Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1918-02-01
Desperate Battle at Close
Quarters Follows Violent
Artillery Barrage; Mist
Wells Movements of the
Attacking Party.
MANY CASUALTIES
IN SAME SECTOR
rBy Associated Press Staff

rBy Associated Press STAFF
Correspondent
With the American Army in France,
Jan. 3O.-(DelayedD-An American
position on a certain sector of the
French front was raided during a
heavy fog shortly after daylight this
morning. The attack was preceded
by violent artillery barrage.
Two Americans were killed and four
wounded. One soldier is missing and
Is believed to have been captured by
the enemy.
FIGHTING Is CONTINUOUS.
Casualties have been occurring al
most daily for several days on this
sector. 1t is now permitted to dis
close that all the recent casualties
given out from Washington occurred
in this sector. The deaths were
caused by shell fire, mostly sharpnei.
Last night was fairly quiet through
the American sector. The usual num-
Der OF shells came over, doing no
damage and there were the customary
sporadic outbursts Of machine gun
fire from both sides at points where
the opposing lines are nearest
LISTENING POST sHELLED.
At daybreak this morning the heavy
sfoev which had heeIs ens ysopisg che
whole position and the country for
miles around for several days. became
stilj thicker. plotting out all except tho
nearest enemy positions. AT o'clock
three muffled reports sounded through
the fog. There were three Whistles.
followed quickly by three she'll bursts.
p>h nvn10HAd three
sides Of an American listening post
just outside the wire, within forty-hve
feet OF an enemy listening post.
NELL BROKE LOOSE"
"Then hell, broke loose" said one
of the men there. For fifteen min
utes the enemy broke hundreds Of
high explosives around the post and
the surrounding ground. cutting on
the men there. Two Of them were
killed in the first few minutes.
Another man who was at the post
told the correspondent later as he
was lying on a cot in field hospital
that he saw four Germans approaching
out OF the fog as the barrage lifted
He brought his automatic rifle into
play and saw two Of the Germans
fall. He kept on firing until shell
splinters hit him in the head and
arm.
SHELLS PLoW GROUND
."rhe last I remember in the time
before | reached the hospital" said
another man, 'is seeing something
moving through the fog. I determined
to get some Germans and put my
rifle to my shoulder but never pulled
the trigger. There was deafening
explosion behind me. Frozen earth,
stones and shell splinters came my
way"
Inspection of the scene OF the raid
showed that the ground was plowed
up by the explosion Of shells.
CAPTAIN SAVES WOUNDED MAN.
One of the men wounded recently
was hit by a snipers bullet. He fell
in a trench filled with water and al.
most drowned before he was rescued
by his captain Several of the wound
ed had been listed as accidental
woundings There were mostly
wounds of the hands.
It is certain the enemy casualties
from the American cannon and ma
chine gun fire has been as great or
greater than ours.
DEAD BURIED ON FIELD.
The casualties given out in Wash
ington recently occn nrred over GER
tain recent period. The dead were
buried within the sound and range OF
the guns.
One man was blown to pieces by a
she'll in regimental headquarters
town as he was following his colonel
into a dugout.
Three men were killed by one shell
which fell in a trench and another
died of wounds in hospital. Quite
a few Of the men sent to hospitals
were wounded in the upper part OF the
body or on the head from shrapnel.
SECOND ENEMY RAID
For military reasons it has been in
advisable to send earlier or other de
tails
rodays attack marks the second
time since the American troops en-
tered the front line In France thai
their positions have been raided BY
the Germans. In the first raid, No
yember 3, the American losses were
three killed, hve wounded and l;
made prisoners by the enemy.