New-York tribune., 1918-07-13
Officer Pays Tribute to Our
Dash and Morale in
Several Battles
Refers to Soldiers
AS Storm Troops
CAPTURED Order Is Quoted
by Gen. Pershing in
Days Report


tribute is paid to American dash, ply
sical condition and loyalty, and the
mites which fought near Chateau
Thierry are called almost assault
troops." Portions of the report have
been cabed by correspondents pre-
vously
The section of the communque deal
ing with the captured document fol-
lows:
The document IS dated June 7, 1918.
Extracts from it follow
Intelligence officer of the supreme
command at army headquarters No.
~. No. 1928.
"Army headquarters. June II, 1918.
Second American Infantry Division.
Examination OF prisoners from the
5th, 9th. 9th and 23d regiments capt
ured from June to IA in the Bou-
resches sector.
principal points of information.
Purposes Of attacks:
"The prisoners were not informed Of
the purpose of the attacks. The orders
for the attacks on Belleau Wood were
made known only few hours before
the attacks took place.
arrival in line and relief.
"The marine brigade went into sec
tor from June 2 to June 4, and ele-
ments of the other two regiments from
June TO June 6 in the are;. of Torcy-
Vaux 1.-TWO and a half miles west of
Chateau Thierry), one battalion from
each unit being in the front line There
they relieved French troops of various
divisions. whose identity they did not
know. They had no information con-
cernng their relief. Only the prison
ers from the marine brigade consid-
cred that on account of heavy losses
their rellef was imminent.
Organization:
Paragraph The Sd Marine Bri-
gade belongs to the Marine Corps
which was already in existence in the
United States during peace time. The
iSt and I'd Marine Brigades are said
to be still az home.
paragraph 2-Regarding the distri-
button OF machine guns the prisoners
made contradictory statements. They
claim that. in the Sd Marine Brigade.
for instance, each regiment. in addi-
ion to the infantry battalion, has one
machine gun battalion of four platoons,
each platoon having twelve machine
guns. Furthermore, each brigade is
SAID to have one brigade machine gun
battalion.
According to captured order of
battle OF the 26th American Division
Intelligence Officer 7, No. 1928, June
3, 1873, that division has only one
frlir1
each regiment. In case the vague
statements of the prisoners are cor
rect, the discrepancy can be perhaps
explained by the fact that the Marine
corps was part of the United States
peace army and was therefore equipped
according to principles other than in
the case of the 26th American Divis-
ION which has been formed from Ma
oonal Guard troops since the war be-
gan
History of the division:
Elements OF the second American
dWlsion were put into the Moulapville
,serdun) sector from the middle of
March to the middle of May for train
ing and were relieved by unknown
french troops.
ne division was then moved by rail
10 the vicinity of Vitry-le- Francois,
where yshere 1t remained about five days
from there the division was trans
Ierred pd Dy rail, via Coulommieers, St.
pehls and Pontolse, into the region
NEST West OF Beauvais. The 9th Regiment of
ts;ll Marlnes was in the vicinity of Gisors,
va;y vnir'y Kiiometres NJ southwest of Beau
vals. The 9Th Regiment of Marines
was at Chars, seven kilometres north
west OF the marines along the Pont-
oise-to- Sc -beauvais railway.
Inc 9th and 23d regiments we're
quartered with and near the marines.
~; inc division rested eight DAYS in
sniS region. Man9uvres on large
S.an Seale or with large units were not
h heiu; Vniy exercises in minor tactics,
nd"u grenade throwing and target
p.ec,!ce were carried out. A few long
prscuce marches (hikes) were made
oh May 81 the Sd Marine Brigade
wa was ordered to move and was put into
.iehcn motor trucks twenty men or
p Ien "Nlcers in each truck. The 5th
~ s''''eRt oi the marines was the first
T'aVe ~ leaVe and travelled via Beaumont
nuzarches. ,o4.:a Ermenonville (west of Nan
'eu1i, lie Plessis, Belleville and Meaux
AiSy sur Ourcq), where they were
S,',o~ueo after journey of eighteen
e,L iNSilhenI 10 lcaVc was the
L,n lon..1 regiment of Marines, which fol-
ana ea 90 tne same route, while the 9th
v;a va .ou regiments apparently moved
nav Ieaumont, Ecoven, Genessee, Aul-
'ehvirons of Paris), Olave. Meaux
ana were unloaded in the neirhborhood
D Ia Derte sous-Jouarre. The 5th
JSegiment of Marines was put into line
ssut'hg suig the night of June 2-3 as the
ol ".s1 regiment of the division, the other
tbbe"iehts ~ taking up their positions in
,., "e sector in Echelen.
Fighting Value:
be ahe ai second American division NAV
nertSlhed tSs"sSlhed as very good division.
v;aps even as assault troops. The
Ro,ieus attacks of both regiments on
dash oods were carried out with
fect .s"u rccklessness. The moral ef
cbecl our firearms did not materially
tho 'ne advance of the infantry:
mistaken. ~ '0"'s are stiil
'a'ue of the Individual:
pood ne - individual soldiers are very
nb'a nbVu they are healthy, vigorous ana
rms raS amSssicaiiy we'll developed men of aoos
wI IsHg from eighteen to twentv-eiobt
tra;s at present lack only NECESSARY
ponanae 70 make them redoubtable op-
mi fl'IIenss. ns The troops are fresh and
ren. o, straightforward confidence.
d;onarK OF one of the prisoners is in
get killed. we XIII or
Method of Attack:
w. IN both attacks on the Bel,eau
0S' winch were carried out by one