The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-11-06
Survivors Tell of Desperate
Trench Battle With Huns.
Surrounded and Outnumbered,
They Fought Hand to Hand.
21O GERMANS CAPTURE 10
Retreat Suddenly Cut OF by
Artillery Barrage Fire.
TeutOns Carried Own Dead and
Wounded Back With Them.
BY j. w. PEGLER.

With the American Army at the
Front. Nov. 6.-They were making
ready today to bury in the hallowed
soil of France the first American sol
sdiers to fight and die to make the
world safe for democracy
8 Three of them died. four others
sustained wounds and thirteen are
somewhere behind the German lines
IN this first encounter-and today
avery man making ready for the bat
Tel line awarded to them the supreme
Recommendation that in their flght they
Sustained the best traditions OF the
american army.
They were outnumbered, this little
detachment of Sammies. The fact
that they fought against overwhelm-
ing odds and were hopelessly cu- off
from achievements, did not deter
them in striking back with all their
power.
Fought With Bayonets.
q In the narrow trenches, where there
was no room for rifle shots, the
americans fought with their dubbed
guns, their bayonets, their trench
spades-even their hands. Flares and
the sudden glare of exploding shells
showed occasional rapid pictures of
struggling groups-one or two Ameri-
can soldiers surrounded by a solid
mass of Germans, whirlinG maei-
sstrom of arms and hands and kicking
fled yells and the sounds of pain
wrung from the wounded.
This was the story the survivors
told it, The Americans did not have
a chance against overpoweringly SUI
perior masses of the enemy. The fact
that they didn't have a chance didn't
make them stop fighting, however,
until they had literally been smother
ed under the Germans.
The small American detachment
"
desultory artillery fire suddenly rolled
to an intense rumble. The enemy put
down a heavy barrage of shells COM
pletely round the single unit Then a
big party of Germans-Americans
wounded estimate them at 210 in all
suddenly swarmed over.
Attack by "Shock Troops
The German raiding party was COM
posed of picked and veteran shock
troops''-specialists in attack. They
Enlarged in a powerful rush. The
american troops had just entered this
particular bit of trench. They fought
back like wildcats until literally
smothered in the weight of the su-
perior attacking forces. Then the
.Germans scurried back to their own
lines, dragging their own dead and
wounded with them, together with
their American prisoners.
a young reserve lieutenant with
the QeLdCnnlenI attacked was puzzled
Immediately after he brought his men
into the trench by the sudden accel-
'eration of artillery fire. He decided
TO consult his superior officers and
started carefully weaving his way
back. He struck the German bar
rage, It knocked him fiat, but he
recovered and a second time tried to
pass along. Again he was flung down
by exploding shells and for the third
time he dauntlessly went on. Then
he was completely knocked out" by
a narrow shave from a high explosive
she'll After the German raiders had
returned to their lines, the lieutenant
was found, unconscious. He was re-
vived later and told his story. To-
day ne was in the base hospital re-
covering rom she'll shock.
Sammies Cry for Revenge.
- The Smelling began darn sudden
ly," said one of the wounded Sam
mics today. "A few minutes later
turned around and saw a big German
standing in the trench beside me. The
next thing I knew he shot me
BANGi"
The whole American army in
France, realizing that the first Ameri-
can army casualties we're those of an
ordinary trench raid, nevertheless
was boiling with impotence today to
get revenge on the boches.
The American dead will be buried
with military honors in a little Amer
lean cemetery near the camp
Reports Vary Slightly.
The official casualty list, as issued
by the war department from General
Pershing's reports showed three dead,
five wounded and twelve missing
twenty in all.
The United Press front dispatches
above makes the list: Three dead
four wounded and thirteen taken
rriSOuer-tWeuty in all