Trench and camp. [volume] (Augusta, Ga.) 1917-1919, 1917-11-07
Vol. l..
GERMANS KILL AND
WOUND AMERICANS
lien Cut Off by Terrific Barr ageFough Against Superior
Force-Hand Fighting. Comrades Anxious Re
turn the Blow

American troops have upheld the
glory Of the nation and died fighting
bravely against superior forces in front
line trenches in France.
A small detachment of American in
fantrymen was attacked in the front
line trenches early Saturday morning
by much superior force of German
shock troops. The Americans were
cut off from relief by the heavy bar
rage in their rear. They fought gal
lantly until overwhelmed, solely by
numbers.
The fighting in the trenches was
hand to hand. 1t was brief and fierce
in the extreme. AS a result of the en-
counter three Americans were killed
and four wounded. A sergeant and
corporal and ten men We're taken pris-
oner
Two French soldiers who were in
the trenches also Were killed The
enemy lost some men but the number
is unknown, as their dead and wound
ed were carried off by the retiring
Germans
From the beginning of the engage
ment until the end the Americans lived
up to all the traditions of the American
army, the records showing the bravery
of the detachment and of individual
members
The German raid on the American
trench was carried out against mem
bers of the second contingent enter
ing the trenches for training. These
men had only been in few days. A
heavy artillery fire was directed so as
to cover all the adjacent territory, in
Guiding the passage leading up to the
trenches. thereby forming a most eff
fective Sarrage in the rear as well as
in the front.
The young lieutenant in charge Of
the detachment of Americans started
back to the communicating trenches to
his immediate superior for orders. The
barrage knocked him down, but he
picked himself UP and started off again
A third time he was knocked down.
and badly shell-shocked and was put
out of action.
Soon after that Germans to the num-
Der, according to the report, of 210,
rushed through the breaches and wire
entanglements on each side of the sa-
lient, their general objective barrage
in the forefield being lifted for mo-
ment. The Germans went into the
trenches at several points. They met
with stout resistance, pistols, grenades,
knives and bayonets were freely used.
In one SectlOn OF the trench an AM
ericah private engaged two Germans
with the bayonet. That was the last
seen of him until after the raid when a
dead American was found on the spot.
Another was killed. by blow ON the
head with a rife butt from above.
Some of the Americans apparently at
the beginning of the attack did not re-
aIize just what was going on.
The raid was evidently carefully
zNls nd AYfa6 off or
that it was well executed. There is a
reason for believing that the Germans
were greatly surprised when they
found Americans in the trenches in
stead of the French.
The French general in command of
the division expressed extreme salts
faction at the action of the Americans
for they fought bravely against a nu-
mericaily superior enemy, the handful
of men fighting until they were smoth-
cred
The bodies of the American dead
were brought back to divisional head
quarters and buried with honors. The
wounded are at the base hospitals.
The whole American expeditionary
forces are thrilled by the fight put up
by their comrades and all are anxious
to get chance to deal blow.
Killed.
Private Thomas +. Enright, sister,
Mrs Mary irwin, Pittsburgh.
Private James f. Gresham. mother,
Mrs. Alice Dodd. Evansville. Ind