Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1918-03-22
FOES Mine
THR0WERS
BLOW N UP
American Artillery Wrecks
Whole Battery Of Heavy
German Weapons In Lune-
vile Sector; Rainbow Di-
visions Quarters.
PATROL is TARGET
FOR FOES BARRAGE

London, March 19.-The heads
of the German army have invited
number OF neutral correspon.
dents to be present at the German
offensive on the western front, the
Exchange Telegraph correspon-
dent at Copenhagen reports. The
correspondent, It is stated, will
leave for the front on Wednesday.
With theAmerican Army in France.
March 18.-(Delayed)-It is now per-
missible to announce that American ar
tillery in the Luneville sector has 10.
Gated and blown up battery of mine
throwers, one OF which few days ago
obtained direct hit on dugout in
which were number of American
soldiers, most of them of Irish descent.
The battery has been causing a
great deal of trouble for several days
and the Americans were determined
to put 1t out of action. 1t was located
after considerable trouble and the ar
tillery concentrated high explosives
on it.
ST. PATRlcks DAY IN TRENCH
A patrol Of twenty-four men, half
Americans and half French. last night
went into the German lines from an
isolated position Of the sector. 1t COM
pleted its mission of reconnaissance,
bringing back the desired information.
The patrol had short skirmish but
obtained no prisoners.
Yesterday-St Patrick's day--Irish-
men of a certain regiment serving in
the Luneville sector, held an appropri-
ate celebration. The men had enter
tanned hopes that something would
develop which would enable them to
lay low or capture some Germans by
way of celebration but nothing out Of
the ordinary happened. Last year on
st. Patrick's day these men held their
celebration in and yesterday
the remark most frequently heard was
something like this: We'll, this day
last year was strolling down
Now / am strolling down the narrow
way of duckboards, in the mud"
ARTILLERY DUEL RACES
Yesterday extraordinary artillery ac-
tivity developed in the Chemin des
Danes sector where some troops from
New England are In training. The en-
envy began a gas bombardment late
yesterday A vigorous reply was made
by both American and French batter
les which gave the Germans about
four times as much as they sent over.
Massachusetts troops bore the brunt
of portion of the bombardment. Six
thousand shells were fired yesterday
from the sector in which the Ameri.
cans are stationed, large proportion
of them being gas shells.
An American patrol composed OF
---- troops (name deleted) in the
sector east of Luneville, early this
were discovered by the Ger
mans who put down d heavy barrage,
the shells striking among the party.
artillery fire proceeded
on this front all day.
American artillery on the Toul front
today bombarded towns within the
enemy lines. On several occasions
q considerable number of gas shells
were used. The gunners also dropped
projectiles on German trenches. Some
shells hit in the town of Essey and
others in Mont Sec. sr3
PATROLS IN HOT FIGHT
An American patrol between Rem.
nieres wood and judi wood (between
and Frey encountered
an enemy patrol early this morning.
For an hour and half the American
patrol tried to make some OF the
enemy prisoners but without result, al
though number Of fights with pistols
and rifles occurred as the Germans
retired, jumping from tree to tree,
American snipers made number OF
lucky shots today end Germans were
seen to fall.
The American telephone wires with.
In the American lines were tapped
again during the night not far from
where the patrol encounter occurred.
The enemy artillery fred number |
of gas shells at our lines.
AiRMEN BOMB METZ
The weather last night and today
was we'll suited for aerial work and
much was accomplished. American
guns drove of at least
Dix enemy airplanes while others
crossed the lines at such height that
they were out of range.
Last night airplanes from the rear
81 the American lines crossed over to
the German zone. Soon after many
explosions and flashes were heard and
seen in the direction of Metz.
American planes discovered during
The night that the Germans are
strengthening their second line 1t is
known that the frst line in many
places virtually has been abandoned.
Il is believed that the accurate Amer
can artillery fire has had something
% do with this.
GERMANY ADVERTlSES DRIVE
GAssocieted Press Summary
Germany is again advertising the
of an offensive by her
nassed forces on the Franco-Belgian !
ront The word comes this time
through Copenhagen in the shape Of a !
eport that the high command has in !
tied a number OF neutral corresp pom !