Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1917-11-08
US. MEN TRAPPED
BY THE GERMANS
ON FRENCH FRONT
Captured After Being Cut Off by
Barrage Fire.
3 KILLED AND 5 WOUNDED
Private Gresham of Evansville, Ind,
and Private Hay of GIidden, la,
Dead; Private Smith of Lud-
ington, Mich, Wounded;
TWO Chicagoans Ia
ken Prisoner.

Washington, Nov. 6. = American
troops captured by the Germans in
the trench raid on the morning of
November 8 were probably trapped in
thehir dugouts and forced to surren-
der or be blown to pieces with hand
grenades without a chance for their
lives.
This is the only explanation which
occurs to army officers, lacking any
details Of the fight.
General Pershing's brief report
merely stated that the German artil-
lery had dropped a heavy bGrrage fire
about sector of thetrench, cutting
the men off from help. No eXplana-
ton of the eight casualties and the
twelve men taken prisoners was re-
ceived. The fact that one wounded
German was captured, however, indi-
Gated that the trench had been reoc-
cupied by the American forces.
The official statement issued by the
war department is as follows:
''The war department has received a
dispatch from the commanding gener-
al of the American eXpeditiOnary
forces which stated that before day
light November 3 a salient occupied
for instruction by company Of Amer
lean infantry was raided by Germans.
''The enemy put down a heavy
Earrage fire, cutting off the salient
from the rest Of the men. Our losses
were three killed, five wounded and II
captured or missing. The enemy's
losses are not known. One wounded
German was taken prisoner"
Probably a Trench Raid.
Whether the three men killed and
five wounded received their injuries
in hand-to-hand fighting With the raid
ing German dnfantrymen or were
struck down by shrapnel is not known.
A single shell, scoring q direct hit in
the trench, might have caused all the
casualties. That would not explain,
however, the surrender of the remain
ing twelve.
How Barrage Fire Acts.
Presumably the American trench
raided was an advanced post With
only 20 men in it, it could not have
had front of more than so or 60 feet.
Possibly it was the head of a sap
driven out into No Mans Land at
right angles with the general trench
line, to be used as q listening and OBJ
ServatiOn post. In that case the bar
rage fire of few guns could cut the
sector off absolutely from it's support.
Plan to Inspire Terror.
Many French and British military
writer's have warned America that
Germany would hurl terrific blows at
the Americans as soon as news Of
their location reached the German
side, and when the Americans went
into the trenches war department off
Gals here predicted this might hap
pen. It was pointed out that this was
a favOrite trick of the Germans when
British territorials from Canada or
Australia went into the trenches for
the first time.
Casualty List.
The official casualty list of the losses
Of American troops in France in their
first clash with the Germans follows:
Killed:
Private Thomas F. Enright sister,
Mrs. Mary Irwin. 6641 Promo street,
Pittsburgh.
Private James b. Gresham; mother,
Mrs. Alice Dodd, 1901 West Ohio
street. Evansville. Ind
Private Merle D. Hay; father, Harry
D. Hay, Glidden, Ia.
Wounded:
Private J. J. Smith; brother, S. D.
Smith, Ludington, Mich.
Private Charles J. Hopkins: brother,
James w. Hopkins, Stanton, Tex.
Private George L. Box. 700 Grady
street. Altus. Okla.
Private Homer GivenS; father. Will
liam S. Givens> Cloverdale. Ala.
Private Charles L. Orr mother, Mrs.
Sarah Regnell, r. F. D. No 5, Lyons,
Kan.
Captured or missing:
Private Herchel Godfrey: father,
William C. Oberst, 100 North Ridge
way evenue, Chicago, H.
Harry Loughman; mother. Ada r.
LOughman, 461 lakewood boulevard, |
Chicago.
Sergt. Edgar NJ ~Haryburton; father
George B. Haryburton. Stony Point
n G.
Corporal Nicholas L. Mulhadd moth |
err, Mrs. Bridget Mulhall, 1S9 Ninth
street, Jersey City. n. J.
Corporal Edwin H. Haines; mother,
Mrs. Elizabeth Haines, route No. 4,
Woodward. Okla.