New-York tribune., 1918-03-15
Trenches Battered, Pa;-
+er;es Silenced and Ammu-
nition Dumps Exploded
Yankees Fliers
Increase Activity
Gas Projectors Massed for
Large Attack Smashed
by Artillery
Try The Associated Pressl


WITH THE AMERICAN ARMY IN
FRANCE. March II (delayed).-Fo
GROUPS of German gas projectors. in
addition to the group of 200 projectors
already reported destroyed, have been
discovered and likewise blown to pieces
nv the American artillery. Probable
German plans for a gas attack on a
comparatively large scale against the
American positions northwest of Toul
thus have been upset.
The new groups of projectors were
discovered from aerial photographs
taken by American observers in French
airplanes. The effective action taken
against them was due to the quick
work Of the observers, the intelligence
officers and the artillerists in turn.
The American artillery on this front
mas been more active than ever in the
last fifteen hours, and its shells also
found Judgement in a number of am
munition dumps, which were blown up.
Many extensive explosion are re-
ported.
Silence German Batteries
The correspondent, standing on a
hill, witnessed one dump situated in
wood go up in brilliant flash and a
great puff of whitish smoke, a tre-
mendous report following q few sec
onds later. Explosions and fires also
were caused by shells in villages and
a number in the woods behind the
enemy front.
During retaliatory shelling for an
enemy bombardment, in which a num-
her of gas shells fell on American
battery positions, the American guns
silenced certain German batteries by
pouring in fast and extremely ac-
eurate fire. Artillerymen stayed in
their dugouts until the gas shells
began to fall, when they put on their
masks and manned the guns while
thus protected. Some mustard gas
shells were mixed with the others that
1ell and later few soldiers walked
through this type of gas without their
masks on.
The American artillery also tore
great gaps in the enemy wire and
levelled various portions of the first
and second line trenches. forcing the
enemy virtually to abandon them.
American Barrage Effective
Details Of the recent raid which have
Just been developed show that while
numbers Of Germans were killed bv
bo hAy
IN effect and others later by the creep
ing barrage. there were also a few of
me enemy shot here and there during
.he time Americans were in the
'rencnes. There were many Americans
among the raIding party of four officers
and seventy men who did not see a
single tierman soldier.
All the men in the raid seemed i'm
pressed particularly with the way the
american barrage worked.
IL worked like a clock" said one
soioier whose home is in Texas at
MADE you feel you could go right on
70 Berlin behind it. The only trouble
ABOUT this show was we didn't see
enough Of Fritz. He must have beat
II IKE rabbit because l did not see
single one all the way back to the
second line, although some Of the
other fellows did"
ipo-yard front None of the Aneri-
sans was Killed and none is missing.
u::,s Is certain that five Germans we're
German Sniper Dropped
Artillery FIRE Of quite a lively char
se'er is also continuing in the sector
Isl OF Lune9ille. SO far as is known
ne 1ernans have not yet reoccupied
mex hfst and second lines there
:. Do'h the Luneyiile sector and that
ioui have been much occupied with
isn'pers' to-day, az we'll as last night.
n we former sector one snper was
.sl'scsed III d tree after a period in
~hich ne had done fairly effective
work. One Of The American sharp
,,noo'ers ,ners crawied cautiously TO van
sss se point in 40 Mans Land and
syehed up On him. The gecond shot
y. w lhe German. whose body dropped
- 'he enemy wire, where it hung for
feSt Of the day.
,~'',nwest Of Toul rife fire and
ssinaaes dislodged n German from
;lpsf post in a sheIl hole and also
.nuced the enemy in a macbinc-gun
,apiacement on the front lines who
sar. oeen annoying Americans with
~. OK TIRE. The American machine
tse ~ crosa-fre, again drove out
in. neinans from number Of listen
* pcstS.
americans Active in Air
r,aa american aerial obxcrvcr in Il
I,,n- aFpianc crosecd the German
s' arS this morning at low altitude
On ased his machine gun effectively
! xs,s s second line. Other Americans
eys, ~ 'ne air all day. many Of them
bAsu. "sfman territory. One aerial
ssrya. s ~ reported. The American OBJ
si.ssf emptied one gun 1T u German
~. h. opt without apparent result, al
rss, shsmy was urryinZ toward the
Am.. another machine in which the
xsnan xsns m 'bservers were manning the
cissw 3D.. vent up 10 meet German air.
H. "nfh had crossed the lines, but
men, .n,ansrcans failed 70 yet close
sss,ssm 70 shoot with any chance Of
hsal,a ..sfnans are doing much work
Aau"" thelr lines. Additional CANON
aa a. ss'nstfuetjon ~ going on there
ssyidsna ~ exceedingly heavy traffic is On
Mn, ~ many places. especially ri
r'ss1s'tg hit Of Ameyicau tyoops
'eass On Page ~