Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-04-11
u. S. ENGINE ERS
ARE CAME FIGHTERS
stand Shoulder to Shoulder With Ca
nadians and Fight With Great
StubbornncSS.
STEM TIDE OF ENEMY RUSH
Pour Steady Stream OF Bullets Into
Oncoming Bochc, Whose Advance
Is Likcucd In Oncoming Waves at
the SCashorc.
iRr Assncinret 10.


|E WITH TIE AMERICAN ARMY IN
$E'RANCE. Monday. April 9Th. Amer
|Eiican railway engineers who helHcd
|@stc,n the tide OF the onrushinE Germans
|aduring tho opening days OF the battle
Know in progress fought shoulder TO
lIshoulder with Canadian engineers In
|Mcarrying out their task They held
Ether ground 3tubbornly and only &c
|Ntired to previously prepared positions
|ewhcn forced TO 10 SO, and inflicted
($casualties by the thousand upon the
|HGcrmans as they advanced in close for
|&nation. in one place in rs many as
|Sseyen waves. each wave ten mon deep
|Aand 100 yards apart. Tn" Americans
|Swith the Canadians had all the emmu
|Gnitlon they needed. and although they
lSwere Unsupported by the artillery aud
EARNED only with rifles and with few
Smachine guns, they poured streams OF
bullets into the enemy AT several dir
sferent times until the weapons were
ESQ hot as 10 &c useless.
II This handful OF American soldiers.
|Svho were hardened TO such terrific
slaughter. Was siokened by tho sham
sbles It created. but fought furiously for
hseveral days helping TO hold the enemy
{all the way from St Quentin to the vi
kcintty OF Noyon. These were the Amer
deans mentioned ~ the time IN the ON
Fcinl connuniQues, but these details of
their exploits It has only now been
possible to secure
THROW DOWN THEIR TOOLS
x AND BEGIN FIRING BULLETS
y Whom the German attack began tho
SAm orleans were working In tho rear
dimes with the Canadians, under Ca
hnadian command They quickly threw
down their tools and seized the weapons
with which they had been armed for
Gsome months and formed themselves
ainto a lighting unit The Germans
came on and finally reached the posi-
Etions where the Americans were wait
a4lnE.
& The exact numbers OF tho engineers
+ cannot be given, but they were COM
F parativcly small They had no inten-
lion o! retreat!ng, however. and were
.5hcnt upon killing all the Germans pos
EtSihc.
VI As the first gray enemy advanced
the American forces let them come
Enntil they were within certain range,
Gthcn opened fire pouring in a storm OF
ShulIcts. Gaps appeared IN the advanc-
sing lines mt many places. some Of them
;iarEc where the machine guns had
tchewod through. Still the German
waves came on. without firing Il single
3aho--iust advancing.
3 The Americans were unable to I'M
Etlcrstand these tactics. but ncvert.e-
Eiess. were certain 1t was p question Of
tho enemy or being them
Rselvos smothcrcd under this advance.
NlSy this time their weapons were so
khot that they could not be used eTec-
&tively and the enemy was close SO that
5ihe cncinctcrs retired, lighting. took up
g,,nother position, then turned and be-
$gan operations again.
:. y British officer who witnessed the
enlargement Is reported TO have said:
&-'Thcy ncld on by their teeth until the
&l'as, moment, tnh'ctins terrific casual
Rties on tho enemy. Then they moved
E3hack and waited for the Germans. aud
Hrepeated the performance"
+ FOUGHT UNTIL EXHAUSTION
PRACTICALLY oNERCAME THEM
81 Ey the time the engineers had
y reached p place somewhere near Eoyon
&they w-,c nearly exhausted aid almos,
&without equipment There they wcro
WEiven "A chance to rest and re-eoulp.
Il According to all r/ports. they were en-
4 titled 10 II, FOR certainly Trey gave the
6 Germans FenerQyIs sample Of wha,
#;he enemy is o.aSGac: from tn, Amer
+ ican army.
During battle unusual stories al
: ways crop up. but tho following e. one
which the Correspondent heard from
San unqu"stionahle source. and Il IS said
Ito have h-cu verified
81 In enc az TN" periodic when The Amer
lean engineer and their Canadian com
rades in arms were holding a position
x what appeared tU 10 q Britfsh san