The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-03-11
YANKEES SMASH
THRU HUN LINE
THREE PLACES
Americans and French DemOl-
ish German Trenches.
ROmp Thru Enemy Defenses to
Depth of 800 Feet.
UNDER 4-DAY B0MBARDMENT
= SammieS Bear Up Herolcaliy
Under Extreme Shelling.
32 German Airplanes in Obser-
walton Work Over Z. $. Lines.
Americans and French DemOl-
ish German Trenches.
ROmp Thru Enemy Defenses to
Depth of 500 Feet.
UNDER 4-DAY BOMBARDMENT
Sammies Bear Up HerOically
Under Extreme SheIling.

now being carried out by the Ameri-
can troops on the Lorraine front in
France No less than three raiding
operations of some Importance in
which American forces took the lead
ing part are reported in today's dis
patch from the front. In two OF
these raid, carried out simultaneously
the Americans penetrated the Germna
fr7nt to d depth of 500 yards, reach
ing the enemy's second line They
oDerated with the protection of bar
rage fire,
The Americans found the German
trenches deserted and the only prls-
oners taken were two wounded Ger
mans found by French flanklnS
party in I. dugout. In another rald
seven Germans were captured me me
Americans however, caused great
damage to the German positions ps
blowing up dugouts during theT
forty-fiye minutes and captured large
Quantities of material and valuable
documents. In the third rald iuI
ther along the line, the destruction Ell
fected by the artillery was conpletetu
b.- American engineer. The trench
Official statement of today refers 70
the concerted effort as bold rala
by American troops
March 1O.-Amerio>4-l troops. cooper
ating with the French, have carried
,ut three raj ; opposite the American
sector in Lorraine.
Two of the raids were executed 81
r,l,Iltaneously last night. The Amerl-
ems swept past the German first line
and penetrated tC the enemy's second
line 500 yards back
BY FRED S. FERGUSON.
Arm in
March 11-American and French sol
diers, operating together, conducted
successful raids on widely separated
sectors. demolishing German trenches
at three points to the wldtn OF loo
meters and depth of 800 meters
American artillery aided in the
raids. completely demolishing one sec
ton of enemy trenches NO llve Ger
mans were encountered there Else
where boches who had taken refuge
in dugouts and pill boxes were bombed
and grenaded. Seven German prison.
ers were brought back
The bombardment in preparation
for the raids started at l O'Clock sat
,,rdav afternoon American and
- French guns were massed along TINS
portion of the front.
After the tremendous burst of fire
in the first salvo, the guns continued
to rain shells upon the boche 1lrst,
secunu and third lines of trenches and
all rear organizations, including enemy
batteries.
Enemy Trenches in Ruins.
When the infantry went over the
top in one sector, they walked across
No Mans Land without opposition.
They penetrated the German first and
second lines and found nothing but a
mas of wire, 1eveled trenches.
smashed dugouts and debris.
AS their orders specified that they
return within certain time they
cbeyeu and went no further.
The men in another sector pene-
trated $50 meters beyond the German
third line. Their total penetration
was 240 meters.
They encountered some dugouts
that had not been smashed by the
81 ell fire and ran into nearly a dozen
pill boxes which also were intact.
Refused to Surrender.
They shouted for the Germans to
come out. The latter replied by fir
ing at the Americans. They were Civ
en- short shrift. Grenades and incen-
diary bombs were hurled into the
German defenses. blowing the dug
outs and pill boxes skyWard.
Passing between the second and
third lines. more dugouts and unex-
pected pill boxes were encountered
The Sammies, their leggings, pants
: and coats torn and ripped by the
=, tarbed wire, pushed forward. Before
III door of dugout. some infantry
men, armed only with bayoneted ri
fles and pistols. shouted:
Come out!''
The only answer was a revolve:
shot thru a loophole. At that mo-
ment, some grenadierS, running up
drew back their arms. took aim anC
let fly. There was a sheet of flame
and the ground was shaken by the
explosions.
No Dugouts or Boches Left.
A fraction of a second later ther,
was no dugout-no boches.
The pill boxes were handled tn,
Continued Page Two1