Evening star., 1917-11-06
Raid Made by Bavarians.


rocket signal to start counter bar
rage by the American batteries SO as to
catch them before the raiders reached
the safety Of their own trenches. i
by Bavarian troops. The Americans
bearing the brunt of the attack were
one Of the first regiments to take their
place in the front line. Though there
are indications that raid on this par
ticular apex of the trenches had been
planned since August l. 1t SO happened
that it had been deferred from time to
time. It occurred a few hours after
the American troops had changed re-
lief
! The Americans had taken their places
In the trenches at 10 pm. Friday.
The German batteries started the bar
rage at 2:50 am. Saturday, and the
raiders swept into the trenches half
| comparatively trivial in this great war
drama, the individual deeds Of heroism
shine forth with greater intensity. Cut
off from reinforcements. the lieutenant
shock. knew only that the enemy was
| overwhelming them in greatly superior
numbers. The little handful Of men
fought blindly to the last No help came
until after the. merciless artillery fire
ceased. and only dead and wounded
Under the sudden hail of German
shells the soggy trenches started to
melt like butter. The commanding of
f,ssr Of the platoon st ssumbllnE ,,,n and q
| trenches ordered the men into the safe
ty Of the dugouts. Only a few men on
outpost duty retained an angle Of the
trench.
Was Unearthing pal"
One slender, black-haired Kansas
youth paid no heed to the order to go.
nY1f had M
frantically digging in the soft earth
where a giant shell had leveled the
trench. Grabbing the man by the
shoulder. the officer pulled him to his
ing from the impact Of stones which
his steel helmet had failed to stop.
His hands and arms were caked with
mud and one eye was nearly closed.
officer. amid the din OF the exploding
shells.
'My pal is buried here. The first shell
caved the trench in on him." shouted
the man in reply as he wrenched him
self away.
You can't get him out; get under
cover yourself" ordered the officer
again pulling the young man to his
feet.
Il won't leave him. Anyway. I will
keep trying" stolidly insisted the SOL
der.
The lieutenant struggled on, driving
others to shelter. In q few minutes he
was back at the side OF tho Kansas boy
who was seeking the buried man. To-
gether the two continued the hopeless
task. Stones and fragments OF shells
battered on their steel helmets and the
conclusions hurled them on their faces.
They could only crawl o few feet and
start again. Five times the lieutenant
was thrown down until he lay uncon-
scious and exhausted on the spot where
he was found by a rescue party just as
daylight was breaking.
Finally the young Kansan. wounded
in the leg. fell by the side of his wound
ed comrade. Today the boy, propped up
on q hospital cot, smiled and>blusheG
red when busting bespectacled nurse
praised his devotion in risking almost
certain death to rescue a possibly dead
comrnde. II could not leave my pal.
you know" was all he said.
In another ward found the man for
whom the Kansas soldier had defled
death His voice was weak and his
He came from oity in southern Ilit-
nois. The events Of the night OF nrc
and steel were almost a blank to him.
All he remembered was that his friend
was at his side when he was entombed
alive.
feebiy That Is the kind Of . bunkie
to have"
such was the spirit shown by the
young American soldiers. The ofncial
statement says that the French were
satisfied with the way in which the
Americans held out through vastly out
numbered. Deeds of heroism are not
yet mentioned.