Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-06-18
INKS BIG FACTOR
FRENCH HATTACK
brnied Creeping Barrage
al Counter.Stroke Which
Stopped Germans
BROKE SPEED RECORD
Many Deeds Of Heroism Per-
formed by Crews in Last
u Tuesdays Battle
By WALTER DURANTY

Special Gable to Epening Public Ledger
Copyrioht. 1918. by Nc,0 York Times co,
with the French Armies, June is.
II the big French counter-attack OF
Tuesday contributed very greatly to
: the bloody check of Hindenburg
scheme of operation between Noyon
and Montdidier. it may equally be said
& that the work of the French tanks
was. not the least vital factor in the
success of the counter-stroke itself
And that despite the conditions Of ex-
eeptional difficulty and danger The
Z enemy was Known to have massed
: large forces against our line, running
almost due south from Merry, with the
Intention of a violent push westward
that would round out his gain in the
center.
The French Counter-attack was
commanded with the swiftness of de-
cision that is one of the greatest mill
tAry qualities The result was that
the tanks only received their 7truc-
tons just in time for them {, leach
the scene of action. Fortunately they
knew the ground well.
q. BY a forced night march they
1eaehed the plateau above the Mont
didier Estrees Railroad in the early
hours of the morning of the l1th. The
railroads run along the valley from
(which the French attack was to start
shortly before noon. The tank COM
rnander was faced with serious prob
lem. The roof of the plateau and the
western slopes were devoid of cover.
He was forced to adopt 3 course of
waiting under the shelter of trees
until the attack began, and then rush.
ing to support at utmost speed.
Tanks Broke Speed Records
" At II o'clock the infantry advanced
after brief artillery preparation. The
enemy was exceedingly strong. both in
numbers and in machine guns, and
progress was difficult, especially toward
Belloy, whose wood formed central
redoubt ofs,Ae German position.
One of the youngest captains In the
French army--he is only twenty-four-
who commanded battery of tanks, de-
Bcribed their charge to your correspond
ant.
1--WE broke all speed records down
that hill,' he said "On the fiat plateau
We made good time but down the slope
II was like a herd of elephants running
Amuck. Then up the cornfields on the
further side and into action. Before ]
O'Clock we had caught up with the in
fAntry, who We're having trouble with
the German machine guns and must
have been awaiting US anxiously.
'.As we passed a group of officers
saw a gray-haired colonel cheering like
= schoolboy, and 1t was everywhere the
hame. You know. tanks have double
erect. Their ponderous strength stimu-
4<sss our infantry as much as it dis
/ cpncerts the enemy.
Creeping Bsrrage Of Tanks
= I'VE then formed the equivalent of a
!, creeping barrage In front of the ad-
< vance. The charge seemed to demoral-
(. ne the boches In the first hour we
: Knocked out scores of mtrailleuses and
passed right over three batteries. Sweep
!. ing around the southeastern edge of
Z Belloy wood and followed by the in
1antry. whose work was magnificent, we
reduced the nests of machine guns
there and the village was taken"
The subsequent French gains have al
ready been recorded But the service
done by the tanks had not heen without
1oss
Young officers with whom talked re-
aDunted wonderful deeds of heroism as II
they were simple, very-day occurrences.
y There was the case of an aspirant lleu-
tenant whose tank was put out OF action.
= He withdrew, but later volunteered TO
4 return Another tank took him forward
He leaped swiftly into the machine
< through a hail of bullets and stayed
there alone with German shells raining
Z around the inanimate monster until he
was able to restart the engine and bring
4 back the tank under its own power.
Z could cite a dozen such actions, but these
two are sufficient to show one of the
3 Irilne reasons of the French victory
(he spirit of courage and self-sacrifce
thnt animates every branch of the army