The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-07-05

ommenCing at O clock Tn the morning. The German artillery, on the other hand, was somewhat less active than on the preceding day It's operations took the form of harassing and registration fire, which fell mainly on the Marette wood, Le Thiolet, La Croisette, Bourbein, the Paris road Triangle farm, La Cense farm, the Belleau wood, Boursches and La Voie Du Chatel.
 HILL 204
 Shortly after o'clock in the after noon the enemys fire on Menneaux. Hill 204, our lines of Belleau wood and our positions in the vicinity of Boursehes bec& me heavy. The German infantry in- cieased it's machine gun, rifle and gren- ade fire, especially from the region of Hil, 204 and Vaux. Otherwise there was no unusual activity until after the com mencement of our attack, when the CIT culation of troops and vehicles in the German rear areas greatly increased.
 "Of the numerous prisoners in and around Vaux July to July ?, one gave especially interesting information regard inc. the German counter attack. Tha main points of his story were as fol- lows:
 At 4:30 o'clock on the afternoon of July i, his battalion, while drilling in rear area, suddenly received the or der to fall in with marching equipment. A ceeded by the Chateau Thierry-Paris read and other minor roads through Vii celles to a point about 700 yards from Vaux. There they lay in readiness for the counter attack which was scheduled to take place at 3:l5 o'clock. So heavy was the artillery fire on both sides, how ever, that it was impossible for them 10 advance until S:45 o'clock
 GAS SHELLS NOTED .
 "The counter attack was performed by groups of eight men deployed in skir- mish line and immediately followed oy other groups of which each carried two light machine guns. After several at tenpts to go forward they were stopped by our machine guns.
 Their platoon leader asked for. re- Inducements before attempting to go forward, but reinforcements were re- fused and a continuation of the attack ordered. He next sent word that ms platoon was receiving flanking hre from the two machine guns and could make no progress. Once again he was ordered to attack under all circum sances, but his men now refused to obey Another platoon came up, de- FpIoying on the left of the first, but this too was decimated by our fire. Finally the men received orders to save them selves as best they could They then
 
 of them surrendered shortly before o'clock.
 On the day of Juno 29 and S0 the German artillery along the Marne did not maintain the activity shown on the day previous. The fire, which was man- ly from guns of small calibre, was dis- tributed almost impartially along the sector A few gas shells were noted, this being the first occasion that gas. in, e. time. German airplanes again showed moderate activity. Behind the German lines isolated and individual groups were seen here and there, few of the men riding bicycles, During the night there was a plentiful display of red and white rockets of from one to four stars each in connection with the usual hanging ropes.
 ICARDY FRONT
 Tn Picardy, between noon, June 29, and noon of the 30th, there were no notable occurrences except the activity of the enmy's airplanes. His combat planes were more aggressive than usual and several fights ensued, in the course of which one German plane was brought down. A few bombs were again dropped by German machines during the night. falling on this occasion on our front lines. The total numbe CT of German planes was, however, distinctly below the average. The hostile artil 1ery fire was light, consisting of slight harassing fire in our rear areas with short concentrations at Grivesness, the Vllers wood and points. Very little gas was used.
 Tn the German areas nothing of par ticular note was observed except that a party of 40 to 50 Germans came un- der our rifle fire while moving in the vivcinty of Fontaine wood. They were scattered and put to flight During the morning a propaganda balloon came down inside our lines"