Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-08-16
AMERICANS XWRAY
F0UGHTL|KE DEMONS
1nere They Met the Supreme
Test and Won Applause of
French Veterans.

With the American Troops in France,
Aug Though the American troops
have had three engagements IN the Toul
sector during the past three months, men
in the division say there has been Just
one fight
The big raid on Apremont in April they
call THE Aprcmont affair; they refer to
attack on Scichcprcy, ten days latter as
.ethc Scicheprcv thing; but, the morning
of June Ii ut Nivray, they say, there
was fight.
This distinction does no wrong TO the
defenders of Apremont and Selcheprcy
The men did their best there, and that
best was as good rs could be expected
under the circumstances, but their best
then was not so good as their best ri
Nivrav That is the significance gwen TO
the distinction by French officers. They
saw that II was nj Xivrly the men holding
the sector showed they had learned how TO
do what must be done in the front line
Xiyrav has a similar meaning to the
Germans in that sector If the evidence OF
prisoners NAV be trusted. The men cap
tured there show increased respect for
the fighting qualities OF the AmencanS
and hetrav deeper awe Of the American
machine gun
Itlsno disparagement of the work the
ordinary rifle did there to say that the
ouick- -frers decided the issue. Two COM
panies of infantry. without dugouts to
shelter them held their grounds on the
right of the position through a heavy ar
tillcrv preparation and kept the enemy
from bringing up reinforccmcnts through
out the fight Meanwhile, in the center at
Nivrav and on the left. the machine gum
ners did the rest
The cncmy'S plan. according 10 prison
ers. was 10 force the village destroy tho
defence works, make the place untenable
and take prisoners. The effort was well
organized and might have succeeded, but
for the work Of the quick-tircrs.
Six hundred men advanced to the at
tack in no less than a dozen different
columns. led by two hundred picked
Bavarian storming troops They came up
on the right flank on the left and on the
center under cover Of smoke making q
dark night still darker They Crcpt UP he
ravincs and slipped through the horowS.
The Sharp ears Of ScntrlcS alone prey Ncrtcd
q total surprise
Their guns laid down heavy box
harragc that prevented thc rclniorcing ot
the front line one platoon. led hy lIcu-
tenant Doan. from Maine got through
the frs. curtain ii fro hoan even went
THROUGH the second with some volunteers
hut that was all {hc help that could hc
sent to the 225 mon that we're holding the
line attacked They were only one three
hut they fought IN VaN to surprise and
dismav the six hundred Germans.
One machine gun section in he vIlag"
was reduced 10 two men MonfCrt Nyck-
nf and John Flvnn. Their gun jammcd and
Fknn kept the Germans of with his re-
volvcr while Wyckof GOT the qulck-trcr
going again They held thcir around tothc
end. Two other men. unable 10 get q
sight nj the Germans from their trench.
climbed the parapct and stood thcrc
erect. firing their autouatics from the
shoulder. Two infantrvnvn craWlcd out
Of shell To get better ailt.
The Germans had l3-t 2 third II their
600 men when growing q Wight impaired
the effectiveness of their smoke screen and
thoy began to retire The 50 odd uf
wounded Americans lcft out Of 225 went
over the top after thcm
Two hundred j. conservative cStIu-
ate of the German losses fer cur men
buried 47 Of them Oh HE nclq and there
were moro corIrsce IN the tail grass facing
the position out Of rcach Thus The Ger
mans lost nearly - many men Is that had
facing them during the fright
One OF the heroes of the day was q cook
who had been dismissed from tire service
on account Of loose habits with respect
TO drink. When sober he was possessed nf
an astonishing amou5t of perseverance
He had folcd All efforts Of the officers to
put him our Of the division lie left ono
regiment. to appear il another. He pas
sed from one company 70 another, until
he had reached the last one If he was
thrown out Of that il was all over with his
soldering He was one ef tile volunteers
that went through both oarrageS. and he
STAYED through the tight giving first a.4
to the wounded under tic sharpcs, art
from the assailants