The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-07-13
Letters of German Prisoners
Tell of Wastage of Manpower.
Describe Sufferings of Troops
Opposed to Americans.
COMMANDMENT WAS TERRIBLE
Lost More Than Half of Com.
pany in One Attack.
Tell of Capture of German
Regiment by the French.
FORECAST.
BY HENRY WOOD.

With the French Armies in the
Field, June 20 (by maiD.-Letters
taken from German prisoners captured
in American sectors make no secret of
the terrible losses being inflicted by
American infantry. machine gunners
and artillery. This is especially the
case in the sectors near Chateau
Thierry.
One letter written June IL. by a SOL
der of a German infantry regiment.
reads as follows:
My division had been engaged only
since the situation has stabilized in
the region of Bonnes-Chateau-Th ier-
~. My company still numbers forty
men. But in three days my battalion
was exhausted and placed in reserve.
However, we are still required to go
wherever necessary across a terrible
barrage fire. Naturally we got less
and less numerous. Finally when we
were completely exhausted battalion
of the - regiment relieved US.
Yesterday morning the poor devils
were still asleep, they were so
fatiSued. They were taken prisoners
and the French occupied their first
line. We were accordingly given the
alarm and were obliged at once to
occupy the sustaining position
The First Americans.
Before US now there are Ameri-
cans. Previously there were English,
French and Madagascar negroes. I
am astonished that I am still alive,
for 1t has cost us masses of men"
Another letter taken from a prisoner
of the 461st regiment of German in
fantry says:
The enemy's resistance has be-
come stronger and our losses now are
heavy. During the night of June "a
I was called because several section
commanders lad already been killed.
1 was sent to the third company,
which had lost all its section COM
manders.s
"Our attack was without result,
owing to the terrible machine gun
fire. Our second attack was repulsed
on account of the heavy losses we sus-
tanned (more than half). We are still
in the midst of terrible. uninter-
rupted artillery fire that continues day
and night.
LAS adversaries we have seen Eng
lish. negro colonial troops. French and
Americans"
American Artillery Terrible
Taken f. OF, the same soldier was a
letter he al written three days later
after his regiment had had more to
do with the Americans. 1t reads:
THE artillery is becoming more and
more violent than the preceding days.
We receive shells of every calibre,
even 2S0's. The mutations are hor-
rib1e- If mothers knew what haE pens
to their sons, Il think they would
smother hem to death against their
bosoms to save them such sufferings-
Toward morning we were violently
shel1ed and at o'clock we were at
tackled but repulsed the enemy. Be
ginning at noon. there was a new
bombardment that was frightful. At
o'clo an English and American
attack was repulsed. We were COM
pletely in advance and our position Is
critical The regiment at our right
has already fallen back
Three days later, just before this
soldier was taken prisoner his last
letter read as follows:
LAT O'Clock this morning there
was another attack. The remainder of
| the day was normal Toward evening
/ the fire increased and became even
more terrible during the following
| morning. All the rest of the officers
are killed and buried I am the fifth
to take command of the company"