Evening star., 1918-07-28
SHELL BOTH ENEMY AND US.
URGES FRENCH COMMANDArlT
Surrounded and Escape Impossible, 1nfan-
try Force Ready for Sacrifice Other
Dramatic Deeds Along Marine.

with machine guns. grenades and
bayonets.
4 few men cut their way through
and brought back the story.
Sharp fighting went on day. and
night, the Germans trying to enlarge
their gains, especially in the direc-
tion of Epernay. The enemy was un-
able to bring large cannon across the
river, and had only mountain guns
carried by mules. while the French
used plenty of artillery.
The French, confident that the Ger
mans soon would retire to the north
bank, did not heavily shell the viii
lagos occupied by the enemy. I was
surprised to find in a fairly intact
condition St. Agnan. Conde. Enbrie.
Chapelle Mont Helon and other
towns where the Teutons spent a few
days. The Germans were even un-
able fully to plunder. the houses. and
many wagons loaded with loot still
rest abandoned by the roadside.
old-Fashioned Fighting.
The fighting was of the real old
fashioned kind as taught In pre-war
days. The infantrymen advanced as
far as possible, then lay down and
threw up with small shovels a slight
earthwork. from behind which they
fired. 1 saw German bodies resting
in or alongside the firing pits. but
burying parties were busy putting
them underground. Slaughtered
horses were pleRtiful everywhere.
and the stencil of death was strong
in the air.
The ground about the French and
German positions was markedly diff
ferent. The shell holes near the
French line were tiny ones made by
47-mtlimeter cannon, while huge ex-
cavations marked where the French
h "a oh
German positions. Here and there.
however. were other great holes
made by shells from the German bat
teries across the river.
The yellow wheat fields covering
the slopes were trampled down in
crowded and struggled Many hill
crests are densely covered with small
pines and thick neck-high underbrush.
Often where the German advance had
reached the French artillery positions
dead Frenchmen and Germans were
showing the desperation with which
the artillerymen had defended the
guns.
The entire region was covered with
war material-wagons, camions and
light automobiles. many still usable.
them before retreating. The banks of
the Marine were literally covered with
dead men and horses. for it was here
that the slaughter was the greatest.
The Germans were massacred both IN
crossing and recrossins.
Men and Material Captured.
More than 1000 Mauser rifles were
recovered. Much material, such as
shells and so on, left behind by the
French has sheen recovered. Wound
ed or unhurt ;Germans were found
from time to time by working parties
hidden in the woods and cellars.
The enAmy'srmafn weapon WIS the
machine gun. Some Of these were
found abandoned in the tops of
houses and in church towers. which
had been occupied by the gunners.
The German Withdrawal. to the
north side OF the Marine was more
rapid than the advance to the south
side. the, French closely following.
Sunday night, without throwing
across bridges. an important French
force crossed in boats or by swim
ming, attacked the Germans, carried
Passy- -Marne village and estab-
lfshed themselves on the borders of
Ris forest, which at the time visited
the region was being heavily as
saulted.
The Germans were vigorously re-
sisting, being favored in the defense
by the underground. which is ideal
for concealing machine gun nests.
A French aviator. who flew low over
the entire German position bordering
the Marne at dawn on Monday, re-
ported seeing an enormous number
of machine gun batteries.