Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-08-29

, with two small machine guns. Now
and then squads would dart forward
from their gun positions. Eight Ger
mans got up to the wire in front
of one of our positions, and four
others approached at. another point
Besides these assault groups which
reached our line, there were doubt
less additional enemy forces in as
saulting columns and supporting
columns which were unable to enter
the field.
The special machine gun group
under command of Lieutenant L. e.
Shaw was in one of the most eX-
posed centers of the fighting, being
under terrific artillery fire and the
fire of two German machine gu~ 9.
Lieutenant Shaw handled this ve"y
difficult situation with cool bravery.
The enemy barrage was so close that
it was impossible to stand up and
Lieutenant Shaw controlled his guns
by rolling from one to the other
His two guns fired five thousand
rounds.
Under this violent onslaught the
men struck to their posts, carried
out every order without hesitation.
often under CALLING fire. and showed
high degree of skill with their
weapons ind GOODNESS and courage.
1LdGH HldSilillS 3 uh JeillllilStt III &C
times, was partly disassembled and
cleaned under fire, continuing in ac-
tion throughout the engagement.
One team fired fourteen clips when
the gun jammed. Reporting this to
Lieutenant Shaw, they were ordered
to clear the jam. While under in
tense fire of artillery and machine
guns they coolly dismounted the gun,
| remounted it and continued firing
until ordered to cease. The fire of
this machine gun section was doubt
less unexpected by the enemy, and
this fact, coupled with the effective
fire laid down, was chiefly instru-
mental in causing the withdrawal of
the enemy.
There were instances of individual
bravery during the action. Private
Howard Gaillard, with small rapid
fire piece, WITS unable from his posi-
ton to get a good fire to bear upon
the enemy groups, so he coolly and
with entire disregard of danger,
mounted the parapet. and while en-
emy bullets were flying around him,
fired his rapid-fire piece from the
hip, first at one group and then at
the other. PriVates Smithfield Jones
and George Woods are especially
mentioned for their GOODNESS in the
face of violent shelling when they
dismounted the machine guns and
reassembled them and continued fir
ing until the close of the action.
Lieutenant r. c. Crane was in COM
mand of the group which received
the brunt of the enemy fire, which,
besides the barrage, addeH heavy
fire of large minenwerfers. There
was no f1inching; the groups always
worked under perfect control. keep
f,Ner oil hnf n NJ 1a1
three men were knocked down by
the explosion of shells. Others COM
mended for courage in the face of
fire are Corporal Frtnk Harden, Pri-
vate H. D. Brown, Corporal Bean,
Sergeant G. A. Morton and Private
Sanders.
From the elaborate artillery prep
aration, the size of the box barEage,
and the extensive front occupied.
the coup de main attempted by the
enemy was clearly intended to be on
q rather extensive scale.
Whatever may have been the OBJ
Iect of the attack it was successfully
frustrated. No enemy party sue
ceeded in getting within assaulting
distance on any part of the line ex-
cept at one point and here they were
quickly pressed back and then
driven off. The shell-torn condition
of the ground tells of the firceness of
the action. That the enemy suffered
considerably in casualties is >not
doubted, as some of their groups
pushed close into the machine gun
fire, but as their men fell they were
carried off. The casualties on our
side were small and none of them
serious.
The chief importance of the action
was in bringing this American unit
for the first time under fire and
demonstrating the steadiness and
fighting ability of the men.