The Hartford republican., 1918-04-19
D. 5. FORCES HAND
HUNS HARD Jolt
Victory In Hand-To-Hand
Battle Announced
For Yanks

With the American Army In
France, April 14--Preceded by an in
tense bombardment of high explosives
and poison gas shells, picked troops
from four German companies hurled
themselves against the American po-
sitions on the right bank of the Meuse
north of St. Mihiel early this morning,
but were completely repulsed after
terrific hand-to-hand fighting. The
Americans captured some prisoners.
The German losses already counted
are thirty-four dead and ten wounded
who were in the American trenches,
and thirty dead in No Mans Land.
Several of the wounded enemy were
taken back by their comrades to the
German positions.
with The American Army In
France, April 13.-After another
night of terrific artillery fire and
bombardment with gas shells, the
Germans continued to-day their ef-
forts to drive through to the third
line of the American positions near
Apremont forest northwest Of Toul.
rhey made two attacks, both of which
failed.
The enemy's casualties in the
four days fighting are estimated at
l. thig m
ber more than 100 we're killed. AL
though the enemy wasted fully half
of his specially trained shock troops
battalion of 500 men, he was unable
to penetrate the American lines,
which remained unchanged.
OF the thirty-six prisoners taken
ly the American troops in the fighting
on Friday northwest of Toul, during
which two German attacks in force
were repulsed with heavy causualties
to the enemy. twelve have since died
troops also captured two German ma
chine guns, besides a quantity of
small arms, grenades and other war
materials.
The prisoners taken belonged to
the Two Hundred and Fiftieth and
Sixty-fifth Landwher units, the Six
teenth Pioneers and the Uhlans. The
prisoners said they had had no food
for two days as the American artil-
lery had prevented their rations from
being brought up to their position.
The captive Germans quickly devour-
ed the food given them by our men.
The enemy front lines had been
destroyed by she'll fire, and during
! Fridays attack the Americans tenn
porarily abandoned their own front
line, allowed the Germans to enter it
and then forced them to engage in
hand to hand fighting in the open in
which the American troops greatly
excelled
This attack, which was the longest
and largest scale operation conducted
against the American troops since the
entry of the United States into the
war, has developed many deeds of
individual bravery and heroism. A
young lieutenant, whose home is just
outside of'Boston, with three enlisted
men attacked nineteen Germans who
had penetrated into one of the Am
erican trenches.
"Kamerade" They Shout.
The lieutenant called on the Ger
mans to surrender One of them
raised his pistol as il to shoot, but the
lieutenant shot him through the head,
upon which the others lifted their
hands high in the air and yelled
"Kamerade." The lieutenant marched
the prisoners into the rear OF our line
and then returned to the front and
resumed the command of his platoon
Five other Americans penetrated
into a German dugout, where twelve
of the enemy were slightly wounded
They resisted surrender, but our men
threw grenades into the dugout, kill
ing four of tho Germans. The Others
quickly gave themselves up.
A small party of bandsmen volun'
tered for streatcher-bearing duty in
the first line and worked until they
were nearly exhausted. The chiei
surgeon ordered them to return fol
a rest, but they hid until the surgeon
disappeared and then resumed theil
first-aid duties.
Some Good Advice.