The daily times. [volume] (Wilson, N.C.) 1902-1936, 1918-07-23
INTERESTING ~.
DESCRIPTION
OF the Fighting at Chateau.
Thierry by a Correspond |
ent of the
YORK
TIMES
BY George Duranty

BY George Duranty
With the French Armies, July 23.
The feature today's news Is the
enemy's retreat from Chateau
Thierry, a virtual admission Of in
ability to check Mangin's progress,
which has already passed the main
road running southwark from Sois-
sons.
I spent this afternoon on the
heights above the Marne in the loop
between Fossy and Mezy, where
American soldiers broke the German
attempts to cross the river on July
Is.
Today by startling turn Of for
tune, it was allied infantry that was
attacking on the north bank Of the
river, far to the left and to the right
hand. OF tn eenemy tnat effected the
crossing none save dead or prisoners
remained.
I visited an American battery fir
ing steadily on the rear and right
flank of the retreating enemy. AS
the young Captain in charge, New
Yorker with West Point training,
led me to a forward observation
post overlooking the German posi-
tions on the opposite bank, he gave
an account Of the battle that illus
trates the rapid growth Of American
army from novices in war to expert
enced soldiers. -
A few weeks ago his division was
moved into line after brief training
with French unit, subsequent to
it's arrival in France in the alte
snrinp ~,
It's first taste of war was to help
check the German drive in the region
of Chatteau-Thierry. Tried by the
fiery ordeal of the past week, it was
now ready for anything, confident OF
its on ability to take the hardest
knocks and give them back with in
terest.
Il hope you are not nervous,
said the Captain as we walked for
ard through the appalling stencil OF
the action. "There are no live Fritz
zes around here any more, but his
guns are still pretty busy. For us
it is nice, peaceful day, compared
to the hell they loosed on us Monday,
Tuesday and Wednesday. The French
Interpreter with us said it was az
bad as anything he had known on
Verdun. Poor devil, they got him
the second night
His words were punctuated by the
ceaseless roar of allied guns and
the continual crash of German shells
on the road a hundred yards to GUS
right, but shellholes, literally, every
few yards from the gaping crater OF
big "coalboy" to the oval furrow
that meant gas arrival" were EVIL
dence enough that there was no ex-
aggeration in what he had said. The
officer continued:
Mind you don't trip over this
telephone wire scattered everywhere
the bombardment has cut the sys-
TEN all to bits That's one thing
we'll fix different in future. And
there'll be more digging too, We had
some trenches and wire, as you can
see, but you never can have too much
protection, and no works wasted
that may save lives.
This was our forward observa-
tion post most of the time-as we
reached the edge of woods above the
river-but at the beginning we had
another down the slope in the first
infantry position. One of our Lie
tenants did fine work in connection
with that. To maintain liaison he
galloped back and forth all morning
on horseback under terrific fire all
the time. Eight horses were demoLi
ished in the process, but by a mir
acle the boy himself wasn't scratched
till noon, when a bullet caught him
in the shoulder, and even then his
luck held, as he was close to bat
terry at the tim eand we were able to
get him out to a dressing station
right away. 1t was 'blighty one
as the British call 1t, but not dan
gerous.
"His work was simply invaluable
1t enabled us to smash two OF the
pontoon bridges the boche put across
under cover of bombardment and
darkness, and, as 1t grew light, a.
Continued on last page.l -
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