The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1918-08-22
dent of the July fighting will interest


He also underwent his first gas at
tack, while engaged in this work 1t
was during this gas attack, about IL
o'clock at night when the Germans
were hurling a perfect hell of gas
shells upon the American positions,
that an American soldier staggered up
to Falge in the dark and asked If he
could direct him to Company A, Sec
ond engineers of which unit the man
was a part.
Imagine Lieut.. Fanta's surprise,
when he looked at the American and
found him to be none other than Ray
Falge of Manitowoc, his old school
mate. Needless to say the meeting
was a joyous one. Several weeks be-
fore Falge and Fanta had met several
miles back of the line at bilfeting
post.
The letter of Lieut.. Fanta was writ
ten July %, when the big allied drive
was at its height. He tells of the
American artillery opening the bar
rage, and of the men rushing out to-
the attack and driving the Germans
back pell nell. In bringing back the
wounded in trucks, Lieut.. Fanta stat
ed that hundreds of dead Germans
we're strewn about the ground. The
Americans turned the captured Ger
man guns upon the foe, and used foe
ammunition to drive the latter back. \
Lieut.. Fanta tells of the hundreds
of German prisoners brought back to
the rear. He said that they were
weak and tired looking, and were glad
to be taken prisoner,
He speaks confidently of the out
come.
Sergeant Frank Khail, the first
Manitowoc boy to return from the
trenches in France, arrived in the city
Sunday evening. He came back with
| 300 others, all to serve as instructors
in training camps. He left his COM
pany July 22nd and up to then the old
Company II personnel was intact, ex-
| cepting Singer who died going over.
Most of the H boys are in the 127th
and 12Sth regiments. but some are
| still in England He says Lieutenant
| Oas ofthis city was the first II boy to
take a prisoner.
Fred. Alter, who left the city en-
| gineer job to enter the service, has
been back home on visit with lieu
tenants commission in his handy kit.
He passed his examinations recently
at Camp Taylor, Kentucky, and has
been assigned to the artillery and has
| left for his new post at Camp Sheri-
dan, near Mobile.
| Letters received Tuesday bear the
information that Captain Schmif
was gassed and Lieutenant Jung wound
ed in the July battles. Schmidt wrote
from hospital saying that he expect
ed to be back in the line within ten
days. Jung relates that in the big Of
| fensive on July 20 he got bullet wound
in the leg about 3 p. NJ. but kept GO
ing and that about 1880 he was hit
three times in one shoulder and was
put out of the fight. The tenor of the
letter indicates that he too expected
when writing, to be back IN the fight
in month, or at most six weeks
Corporal Ernst Wagner who left with
Co. Ii arrived in the city Tuesday.
| Wagner was injured in the hip while
on transport and was invalided back to
America. He has been at Camp Mer
ritt, N. j. and lately underwent an
operation which he thinks will soon
put him in shape to return overseas.
He did not get into actual fighting.
Joseph Ledvina, engaged in navy
recruiting work in this part OF the
state has been promoted from class to
class ,.
James Ronbal, who left with Co. II
is en- route home having been Serious
ly wounded" in action. Nothing fur
ther is known OF his case. His parents
reside at Kelnersville.
| The first Manitowoc county soldier
to die from wounds received in battle
was Berthold G. Schwartz; report OF
whose death came in an official com
munication yesterday. He died July
20 and no report Of his injury appeared
in casualty lists. Schwantz's parents
1.-Two ON the Lindstedt farm on the lake
shore road. This is the fourth death
Of Manitowoc soldiers. Guy Drews
died at cantonment, Edward Gerl was
drowned when the Mondovia was tor
pedoed and private John Singer died
or transport going over.