Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-07-16
AMERICANS STOP
GERMANS At MARINE:
GET 1900 PRISONERS
Boche After Fighting Way Across
the River Are Put to Rout
and Driven Back.
STOP BOCHE OFFENSIVE

With The American Army on tne
Marine, July lb.-The well laid plans
of the German commanders, who launched
violent attack upon the American troops
today nj dawn, were completely upset
by the determined and gallant resistance
of the Americans and counter attacks
which brought the congratulations of tho
commanding general
The enemy who had crossed tho
Marno Mt the river bend east of Chateau
Thierry. wcrr routed and driven in re-
trat back To the river
In this counter nttack the German
| prisoners captured number between 900
and 500, and include complete brigade
staff
| OFFENSIVE BADLY aHhTryREp.
The fighting continues with fierce
intansity In this district, while the battle
RACES with equal fernoity on the right,
where tho French are reported tn have
| delivered n smashing blow against the
| encmy From tins section of the battle
! front n appears that the German of
/ tsmsivo, nj least for the time being, has
| lCen badly shattered
The Americans now command the
river front at the bend At the left of
the bend the famous German Tenth
| Division has made repeated attempts nil
dav to cross but all assaults have been
smashed hy the splend,diy directed fire
of the American gunncrs, and not a single
German had succeeded In getting over
ut tins point up to O'Clock last night
Similar successes were won by Amer-
cans IN counter attacks at Naux. west ot
Chateau Tmerry, and at Conde. eouth
east Of Chateau Tmerry. while all along
the Marne In the American sectors our
machine g,inners took heavy toll of their
foemcn East Of Rheims aIso, where the
Americans fought with the French, our
machine gunners permitted the enemy TO
approach within close range and then
poured deadly voleys into their close
formed ranks
The correspondent talked with come
American soldiers now in hospitals who
were IN the thick of the fighting this
morning They were in complete agree
ment that the German infantry was no
match for the American. This ~ evi-
denced bv the reports from ell the AmerI- |
can hospitals, there being only few
cases Of wounds from rife and machine
gun fire. while most Of the men are euf-
foring from shrapnel wounds- Some Of
these cases are serious.
DROVE ron IN RETREAT
The Germans were completely upset by
the attack of the Americans south of the
riycr bend and east Of Chateau Thicrry
and broke in retreat
The American troops drove tho enemy
back all the way 70 the railway skirting
the Marne in the region southwest of
Jaulgonne This position is now beng
held
The French general commanding the
group OF armies on this sector sent "a
congratulatory message this afternoon 10
the American general commanding tho
forces which beat back the enemy.
At 3 clock this evening the Germans
were heavily shclling the American forces
but were getting she'll for shell IN return
and their frc seemed to be diminishing.
The Naux district is comparatively
calm now On the American right heavy
fighting is in progress.
FILED III THE GERMAN DEAD.
American machine gunners along the
river assisted materially IN breaking up
the early German plans, for they stuck 10
their post and poured deadly streams OF
bullets into the enemy, and only with
drew when their guns were so hot that
they could not be fired.
Onc group Of machine gunners happen
ed 10 bc III . place where the Germans
were anxious to erect n bridge, but their
efforts were fruitless. The American
bullets piled up the German dead on the |
opposite side OF the river every time the |
enemy started TO cross
South of Jaulgonne the enemy crossed /
the Marine thls morning on SIX pontoon |
bridges hurriedIv thrown over the stream. |
and masses of infantry swarrned forward. |
The artillery constantly had the bndges |
under the heaviest fire and at least two /
direct hits wen. made, two of the bridges |
being blown up
After sharp artillery work, German |
troops advanced behind q great smoke
cloud which completely obscured them for /
a time from view The low visibility also /
aided the enemy III his operations
Reports from Naux this afternoon
Indicated that the Americans III q strong /
counter attack drove of the enemy and |
advanced their own line In this region In /
the face Of the determined enemy attack. /
The advance extended approximately |
200 wards but the Americans subse-
Quently withdrew to their original line /
for strategic reasons Twenty eight Ger
mans were taken prisoners in this sector.
The American barrage here completely |
broke up the enemy waves and drove them
back in confusion.
THE DAYBREAK ATTACK.
The daybreAk attack by the Germans /
upon tile american pOSlJlonS west oI I
Chateau-Thierry was violent, especially +
near Faux. A report soon came in that |
the Americans were maintaining their |
positions and handling the enemy well
10 the desperate fighting.
The attack came after most violent /
boinbardrnent of high explosives and gas
shells throughout the night The Aneri- /
can troops sought shelter wher ever 1T was
available When the enemy infantry |
appeared the Americans swarmed out
and met the attackers with ram OF
machine gun bullets The Americans