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Show HOW ENGINEERS GOT INTO FIGHT American Troops in Large j Numbers Fill Gap Made by the Germans. QUICK WORK DONE British General Pays High Compliment to the U. S. Engineer Regiments. WITH THE AMERICAN ARMY IN France. April IS (By the Associated Asso-ciated Press ) Reports from British commanders which have just, been received re-ceived at American army headquarters give the first definite information that American engineering troops in large numbers were anions the forces has-tilj has-tilj assmbled from all branches of the service by Major General Carey for his improvised army which filled the gaps in the ime made by the Germans at the opening of their offensive last month The American engineers were at work constructing and operating field rftilwnvn inrl hnilfliiif hriilo-cc Three companies ol engineering regiments reg-iments were caught in the early bom-bardment bom-bardment and ordered to fall back. To one oi the American t ompanies, w hich had been consolidated with the British Royal engineers, was delegated the' task of guaranteeing the destruction I of an engineers' dump which it had jbeen decided to abandon This detachment detach-ment destroyed all the material, raadff a rapid retreat, caught up with tho larger group and immediately resumed resum-ed work, laying out trenches. These operations lasted Mom March UJ to March 27. As the German attack be-I be-I came more Intense ihe engineers were I joined by cooks orderlies and railway men as a part of General Carey's forces. The commanding officer of an American Amer-ican regiment took charge of an infantry infan-try sub-sector and directed the action of his troops for one week, until the emergency passed at that point. To this officer General Rawlinson. commanding com-manding the British array engaged in that sector, sent the following letter: "The army commander wishes to record officially his appreciation of the excellent work your regiment has done ; in assisting the British army to resist j the enemy's powerful offensive dur-i ing the last ten days. I fully realize i that it has been largely due to your assistance that the enemy has been checked and I rely on you to assist us still further during the few days which are still to come before I shall be able to relieve you in the line. "I consider your work in the line to be greatly enhanced by tho fact that for six weeks prior to taking your place in the front line, your men bad been working at such high pressure, erecting heavy bridges on the Somnu My best congratulations and warm thanks to all. "RAWLINSON." |