Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1918-07-12
DETAILED STORY OF
AMERICANS FIGHT
IN BELLEAU WOOD
Subjected to Heavy German
Machine Gun Fire in Wheat
Fields Several Days PreCed-
ing the Battle

WITH THE AMERICANS ON THE
MARINE, June 25.-(By Mail, Passed by
Censor. HERES the story of thou
sand American boys in the battle of Bel
!eau wood Bots ces Americaines). They
composed a battalion whose nUmoer
cannot be given because OF the censor
ship; part OF u brigade which cannot
be named for the same reason.
May 30 they were ordered to leave
Courcelles (SiX miles southeast of Neuf-
chateau) and at a. m. the next day
they were on the road in motor trucks.
An all-day ride took them to GaHGeld
(two miles northwest OF Neuilly la Por-
terie), where they arrived at $3.50 p. m.
Thence they were ordered TO hike back
to May, reaching the town tired enough
to sleep in a field. despite frequent air
plane bombing. At daybreak they took
the road to Pyramid farm and spent
the night there Next morning they
were ordered to Marigny Ga mile and
half south and east OF Neuilly Ia Po-
terie) for third line support and by
afternoon were established in the third
line, from Neuilly wood to Hill 142 Ca
front of about mile extending from
mile southeast of Neuilly la Poterie
EASTWARD.
Refuses to Fan Back
The night was comparatively quiet,
but the next day the French under or
ders, started retiring before the Ger
man advance. A colonel of French
chasseurs ordered the American battal-
ion commander to fall hack. This he did
not do. The French infantry, the chas-
seurs and company of malagaish (co-
lonials) passed through the American
line that day. About 1900 men in all
went through.
The third line held by the Americans
then became a first line without imme-
date support Through the night the
Germans sought to feel them out and
daylight revealed that the Germans had
crept through the wheat field which the
line faced A machine gun and 80 men
were discovered in diamond" forma-
ton. the gun at the point of the dia-
mond toward the Americans. Half q
platoon-3O Americans-attacked and
captured the gun. The Germans at
tackled several times In small grours,
always losing men and gaining moth
ing
Heavily shened
That evening the Germans started
heavy Smelling, compelling the abandon
ment of three command posts success
sively. Thh next day, June 5, the line
was kept intact despite heavy she'll
irg. At o'clock the next morning the
One Hundred and Sixteenth French in
fantry came in and relieved the Ameri-
cans, who withdrew to the woods north
of Vote du Chatel "a mile south of Hill
142). They spent the day and part of
the night there under orders to pro-
coed to a point near Hill 1873 "a mile
west and slightly north of Hill 1922
northeast of the Lucy-Torcy road.
The situation in the big ravine and
wheat fields facing them looked sus-
picious and a accommodating platoon,
headed by the colonel himself, went out
to investigate. They got within five
eighths of a mile of the town of Torcy
(half a mile northwest of Hill 1873, when
a blast of rifle and machine gun bull
lets was turned loose on them from the
left. Some dead and wounded was the
result. They dropped flat upon the road
and Immediately heard bullets flying
overhead and blowing up the ground
These came from the right, where the
Germans were suspected of being, but
the first shower from the left could
only have come from American troops. A
private from the accommodating platoon
ran straight across to the American
| position and stopped their firing He
found the (deleted) regiment there.
Germans Beaten
Meantime, another platoon had sailed
forth to the aid of men in the road, just
as tho Germans on the right attacked
across the field. The Germans were
beaten off and the reconnoiterers re-
| turned to their position. They relieved
a battalion of their own brigade which
had been caught in a wheat field while
attacking the day before and practically
wiped out This was when the discov-
| cry was first made of the German prac-
! tice of filling the wheat fields there
| abouts with machine guns.
The night was spent in holding off
| German attacks. The next day, June
| 7. they underwent heavy Smelling and
| the following day and night were con-
| tinuaIly being swept by machine gun
| fire and one-pounders The night of
| the eighth thev wnro told they would
| r,nrpfpR