The sun., 1919-03-16

losses. Then our artillery laid down
q thick barrage behind their advanced
line, preventing the bringing up of re-
endorsements. They could neither adj
| vance nor retreat: they were caught
between two destructive fires. Gradu-
ally the barrage was lowered upon
! their advance line and their position
became n slaughter pen. Those who
got into town never got out again and
the rest were driven back to their
lines. The we'll organized attack was
simply crumpled up and wiped out.
We had very few casualties and took
fifty men captive and one officer.
Advance slow, but steady.
In Belleau Wood the advance after
! the 10th was slow but continuous be-
| hind an effective barrage. Almost i'm
perceptibly our line was pushed for
ward among the trees, like water eat
| ing its way into a snow bank. As
fast as they advanced the Marines dug
| in and stuck, though constantly shelled
! and gassed. There was less hand to
hand fighting now, but casualties on
| both sides were numerous ana the Ma
rines continued TO capture prisoners
and machine guns.
Between June Is and 10 SIX main
attacks were made against the woods
and nine counter attacks were re-
pulsed. The Germans tried to filter
: ir from the left. but were beaten off,
Bouresches was subjected to an aerial
bombardment. but the Marines stuck
there, too. What they have they hold.
| Il Of -
j., remembers this period rather Wv
idly, for 1t was then he was wounded.
Stecks company did not take part in
the attack on Belleau Wood until June
II. but they were not all idle while
in reserve. He and two sergeants sue
ceeded in sneaking out at night and
bringing back wounded Marines they
found in that area Private Steck
doesn't know whether his officers
learned of these nightly "desertions. "
The trio succeeded, however. in res
cuing many companions in this man
ner. Steck writes;
We came across a German officer
seated comfortably with his knees
crossed. Before him was spread a
little field table on which was cake,
jam, cookies and a fine array of
food. A knife and fork was in
| either hand.
! Beside the officer was seated q
large. bulky sergeant who had been
| knitting socks. The darning needles
were still between his fingers. Both
their heads had been blown off by
a large shell.
Hot Fighting July II.
We went into hot fighting on
June II at = a. NJ. A few hours
before had been on a detail that
was bringing up hot coffee from the
rear.
Hand grenades were distributed
! and then Capt. L. w. Williams
! lined us up in combat formation.
Soon We were going single file
through the woods and charging
across the open area to where the
Germans were secluded in their
holes. .,'''
My duties were to load a Chau-
chat or French automatic rife.
You could run about nine steps and
then another clip would have to be
inserted. Bullets slit my canteen,
hit my scabbard and two or three
went through my trousers without
touching me. We had advanced in
triangle formation about half a
mile. was in the front end of the
~" when three machine bullets
got me. One went into my neck,
another in my left shoulder and tho
third in my arm.
tried to keep on in assisting the
operation of tho automatic but the
blood came UP in my throat.
forced my way back and hid in a
shell hole in the woods until little
Marine found me. This fellow
dragged me 500 yards on his
shoulder to a first aid dugout.
There n shelter-half was used as
stretcher and | was taken back to
a larger dressing station
Private John G. Geiser's company
was also one of those that were held
in reserve during the first few days
of the fighting. but when they got
their chance they went to it as though
afraid that their comrades had left
them no Germans to kill. It was the
attack of June 10 which they took a
leading part in. and al last they
found themselves entering the blood
soaked wood.
Impossible to Hold Them BACK.
J They surged forward in a two wave
formation at flve pacA interyals hui