May for
training. and were relieved by un-
known French troops.
THE division was then moved
BY rail to the vicinity Of Vitry-Le-
Francois, where it remained about
five days From there the division
was transferred by rail, via Coulom-
miersit, Denis-Pontoise, into the
regions west OF Beauvais. The
Fifth Regiment Of Marines was in
the vicinity of GIsors. thirty kilo-
meters southwest OF Beauvais. The
Sixth Regiment of Marines was
at Chars, seven kilometers north
west OF the Marines along the Pom
toise to Beauyais railway.
The Ninth and Twenty-third