The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1921-10-05
MARINES FIGHT,
BLOCKING PARIS
DRIVE, RECALLED
Assignment of Capt. Shepherd
to Duty Here Revives In
terest in Engagement.

Marine Corps company which held the
sector of the line that marked the
closest point to Paris reached by the
Germans after the American entry into
the war, is now on duty at Marine
Corps headquarters. Navy Department.
He is Capt. Lemuel c. Shepherd, who
at the time OF that fight was a fire;
lieutenant and second in command OF
the 55th company, End battalion. 9Th
Marines, which held the sector.
Captain Shepherd. now an aide to
the commandant Of the corps, has
been actively engaged in the prep
aration for the marine corps mauSu-
vers now under way on the old
Wilderness battlefield at Fredericks-
burg and Charlottesville, Va.
"Begs Off" From Story.
When asked for the story Of the
fight in which he played such q
prominent part. he begged off,"
II don't want to talk about IT,"
he said. That's all over with now.
Let's forget it. Now. II you want
to know what is going on down in
Virginia"
But the story Is worth while. IN
received orders to stand by their
cannons." They got under way the
next morning at o'clock to inter
cept the Germans in their relentless
advance on Paris. They passed
through Meaux, and marched until
midnight, when they bivouacked at
a small deserted village, which was
bombed all that night by energy
planes.
Breaking camp at 4 o'clock on the
morning of June /. the battalion re.
sumed the march to the front, met
ing streams Of refugees and stragl.
ing French troops. At 10 a. M, June
; ?, the battalion again took up the
march. and, drawing ammunition on
the way, proceeded through Marigny
to back up the retreating French. BY
now there were scattered shells fall
ing.
Mako Stand at Farm.
The Fffty-fifth Company's orders
directed It to take position about ~
kilometers northeast of Marigny. in
front of Les Mares farm, consisting
OF farmhouse and outbuildings, with
q wheat field stretching away toward
the direction Of the advancing enemy.
The Fifty-fifth was halted in q small
wood while the officers went forward
to reconnoiter. At 4 D. m. the Ger. |
man barrage increased and the
French troops in their retreat reached !
the marines position. with the infor- |
nation that the Germans were right |
behind.
The Fffty-fifth Company was broushs
forward on the double and q skirmish |
line formed with the right on the
Champillon- Bussiares road and the left |
at the Les Mares ferme house. The |
company front was slightly concave, |
the bend coming in the center Of the |
company. This was the point which |
was nearest to Paris.
During the night the marines dug
in, the Fifty-first Company to their |
right and the Forty-third some distance |
to the left, leaving a large gap in the |
line. No men could be spared to fiji |
that hole. The Germans bombarded |
the position all the next morning and. |
Ms the American artillery had not yet |
arrived and the French ISIS were being |
moved back, there was no retaliation. |
Shepherd Sent to Outpost.
There was a small knoll in the wheat |
field some distance in front of the |
Fifty-first Company line and an out |
Cost Of about ten men under Lieuten.
ant Shepherd was sent forward with |
orders to hold II unless the enemy's |
fire became too hot, in which case they
were to fall back to the line Of de.
Tense.
At s o'clock on the afternoon OF
yiine 8, the German fire increased
and the marines prepared for an at
tack. Within a very few minutes
tho Germans appeared. from the
woods beyond the wheat field in very
omen formation, with scouts in the
advance.
lieutenant Shepherds outpost
opened on them and q little later
thu left of the line became engaged.
Ths Germans had set up machine
guns in a wood to the right flank
90 hot that the outpost suffered
L. go number Of casualties, Lieuten-
an Shepherd himself being wounded,
ard, obeying orders, fell back to the
lire of defense. The Germans suf-
fered severe casualties in this at
tack, as they were surprised and
confused by the fire Of the outpost.
Riflemen Pick OFF Foe.
The marines had no machine guns
nj the time, but their rifle fire was
exceptionally accurate, each man aim.
ing coolly and deliberately, and not
one German approached closer than
100 yards Of the line. ,
The first two waves Of the attack
crs were thrown back in confusion
and the third wave receded and began
working around through the wheat
field to the gap on the left Of the
Fifty-fifth. In order to take care of
this move a platoon was swung from
the right of the line to protect the left
flank.
During the night the Fifty-fifth
was reinforced by a detachment from
the headquarters company, and sew.
oral machine guns and the Germans
were beaten off completely on all
sides. Later the artillery came up
and shelled the woods in which the
Germanys had taken cover all the
following day. Shippers were kept
busy. as Germans were seen fire.
auently In the wheatfield.
Another attack was expected that
afternoon, but was completely broken
4