Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-03-11

made a bold raid into the
German lines in Lorraine,
the war Office announces.
With the American Army in
France. Sunday, March 10. (By
the Associated Press Amer
lean troops, cooperating with
the French. have carried out
three raids opposite the Amer
lean sector in Lorraine. Two
of the raids were executed sim
ultaneOusly last night. The
Americans swept past the Ger
man first line and penetrated
to the enemy's second line, 900
yards back.
The two simultaneous raids. one
northwest and one northeast %
tdeleted) were made after intense
artillery preparation lasting for
four hours, in which the German
positions were leveled. At mid
night two forces, each one of-de-
leted) with small French forces
on their fianks, moved upon the
German detectives behind a creep
ing barrage, each on front OF 6J)
Yards. When the Americans reach
ed the enemy first lines. the bar.
rage was lifted so as to box IL
the German positions at both
points.
Push on 600 Yards.
The men dropped into the en-
emy's trenches, expecting a hand
TO hand fight, but found the Ger
mans had fed Continuing the ad-
vance they went forward 500 yards
to the second German line. All
the time American machine guns
were firing on each flank of the
two parties TO prevent the enemy
from undertaking thanking opera
tions. One French thanking party
found two wounded Germans in a
dugout and took them prisoner.
The Americans found none.
The Americans remained for As
minutes in the enemy lines. They
found excellent concrete dugouts
which they blew up and also
brought back large quantities OF
material and valuable papers.
While they were in the enemy lines
German artillery began a vigorous
counter barrage. 1t was quickly
silenced by American heavy and
light artillery which hurled large
quantities of gas shells on the en-
emy batteries.
An American trench mortar bat
terry participated in the artillery
preparation preceding the raid,
helping level the enemy positions.
Stage Third Raid.
Soon after these two raids had
! been carried out the Americans
staged another at a point further
along the line TO the right. They
went over the top with artillery
preparation of As minutes in which
the enemy's positions attacked were
cbIiterated At this place the dug
outs were found to have been con-
structed principally OF logs. Engi-
neers accompanying the party COM
pleted the artillery's work OF de-
struction
The raids were carried out skill
fully. and but for the fact that the
Germans fed more prisoners doubt
Rass would have been taken. Amer
lean gas shells are believed to have
caused many casualties among the
enemy No Americans are unac-
counted for.
Guniire Is Violent.
with the British Army in France
and Belgium, Sunday. March IL
(By the Associated Press. Heavy
artillery fire was proceeding at va
rioUs points along the tense Brit
ish and German battle lines today,
but there has been infantry action
of Importance since yesterday
morning when the British IN a VIC
lent counter attack hurled the Ger
mans from the post they succeeded
in capturing in the region OF Poel
derhoek ridge Friday evening.
The British defenses here ami
south of the Houtholst forest.
where the Germans also seized six
posts Friday morning. have been
Ieestablished completely after Sc
we're fighting IN which the Germans
lost heavily.
British Knew Foes Plans.
Both these attacks were bat apol-
ogies for what the Germans had
pihhiNd bI TX lHall9t uty HAA Alf-
tended to make a pretentious as
sault on the northern sector south
of the Houtholst forest on Feb. 20.
20 pinch of the British salient Just
southeast og the wood. and gain q
ndmber OF importsnt positions.
This became known TO The British.
however. through deserter and
they buried the Houtholst front un-
der such an avalanche Of shells,
that the enemy MAS forced TO ahan
don his scheme The Germans de-
cided. nevertheless. TO make
smaller attack Friday morning.
which gained them six posts tenn
porarily, The final result was that
they were driven out with severe
losses and also forced 10 abandon
some OF their own forward posi-
tlonA.