Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-03-25
WITH THE AMERICANS
ON BATTLE GROUND
They Are Having Their Share
of Fighting. And Are Doing
Excellent Work.
by Associated Press TO Every Evening

| by Associated Press TO Every Evening
With the American Army IN France.
March "a For the third successive day
German artillery bombardcd with gas
shells a certain point within the American
lines. Today's bombariment was made in
two periods, each half-honr in length.
Many gas shells and few high explosive
shells fell ON the American positions.
MUSTARD GAS SHELLS
An enemy airpanc, this morning, cut
! off its engines at great height over the
| American lines northwest of Toul and
| plancd down When close TO the ground, II
| dropped quantity Of bombs. Some of
| them we're of a new variety, which explode
| in mid air with blnelsh red flash and give
| of q cloud Of mustard gas Being heavier
=, than the air, the mustard gas quickly
| descended towards some of our battery
| positions aleng road
| After tho machine disappeared. the
| Germans gas shell bombardmcnt began
! Another enemy airplane hovered over the
town while the hombardmcnt with gas
shells was in progress
SMELLING GERAAN TRENCHES
American artillery on the roul sector
! continued TO-DAY. to she'll effectively
/ enemy first line and communication
| trenches. tho town II - Banssant and
| btllcts and dumps north of Boqueteau
| MANY ~ the american shells have fallen
| IN the German trenches and the first two
/ lines IN at least one place have boen viz
/ tnailv abandoned
| Onc American patrol freely inspected
| this point ~ the enemy line without
/ molcstatinn, last night and thus morning
! and renamed there several hours There
| have been ~ contacts between the infan-
| Try during the pas - hours.
GpRNAN tiKrItSEs sC-rtyE
The weather Was especial II suitable to-
| dav for aerial work and the Germans took
| advantage of Il IN one portion Of the
/ sector fourteen cnemy airplaues crossed
| between noon and Il clock IN the morn
/ ing v hiic four friendly ones we're over the
/ American linc III the same period. One
/ group 81 seven enemy machines, ap-
| parcntly on 4 bombing expedition, Vas
discovered Al midnight and driven OIL BY
/ the rapid fire ot Amcrcan-aircrait guns.
Frp UP o> Pace TALK.
An American patrol has brought IN
/ quantities Of valuable papers from the
/ bodies Of fve Germans killed IN \ shell
/ hole hv American artillery tire few days
ago Among the papers taken from An
/ elderly soldier Vas letter from his
/ daughter III Berlin, saving:
i We are beng told now that peace will
surely come in july or August Everybody
/ was highly clatcd when the news OF the
i Russian peace WAS received
INTERESTED II GREAT FIGHr
/ The entire American front, from gem
I l.
! from the British front All are confident
/ that the Germans eventually will be de-
/ fcated severely. even if they should strike
I hard at the outset The German offensive
/ Is the sole topic o. discussion on the
/ American sector Official communications
are caught bN wireless operators and news
| papers are circulating rapidly along the
! front.
| GAVE HIS LIE TO Duty.
The French commander Of a division
/ with which American troops are being
/ trained today awarded the Cross of War to
/ an American nfantrSInan, who, Two nights
| ago, gave his life rather than abandon
| his post of duty The War Cross was
| spiked to the cottn before burial
| Two infantrymen entered an abandoned
| trench to establish sniper post when
| they observed several Germans in the
/ wIIc before the American trenches. Other
/ Germans arrived There began an eX-
| change of rifle tfc which resulted IN i
| baTrage from both sides. At the end OF an
hour the enemy gave up the attempt to
| enter the American lines, and withdrew
| Then it was discovered that one of the
/ two Americans had been killed There
was plenty of cover within lew yards
| but he remained 1t tins post throughout
| the artillery battle
CTS TIE D S. CROSS.
! The Distinguished Service Cross has
/ been awarded 10 Corporal Charles II.
/ Burke, infantry. lis citation reads:
Severely wounded while patrolling, he
refused TO leave his platoon commander,
who also was severely wounded lie
stayed at his side during an intense bonn
bardmcnt and insisted on driving of an
enemy patrol.
Lieutenant IL r. Davies, United
States Army Medical Corps, who is serv-
| ing with the British army, has been
awarded the Distinguished Service Cross,
one of the four new American decorations
for bravery.
Lieutenant Davies on January 5,
entered a dugout under continuous shell
fire and remained there attending the
occupants after it had been blown in
| lie performed an amputation operation
and saved the life of a British soldier
lie received the first medal conferred on
any American serving with the British
forces.
The lieutenant is from Gharleston ) &
lie and all ne men in the patrol have been
| given ten days leave, IN recognition oi
their services.