New-York tribune., 1918-07-22
Proud Prussian Guard Routed
By Americans Hand 10 Hand
Elite Shock Divisions Of Kaiser Meet More Than The,
Match Between Soissons and Marne When Pershing's
Boys Come to Close Grip With Foe

had been at grips with the 237th nu-
"erous times, with bad results.
Come to Close Grips
:, NOW came the time for the two shock
I divisions to take their revenge. With
j greatest difficulty men were forced into
the forward areas through the dense
ana s precise arsillery fire. They suf
reached the line of combat, and here
groups of Allied troops in local fights
when proved extremely costly.
instead OF wiping out the forces op-
posing them the shock troops found
mat holding the line was their first
objective.
Belleau Wood is one of those pin
points on the map which can. however,
be OF extreme strategic Importance in
military sense. 1t is group of
heavy foliaged trees about 500 yards
wide and 600 deep. Its foliage could
give screen to Allied mannuvres if it
we're captured. and of special impor-
tance to the Germans was a hook or
tail of wood which extended toward the
northeast of the village of Lucy-le-
bocage. 1t was on this point that Ger
man forces concentrated their effort
! at the beginning in order to survey
tne entire surrounding terrain to safe
guard guard neighboring. strongholds. The
Noou poSlllOn was strength
ened by numerous machine guns north
OF Lucy-l -le-Bocage. Defensive organi-
cations also were established north and
east of Belleau Wood. and with the
terrain sthus organized the holding di-
vlslons-the 10th and 237th-were in
trusted with the task of fighting off
al A,lled efforts to progress.
nave already told how these
DIVISIONS suffered in their task.
BEGINNING on 1uro %ho Erc1oo
American forces took the offensive on
various points of the line which per-
formed in the centre a sort of semi
circle south of Lucy-le Rocagc, to the
western outskirts of Belleau Wood,
then roughly west of Belleau village,
south of the village of Torcv and again
south Of the villages of Bussiarcs ard
Veullly-la- -Poterie. The right flank ex-
tended southeast under .he southern
slope of Hill 2O4, near Chateau Thierry.
while the left flank extended northwest
as lar as the village of Vinly.
Gun Nests Wiped Out
After an American patrol had COM
pletely wiped out the machine GIN
nests in the vicinity of Lucy-le- Bocage,
FrancoAmercan offensive on June 7
all along the line succeeded in captur-
ing Bouresches and Hill 204 on the
right flank and Vinly and Veuilly-la-
Poterie on the left flank. But the
centre held. Flanked by the powerful
positions southwest of Belleau Wood
and especially in the observatory tail
of this wood, further progress was both
dangerous and costly. The villages of
Torcy and Belleau were both taken, but
with Belleau Wood still a thorny op-
not be held. Belleau Wood became the
centre of German resistance, AMI 1T
the moment a heavy Allied artillery
fire was being played on this wood. in
preparation for an attack by the
Americans, the 2Sth Shock Division and
the 5th Prussian Guards were moving
to the aid of the shattered 10th ana
237th.
Enemy Fought Bitterly
1t would be foolish to say that the
two German holding divisions had nov
fought we'll, though at cost Of prac-
tically their entire units. But on Jun,
properly came the time or the two
elite divisions to take ~ cir revenge.
AS stated before, however, coming up
to the combat line through the terrific
engagement" fire of Allied guns con-
vinced them that holding tn, line was
one thing and revenge anothec
On June 10 Americans advanced
lightly in Belleau Wood, finding it
strongly held and bristling with ma
chine guns. They made few prison
ers and captured two trench mortars
and munitions. The fighting was des-
perate On the following day they
again advanced behind the concen-
trated fire of every available Allied
cannon. The barrage that preceded
them through the wood tore trees to
shreds and inflicted enormous losses on
the Germans. The American waves
found machine guns in large numbers
holding out and were forced to stamp
them out one by one The machine
| gunners had to be killed. Isolated
groups of the 2sth Division were
rounded up and captured. Some fed,
though it is believed that not many
escaped. The Americans captured $40
I prisoners, including several officers, 20
machine guns and valuable material of
war.
Revenge" Is Bitter
Like the 28th, the 5th Prussians, in
liaison with the 28th. on the German
right, were in stiff fighting with
Franco American units and, being raked
by artillery fire, suffered enormous
! losses.
AS their two predecessors had suf-
fered against the Franco Americans the
elite "revengc' divisions suffered in the
same way.
The 9th and 5th Prussians suffered
more serious losses in three days than
during the entire offensive Of May Of
Their electives fell to fewer than
forty men per company. Certain com
panies lost almost half of their already
reduced number. One section of heavy
machine guns was reduced from seven
teen men to five: The second battalion
of the 40th Fusiliers had all its ,f-
ficers killed or gravely wounded, with
the exception of one, who was captured.
If anything will open the eyes of the
German High Command to the serious
ness for Germany of American aid in
this war it will be the practical ami
hilation of the 5th Prussian Guard a..l
the elite 2Sth. They were of the flower
of the entire German army.