The courier-index., 1917-11-09
HOW OUR SOLDIERS
STOOD FIRST TEST
oUTNUMBERED FIVE TO ONE, At
Tackled IN DARKNESS, THEY
FOUGHT HAND TO HAND WITH
GERMAN TROOPS.

I have known that the Germans have
raided our trenches, killing three,
wounding five and capturing IL
Americans Americans will know
that as war goes it was a small and
unimportant affair. But they should
know certain other things that the
! army here knows.
The raid has been exceedingly
valuable to us. Aside from the fact
that we have had our first taste of
, real fighting we know that our
troops are the real thing, possessed
of the finest courage and fighting
ability. And we know from our own
experience what sort of enemy we
are fighting. AS for our soldiers,
they are splendid The absolute
truth is that fewer than 40 Ameri-
cans were attacked by 210 Germans
after being pounded for half an hour
by intense shell fire that pounded the
trenches in many places.
But these forty put up a game
fight, worthy of Americans, battling
in the darkness, outnumbered five to
one Though we had losses, so did
the Germans.
The Americans fought them every
NJ mute, using rifles, grenades, bay
Onets and revolvers, and there were
incidents such as should thrill the
United States with pride from the
Atlantic to the Pacific.
There was one soldier from East
st. Louis who was buried for hours
by a shell explosion, while another
man from Kansas, laboring to dig his
comrade out, was knocked down
three times by shell conclusions. but
kept ON digging even when ordered
into a dugout by his lieutenant.
Kept on digging until he was finally
joined by his comrade and the two
worked until they got out the man.
The Lieutenant was knocked down
five times by shell conclusions as
he labored beside the Kansan. He
is now in the hospital in serious
condition.
There was a sergeant from Michi-
gan who was wounded by shrapnel
and shot through the arm. but kept
on bayoneting Germans as they came
until he tainted from the loss of
blood.
Another man, shot Is the arm and
leg, the instant he left his dugout,
losing his rifle when he fell, drew
his revolver and killed two Germans.
These foes were so close their uni
forms were powder burned.
And these were new troops. many
of whom first learned squads right"
a few months ago, and had never
been under fire before. They were
mostly just kids.
AS the officers who went out with
them said well may we be proud
of them. They stood the test and
left an example for those who fol-
low" There is no doubt that the
Germans very carefully planned the
whole affair Beginning at 2:50
o'clock Saturday morning the Ger
mans laid box barrage' on
small sector of our line. Box bar
rage is shell fire not only on the
support lines to prevent reinforce
ments, but also to the right and left
of the sector selected, thus complete
ly isolating the defenders. so our 40
men were penned in completely.
The the Germans came across No
Mans Land. concealed by the driv-
ing rain and pitch darkness. Reach
ing our barbed wire they wrecked
t at two places with heavy explo-
sive charges and came through the
lanes thus created. In our trenches
the bombardment had done consider
able damage. But our men. though
they had only been there few hours
unaccustomed to the position. waited
in the dugouts. letting the shells do
their worst until the German infan-
try arrived AS they dashed out of
shelter they found the trenches in
darkness with Germans vaulting into
the bitches flourish'ng long biaded
knives. clubs. grenades and reyolvers.
Then began a fierce man to man
struggle in the darkness. Though
half stunned nv the hombardmenr
and greatly ontnumbered the Ameri-
cans were fighting superbly.
II was so dark that our men had
10 wait until right on top of their
a1versaries. as otherwise friend
could not be distinguished from foe.
Counled with the st~angencss of the
trenches was the fact that they knew
the barrage had cut off all hope of
help.
The Germans managed TO over
mower and get awav with ~ men.
a sergeant corporal and 10 men,
the first American prisoners they
have captured.
We have reason to believe that the
american counter barraPe caught the
Germans in their wav hack to their
'rorches. so that they didn't get off
scOt-free.
Regret though we ma. the loss OF
orr men. IL was valuable bit OF ex-
DeFieRce the Germans have given
VS. wh'ch we could have gained in
no other wav
We are past the academic stage
- training and are now an army
(which has become fighting force
~ishting carries with II just such
things as this
The big thing is that we made a
vond fight ard showed that later we
'v'r male hetter one. Thoea men
~~No "ave their all that night will
he honored as they deserve to be
! honored here and back home.