Evening star., 1939-08-14
Capitals S Defenders
Counterattack and
RepeI Invaders
Pennsylvania Troops
Eose Pressure From
Blocks Onslaught
BY JOSEPH s. EDGERTON,
Star Stah Correspondent.

MANASSAS, Va, Aug. l4.-After
a brilliant counterattack by three
companies of the 109th and 10th
Infantry Regiments, Pennsylvania
National Guard, had driven a REIN
forced Regular Army Black" bat
talon back half the distance they
had gained after forcing a crossing
OF Broad Run early today. hostilities
appeared temporarily stabilized at
noon in the fight to save Washing
ton from foreign invasion.
The mock battle, being waged be-
tween the 28th and 29th National
Guard divisions, defending Wash
ington, and 4 streamlined. mechan-
lied provisional division of the Reg
ular Army. began shortly after dawn
today when the Black Battalion,
supported by heavy reconnaissance
cars and Artillery. broke through the
Blue" outpost i'ne and crossed
Broad Run a half mile east of
Brentsville. establishing a bridge
head on the north bank of the
stream.
Blue" artillery south of Manas-
sas. chiefly the 109th Field Artillery
of the Pennsylvania Guard, opened
fire on the bridge over Broad Run.
theoretically destroyed it, and pre-
vented crossing of the reconnais-
sance cars. Some of the cars,
armed with .50-caliber machine
guns. supported the BLACK" infsn-
try of the 18th Regiment. Regulars,
from Fort George G. Meade. Md,
as they began an attack on foot.
Defenders Pushed Back.
To the north, firing over their
heads. the Blacks" drove back the
Blue" defenders. Companies F and
G Of the I'd Battalion, 109th In
fantry. approximately 1000 yards
through woods and over rolling
terrain toward the divisional head
quarters south of Manassas.
At IL am, however. Company E
of the 10th Pennsylvania arrived
on the double and took position on
the right of the hard-pressed COM
panies at the edge of wood over
looking a high, open field to the
south, on the far side of which, the
Blacks" were beginning to consol'-
date and establish machine gun
nests.
Ten minutes later the three Blue"
companies began their counterat-
tack with machine gun support,
crossing the open ground by series
of platoon rushes. "Black' troops,
holding stubbornly in a dense scrub
thicket near the center of the line
were cleared out by a charge and
the Black line was forced back
nearly 1000 yards to an open ridge
overlooking Broad Run.
Early today the invading BLACKS"
made an air raid against the Blue"
29th Division railhead at Gaines
vile, Va, and against the defending
Sd Corps headquarters at Manassas
The attackers, from Langley Field
Va, were met with brisk machine
gun and anti-aircraft fire from the
2l3th and 260th Coast Artillery anti
aircraft regiments. the latter from
the District of Columbia.
Halted BY Artillery.
During the morning a BLACK"
cavalry force crossed the Occoquan
Greek near Spriggs Ford, four miles
southeast of Manassas, and after
skirmishing north to Buck Hall
Church, attempted to start q drive
to the westward toward Bristow,
but was stopped by a battalion of
2sth Division artillery and driven
back
BLACK" artillery kept up q How
itzer fire on the Bradley School
area at the center of the 28th Di-
vision line through the morning. but
the Blues" stubbornly held their
ground there, moving the 55th In
fantry Brigade forward through
dense woods to support the engaged
companies of the l09th and 10th
Infantry regiments.
Observation airplanes of the 103d
Observation Squadron, 28th Division,
operating from Boiling Field, Wash
ington, and the 104th Squadron,
10th Division. operating from Fred
erick, Nd, maintained constant re-
connaissance patrols over the bat
tie front and kept q continuous
stream OF Handicapped messages
flying into corps headquarters
throughout the morning.
Up to early afternoon the move
ments of the main BLACK" invading
force, including 70 tanks and other
mechanical units, remained a mys-
terry 1T Blue" headquarters. They
were generally believed to be push
(see MANEUVERs, Page A-2)