George Bryant, age 16, of Poughkeepsie, N.Y., for his question:

WHATS WAS THE BATTLE OF THE MARNE?

Two battles of World War I which took place near the Marne River in northeastern France were called the Battle of the Marne.

The first, in September 1914, was a decisive battle that stopped the German advance 30 miles from Paris. The Germans had encountered little resistance in their march on Paris. Then, as a result of a decoding error, they wheeled to the southwest. The military governor of Paris convinced the French commander to attack the flank thus exposed.

Troops were rushed to the front by all available means, including taxicabs. The German armies retreated and the threat to Paris was ended.

The second battle was in July 1918. The action marked the turning point of the war. Allied forces, including several American divisions, made a counterattack on a major German drive. Plans for a massive German attack in Flanders failed, giving the Allies the initiative thereafter.