Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1918-08-13
Thrilling Story Of
Repulse of Boches
BY u. S: Marines

:.
Washington. Aug. 13.-An account
by an eyewitness of the fighting near
Chateau Thierry in which American
gade. took part early in June was
made public recently by the navy de-
partment 1t is a long letter from, all
officer of the marines to Major General
Barnett, commandment of the corps, and
the story told is of peculiar significance
,as-tn the opinion of many officers here
it was the stand OF the Americans
along this line which saved Paris.
The Americans were rushed to the
line In motor trucks to support the
French and the marine brigade de-
ployed on support position. the hat
talon commanded by Major Thomas
Holco,nb hurrying into the line as the
men climbed out Of the trucks. The
Germans were coming on. and the next
day the French dropped back thru the
American lines.
Eve had installed ourselves in a
house in La Vote Chatelle, oetween
Champion and Lucy de Bocaye.' the
servation of the north, and when the
Germans attacked at 5 p. m. we had a
box seat.
They were driving at Hill l65 from
the north and northeast and they came
on the target at each shot. They
came in two columns across wheat
field. We could see the two thin brown
columns advancing In perfect order
until two-thirds of the columns. we
judged. were in view.
The rifle and machine gun fire were
incessant and overhead shrapncl was
bursting. Then the shrapnel ran,e on
the target at each shot. The white
patches would roll away and we could
see that some OF the columns were still
there, slowed up, and 1t seemed perfect
suicide for them to try. You couldn't
beSrudre :. tribute to their pluck. ut
that.
Then, under that deadly Hre. ,-nd a
bar,.age of rifle and machine gun Are.
the boche stopped. They burrowed in
or broke to the cover Of the wods.''
The writer declares the rife fire Of
the marines amazed the French who
saw it
That men should fire deliberately
and use their sights and adjust their
range" he says. was beyond their
experience. It must have had a telling
effect on the morale Of the boche. fof
it was something they had not counted
on. AS a matter Of fact. after pushing
back the weakened French and then
running up against stonewall defense
they were literally up in the air and
more than stopped. We found out later
from prisoners. for the Germans never
knew we were in the front line when
they made that attack"
/ The letter describes the action Of
June s. which resulted in the capture
OF Beileau wood.
Leader Thrice Wounded.
Major Sibley,s battalion Of te sixth
marine regiment led the way here with
Hoicomb in support The woode we're
alive with enemy machine. guns. That
night word came back that Robertson
with twenty mep o: the Ninety sixth
c'on. pany had taken Bouresches. break.
ing thru a heavy machine gun barrage
to enter the town. Robertson fighting
with an automatic in either hand, was
hit there times before he would allow
himself to be taken to the rear.
Speaking Of individual acts Of
bravery, the writer says Duncan, q
commander before he was
inpwed down had his pipe In his mouth
ilndwwas carrying stick. = Later. he
ildds, f.Dentil Surgeon Osborn picked
zap Duncan and. with a hospital corps
- n 4 ~Yko
when a she'll wiped all three Of them
out"
Captured Gun Turned tsn Foe.
Private Ddnlayy, killed later. cap-
tured an enemy machine gun in
Bcuresches. which he turned on the
foe with great effect, while at another
point, Young Timmerna charged a
machine gun at the point OF the bay
onet and sent in seventeen prisoners at
q clip"
AT one point in the wood American
and French batteries hammered the
wood. Hughes. with the Tenth com-
pany,- then went in and his first mes.
sage was that the wood had been cut
to .mincemeat. Overton. heading the
Seventy sixth company finally charged
Rock plateau, killing or Capturing the
gunner and all the guns with few cas-
ualties.
xLauds Sibley and t4oleoin6.
The Eighty-second company lost all
its officers and Major sibley and his
adjutant, lieutenant Ballamy.S reor-
ganized it under fire and charged u
machine gun nest at the most critical
time in all the fighting. ssa
.'I wonder if ever an outfit" the
letter says, went up against more
desperate job, stuck to it SO gamely
without sleep, at times on short rations
with men and officers going of Ike
flies and wonder if in our long Iist.
gallant deeds there ever were two
better stunts than the work Of ssiblsy
and Holcomh 2" &
VALUE OF JnlTYlsHowN.
Battles in Ffanee Revealing New
Angles to War. ,is5s,s
London, Aug. 1S.-The new Anglo
French offensive shows both what 10
single command 10 in Fra nee and iUf,at