The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1918-07-05
SAMM|ES' GREAT
HAUL OF PRISONERS
BelIeau Wood a Happy Hunting
Ground.
TAKE ESQ MORE PRISONERS
German Commanders Told Their
Troops That Army Had Landed In
America-U. s. Artillery Bril-
liantIy Carries Out Its Part.

American Army in France.-German
prisoners captured by the Americans
on storming the Belleau wood section
now number $50, including seven Off
GERS. One of the officers said the Ger
man commanders have been telling
the soldiers that the Germans have
landed an army in America, captured
New York, and are now marching to-
wards Philadelphia. The Germans
also are told that submarines have
sunk between 40 and so ships in Long
Island Sound.
The Importance of the American adj
vance in Belleau wood is not indicated
by the amount of territory captured,
as that only amounts approximately
to 500 square yards. The new posi-
tons Of the Americans, however, dom
mate the ridge beyond so that they
now hold the upper hand.
The Americans made an irresistible
rush for the complete clearing of the
wood, in which it was discovered the
Germans were still occupying small
strip of the underbrush. The attack
was preceded by 13-hour lombard
ment from the American artillery.
German prisoners pay tribute to the
brilliant dash of the Americans, de-
claring the men in the assaulting party
fought like demons
The Germans were virtually cleared
out of the wood several days ago, but
the discovery was made that under
cover of darkness they had planted
machine guns behind huge powders,
in sunken roadways, in shell holes and
in trees in narrow area on the edge
of the wood. 1t was most difficult to
get at them in these positions, and
some fierce hand-to-hand fighting oc.
Cured during the night while the
/ clearing process was being carried out
The Americans now are in possession
of virtually all the valuable tactical
positions in the Belleau wood sector.
Most of the prisoners taken belong
to the Three Hundred and Forty
seventh German Division.
liantly carried out it's part in throwing
the entire German line into confusion.
Prisoners said that the position from
which they had been taken was like an
ferno under the American fire. They
we're happy to get out alive.
A captured German officer, arrogant
and sarcastic, remarked: I'VE are just
starting with the Americans. We are
going to wipe out whole divisions as if
they were companies"
The German privates were less AFRO
CANT, and apparently were glad they
were captured. One declared that the
Germans were surprised at the Ameri-
cans, who appeared so young but
fought like devils when they got
started. Another declared:
"The war will soon be ended. There
are too many Americans coming to
Europe"
This prisoner was Prussian who
fought on the Russian front. He con-
fessed that the Germans were prepar-
ing to attack the Americans in Belleau
ed their attack. 1t was a surprise af-
fair. The Americans came one way
and the German officers tried to force
their men forward the other way. This
prisoner was shot in the leg by his
own officer because he hesitated con-
fusedly between the American guns
and bayonets and the pistols in hands
of German officers.
Raymond S. Howell, of GAINESVILLE,
Ohio, who was in the first line of the
advance, describing the operation,
said:
1--WE took up position in the open
wood; there were no trenches. The
Germans opened a heavy fire and
shells fell around us like rain. We
charged over the rocky hill, our fel.
lows laughing and yelling a war
whoop. We then came upon a wheat
field and crossed in the face of a
whitening shell and machine-gun fire
and drove back the Germans at the
point of the bayonet.
Some idea of the thoroughness with
WAASA thO xaAOAASahS PiCp0iSu lOI the
attack may be CLEANED from the fact
that they fred approximately 5000
high explosives in one hour The
American gunners worked so fast the
Germans said they did not have time
to think. The German lines were torn
up and the ground around strewn with
German dead and wounded. Two mem.
bers of German hospital corps were
captured.