THE AMERICANS IN ACTION

Otago Witness, Issue 3352, 12 June 1918, Page 15

THE AMERICANS IN ACTION

American official reports are to the following effect: — North-west of Chateau Thiery wo broke all enemy attempts to advance south through Neuilly Woods. A countcr-attuck drove the enemy northward of these woods. On the Marne front a German battalion which crossed the river at Jaulgonne was counter-attacked by Franco-American troops and forced to retreat to the right bank, sustaining severo losses in killed and prisoners. Wo shelled the enemy's position at Woevre, using gas. In an attack north-westward of Chateau Thierry on the morning of the 6th hist, we, in conjunction wtih the French, advanced our line southward of Torcy about a mile, capturing prisoners and inflicting heavy losses in killed and wounded. North-west of Chateau Thierry hostile attacks on a front of two miles during the night, launched after artillery preparations, were repulsed wtih heavy losses to the enemy, who did not reach our lines anywhere. A fresh enemy attack during the night of the Bth north-west of Chateau Thierry, in the vicinity of Bouresches,brokc down with severe enemy losses. The United Press correspondent at the American front says: The result of the American attacks on the Marne is the stoppage of the German rush. The Americans defeated three divisions of Prussian and Bavarian LarHwehr on three successive days. The Americans pushed forward four miles, which was two miles further than they had been ■ ordered to advance, and afterwards fell back under orders. _ They, however, still hold gains amounting .in deuth to two miles and a-half, also important strategic points. The Americans advanced two miles on a two-mile front in the Chateau Thiery sector, and took prisoner 100 "Germans. The American newspapers are elated over the Americans' achievements on the Marne. The Now York World says: Berlin may reconcile her contempt for the "wooden sword of the West."

GALLANT WORK BY THE AMERICANS. The gallant fighting of the Americans has made a dramatic impression in Fiance. MiBaker's promise that half a million men would reach Europe by May has been fulfilled, and many thousands aro actually in (he line. America's effort suddenly looms large. She has taken a share in comforting when help was urgently needed. During a recent visit to the American front a correspondent was most impressed by the splendid physique and intelligence of the in fantry. They are undeniably amateurish, but have a way all their own. They are teeming with questions like simple youngsters Their physio,ue is indisputably far bettor than that of the Europeans. The Daily Mail's correspondent says the Americans are distributed over wido fronts in addition to tho sectors which American divisions solely hold. At every fourth village behind the line from Switzerland to the sea yon find Americans, who are rapidly learning the craft of war. One thing thev already know—how to be deadly shots. After a recent German raid it waa notable that every enemy corpse was shot through the heart. A typical American episode just disclosed occurred at Jaulgonnc where tho French were holding the northern edge of a loop on tho Marno Tw* Germans succeeded hi throwing across 22 light bridges, each allowing the enemy to cross two abreast. Two battalions of infantry succeeded in crossing and forming a bridgehead in fJio railway Btatiou, assisted by six machino