Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-04-25

win the American Army in the Field,
March 49,
OUNCE the American army has hccu
~ in the front line, either upon tho
Tou sector or at "ihcr points where.
unlike that Of Tout. they are only top
training. the boys in brown have taken
part IN "A number Of raids, both rcpclIiug
and initiative.
Nevertheless il is only - matter Of
hours since hcy took part i'm their really
first raid first because Il was the orig
inal purely American raid since the
United States entered the war. As such.
planned entirely and entirely carried
out by American troops. it deserves y
record apart from cablcd advic"s as
complete as circumstances permit.
First. it was genuine success. Sec
end. I'm every point aimed for N" OBJ
jcctiyc was secured. Third, wNilo II
did not bring any bOcnes as prisoners.
II secured valuablc information in
Identification Of the enemy units before
our lines as vcll as papers uf interesting
nature that cannot but be or hoip "a
the American intelligence section.
At $50 in the morning, with night
stlli in ComplClc control Yet with that
mysterious something in ito eastern Sky
that presageS tho coming day American
artillery, machine gun 10. and 100, be-
gan d barragc that lasted ak minutes
during which tho thunder or shell was
continuous. Within the American
trenches Il parry Of Americans whose
numerical strength ! am not permitted
to mention save to say ttwaS large
stood ready with rifle, grenade and au-
tcmatic TO go over th" top. At jhe
precise second that, per prcarraugcd sig
nal, the barragc changed to rolling
these boys in brown under command "i
three officers leaped into SO Mans Land.
According 10 Schedule
Across they went in short order di'
vided into Two parties. each bent upon
a certain boche point, after entering
which they were To unite.
Following close under their harroEc,
each party advanced and at ih" "NaCi
poiuts invaded the boch" line. 'h" very
first time Americans alone had 80 conc
, this i'm itself giving the step an important
significance in the utiUata history Of
the war
Just before entering, they came unon
the bodies Of some fifteen Germans who
had been killed in the barragc, and IN"
only two living that were seen were
killed before the partN's eyes, ono tut
! Conplctely in Two as he ran into hreaN-
| ing American shells and tho other pinned
through the heart by an American rife
bullet.
Tho two parties found the hoche line
shot to pieces FOR fair distance II
front and tho abris demolished. There
was no living bochc in sight and mono
i'm the abris For a distance OF "Id
Yards our boys penetrated, going bit
bevond the enemy second line. All of
these had taken refuge beyond. The
lhaki-clad stayed the regulation time
70 the very second determined, and thei
left the hoche trenches for the journe'
home. bringing with them variety
Of trophies and gear, most Of which
suW loss than four hours attcrWard. j
consistad of divers articles, the trcncl
helmet the spiked ditto. caps, rifles
Two reyolvers. signs indicating in Ger
man where their inhrmary was locatc'
ot the rear, while some enthusiastic
Americans brought back potato mashcr
shuped like n pharmacists pestlc am
odd Kitchen implements. ono had
bochc trench shoe and told me atterwar'
as he exhibited it that hc proposr'
gliding il and taking it homo as
souvenir. -
Tho bochc countcr-barrage was SLOW
in coming and feeble at that At the
instant IL began our artillery started
it's counter battery work, doing win
out question additional damage 10 III
enemy lines. ..,-
Save I'm the matter Of bringing bael
prisoners, the raid was complete sue