New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-11-14
American Officer
Felled 3 Times
By Teuton Shells
Escaped With Only a Few
Scratches From Flying
Gravel After Raid
Troops Defy Shrapnel
Mumps Send More Men to
Hospital Than Bullets of
the Enemy
Troops Defy Shrapnel

WITH THE AMERICAN ARMY IN
FRANCE, Monday. Nov. 12.-The lieu
tenant who was knocked down three
times by shellfre during the recent
German raid in the American sector
to-day described his experiences TO
The Associated Press. His face IS
covered with scratches from flying
gravel.
when the firing began l started
back to the trench" he said. THE
first thing | knew there was a crash
/ seemed to see sparks shooting from
all over my body. | started to crawl,
and Il seemed ages before my face hit
the mud at the bottom Of the trench
The same thing happened again
minute later. Then picked myself
up and started in another direction
a corporal and two men joining me.
A shell burst a few feet from us on
the parapet. I lost consciousness.
sWhen / came 20 all was black and
grenades were flying in all directions.
/ had lost my shrapnel helmet. but
feeling around with my hands. i found
one by the head of a man who was
lying near me. | put 1t on and start.
ed away, stumbling over the body OIL
the man, who was corporal.
Men Keep Their Nerve
81 went on and gathered some men.
We spread ourselves out, expecting
heavy attack. AS a matter Of fact,
found out later that the raid was over
and that the grenades we saw were
being thrown b. retreating Germans"
II is the opinion Of all the officers
that the troops are bearing up excel
lently under their first experience in
the trenches. All are learning how
to conduct themselves under fire, and
also that shellhre, even when intense,
is not as dangerous as it sounds.
SO much shrapnel has fallen since
the battalions of the second contingent
in the trenches have taken their posts
that the men have ceased TO worry
about it, hardly paying any more at
tention to it than to rain. The COM
mander Of one battalion said that since
the men had entered the trenches
humps had caused more OF them TO go
70 the nOspltal lhAn the enemy bte'
Expert in Patrol Work
American soldiers are rapidly be-
coming expert at patrol work and their
officers say they carry on IN No Mans
Land as if they had been at IL for
years. This is explained partly by the
fact that activity in No Mans Land
along the sector held by the Amerl-
cans virtually is open warfare, which
is distinctly an American game.
Already stories Of the heroism OF
individual soldiers during trench raids
are coming 10 light. Some men hesi-
tate TO tell what they have done, but
are anxious and willing to tell what
they have seen others do. The latest
incident discovered involved FIVE pri-
Yates, who rushed from their dugout
as the Germans entered the trenches.
Standing. kneeling and lying in front
Of the entrance, they fired on the en-
envy so successfully that they pre-
vented the Germans. who made several
attempts, from entering.
A large shipment Of turkeys, mince-
meat, cranberries, nuts, raisins,
oranges and sweet potatoes for the
Thanksgiving dinner Of the American
soldiers has arrived in France. II will
be distributed among the various IN
struction centres and villages where
the troops are billeted. Other ship
ments vii. follow.