The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-04-22
American Counter Attacks
Sunday Drive BOche Back.
Adjacent French Lines Also
Fully Re-established.
TWO ENEMY PLANES DOWNED
Germans Evidently Aimed at
Separating Yanks and French.
Berlin Says "Germans Re-
turned; Admits Heavy Loss.

troops on the sector northwest VI AOui
have driven the enemy from the posi-
lions he gained Saturday and have re-
stored the situation completely The
American main positions held OUT
against the enemy but he occupied
advance elements from which he was
elected Sunday by the Americans IN
counter attack. To the east tne
French lines also have been re-estab-
lished.
Indications are that the Germans
intended to make the attack the start
of an effort to separate the American
and French troops and perhaps wipe
out the American sector. General
Pershins's men. however. fought des-
perately and only retired from Serene
prey before overpowering numbers.
The enemy was not able to holo the
Village and soon evacuated 1t.
After the Americans had driven the
Germans from the occupied advanced
posts, the enemy did not attack again
and Sunday was comparatively qulet
east of St. Mihiel. The German ot1eh-
7sive which persisted thruout the day
and into the night. was preceded by
most violent artillery fire, but the
Americans were undismayed and stuck
to their guns and trenches to meet the
enemy storming troops. Two German
airpfanes were brought down by
american machine Sunners. The ma
chine eunners who basged the Ger
mans had been ordered to retire. but
they remained in their position and
fought effectively against the enemy
aviators.
ShclIed Telephone Wires.
During the engagement the Ger
mans concentrated their artillery fire
on the. American telephone and tele-
graph wires which were cut many
times. Couriers were forced to pass
thru two or three barrages in order to
maintain communication. In the
meantime, the men of the signal corps
in face of a heavy bombardment re-
stored the wires almost as fast as the
enemy shells disrupted them.
Ambulance men ventured into No
Mans Land during the thick of the
sight and did heroic work in gather
ing up wounded One German who
had offered to surrender attempted
to explode a bomb on the ground as
three Americans approached him. An
other soldier however, discovered the
trick and hurled a grenade at the Ger
man. One of the Germans legs was
blown off and he died later prisoner
OF the men he attempted to blow up.
Hot Fight.
A village near the front lines which
the CORRESPONDENT visited today tells
mute tale of Saturdays fighting.
There are huge shell holes in the
streets and parts of the church ana
other buildings have been blown up
The enemy fire became so hot there
that salvation Army girls. who had
, been serving coffee and doughnuts to
Americans
The girls protested. saying they were
not afraid of the Germans and wanted
to stay in their dugouts, but the
officers did not wish to take the re
sponsibility. AS they left the girls
were cheered by soldiers returning
from the front line.
Berlin Admits Failure.
Rerlin, in its official statement de-
scribes saturdays action lengthily, Ad-
mission is made that the fighting was
severe and it is claimed that 1888
Americans including five officers and
TWENTY-FIVE machine guns. were cap
tured Heavy losses. it is said. were
inflicted by the Germans That the
effort failed of its purpose is INDICATED
by the announcement that the at
taclzers returned to their own positions
under cover of night. Berlin makes
no mention of French troops having
been engaged in this region
Came in Three Waves.
With the American Army in Lor-
raine. April FL (Night) .-Ameri
troops attacked the Germans north
vest of Toul this morning. following
a heavy barrage. retaking all the po-
sitions lost at Saturdays strategic re
treat. The ground was covered with
enemy dead, showing the heavy cost
of their assault
Latest reports show that the Amer
leans, altho outnumbered valiantly
withstood the onslaught of three
waves OF storm troops. n 1eIHldh
barrage behind their own troops
forced their advancing infantry across
No Mans Land into the attack.
Americans in Gas Masks.
Americans say the Germans were
cdope crazed" and more like wild men
and beasts than humans, singing and
Yelling as they advanced.
In the artillery wrecked villages in
the rear. Red Cross. Salvation Army
and canteen workers bravely stuck,
helping the wounded and serving cof-
fee to exhausted soldiers.
During Saturdays attack. many
Americans fought in gas masks for
eight hours. One officer ordered the
men to load up with grenades and
.stock" Then he took up rifle him
self and emptied it into the advanc-
ing enemy, afterward joining his men
m hurting grenades.
II He Wasn't Yellow, We Guess.
"A dispatch bearer, sent from the
front could not see thru this gas
mask. He ripped it off, ran thru three
earrages and delivered the message.
Returning, he fell unconscious. His
first words. on recovering conscious
ness. were:
I'm not yellow. am I, Doc? Did 1
deliver the message? I'll go back
now
In village in Ne Mans Land Ger
mans and Americans were mixed up
force the boches into the open, de-
elaring, We can lick 'em when they
come out of their sewers"
Machine gunners did not know
when to give up. Setting their guns in
the streets they moved down the Ger
mans. One officer told in a breaking
voice of finding two machine gunners