Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-11-11
Leader Offers Tribute for Marines Anniversary Day

lean attack of June IL. executed main
ly by the I'd Battalion. 5th Marines,
and the 1st Battalion, 9Th Marines.
AT $3.50 that afternoon allied artil-
lsry fire had reached its maximum
effectiveness. At $50 pm. the Ger
man line was assaulted on the western
half of Belleau Woods. German de-
mand for support from an artillery bar
rage met with no answer. because our
signal lights failed IN the heavy Iog.
Nevertheless, the Marine attacI; was
thrown off, leaving 80 American dead
in front of one German battalion.
In the ensuing bayonet battle;
fought on both sides with signal
bravery, both sides suffered severe
losses. General confusion among de-
tenders was greatly increased oy Ter
transporting Americans. VINO cried,
'Wo LSt das Regiment 40?' apparently
for assistance. German battalionS were
so exhausted by evening that they we're
unable to make further attacks. The
front line even retreated slightly to get
a better situation. The brigade COM
mander ordered the old line to be re-
taken the next day, cost what 1t may.
During the forenoon Of June IL
quiet reigned along most of the front.
American patrols felt out positions
| "At pm. the I'd Battalion, 5th Ma
rines. executed a surprise attack on
| Belleau Woods. AT pm. there was
little fire coming from the woods. and
German Skirmish line accommodated
| through the forest. The German guns
shot shells on the southern part of the
woods. American resistance to these
attacks was exceptionally vigorous.
| But about dusk American units adj
vanced en- masSe. German artillery
J hon u,ifI hrtf 40
gaps were soon filled by fresh troops.
The German line snapped under this
mighty pressure. Americans Surged
through at various points and routed
| the enemy.
"Thus the bold I'd Regiment, 5th Ma
rines, drove the whole 28th German
Division out of the woods.
= X
"WE might ask here: How explain
that the Germans. after fighting
off American attacks for seven days,
should have been overwhelmed in hand
to-hand fighting in the comparatively
short time of two days? The question
is pertinent, and American successes
are more creditable when it is recalled
that in hand-to-hand fighting the Ger
man was an invincible Zoe. The 'Furor
Teutonious,' once feared by the Romans
and now dreaded by French and Rus
SLAMS, proved that in this form of fight
ing our soldiers were in their elemen MT.
German troops felt themselves vastly
superior to the French and Russians.
only when they outnumbered the
Teutons did French and Russians dare
to meet us at close quarters. The
marked superiority of the German race
over the Romans and Slavs in hand-to-
hand combat demonstrated itself
/ throughout the war.
IF the sport-loving English, the pow
erful Australians and strapping Cana
dianS proved to be the equals of Ger
mans in hand-to-hand fighting. it must
be remembered that they, too, are of
Germanic blood
German infantry possessed a great
firing force which enabled them to
beat of American attacks. But the
small number of men equipped with
rifles and bayonets made huge disad-
vantage once fighting began within the
forest. With the Americans it was
quite contrary.
And another point: Before the
Chemin DIES Danes offensive German
general recommended to the high COM
mand that each two divisions be merged
into one unit, inasmuch as the infan-
| try's fighting strength had been greatly
reduced. In each division the number
of experts not competing in actual
battle number ed 1000 After the first
heavy engagements our divisions had
more experts than fighters.
1T may be assumed without doubt
that the rife strength of an American
company at this time was about equal
| to that of a German battalion. When
! German companies reported that they
| were attacked by superior numbers
that must have been the case.
ION June 13 our forces were repulsed.
Americans dTcTe the Germans out of
good part of the woods. Conditions
in one of our rcgimo NJ were described:
On account of exhaustion. malnutri-
ton and the deplorable lack of Junior
officers, the fighting value of these
troops Is practically nil"
There is a German suggestion that
ION the edge of blood-drenched Belleau
Woods we might erect a monument,
draped with American, French and Ger
man colorS, and bearing the Inscription:
"'These are the Woods of Belleau.
I'm June, 1918, wreSted from the
French by Germans, stormed in bold
two-day offensive, heroically defended
by them for nine days, then taken by
storm in two days by the Americans,
who remained in victorious possession.
Honor to heroes of three nations.
who, true to fatherland, here fought
and die,i.'"