Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-04-15
AMERICAN LINE
HOLDS UNDER TWO
GERMAN RAIDS
400 Picked Men Lost in Vain
Attempt to Raid U. S.
Trenches

With the American Army in
France, Saturday, April 13 Delayed
After another night of terrific ar
tillery fire and a bombardment with
sas shells, the Germans continued to-
Cay their efforts to drive through to
the third line of the American posi-
tons near Apremont forest, north
west of Toul. They made two at
tacks, both of which failed.
The enemy's casualties in the -four
days fighting are estimated at be-
tween 800 and 400. OF this number
more than 100 were killed. Although
the enemy wasted fully a half of his
specially trained shock troop battal-
ion of 500 men, he was unable to
penetrate the American lines, which
remained unchanged.
OF the thirty-six prisoners taken
by American troops in the fighting
on Friday northwest of Toul, during
which two German attacks in force
were respulsed with heavy casualties
to the enemy, twelve have since died
OF their wounds. The American
troops also captured two German
machine guns, besides a quantity of
small arms, grenades and other war
material.
Germans without Food
The prisoners taken belonged to
the Twenty-fifth and SiXty-fifth
Lanowehr units, the Sixteenth Pio-
neers and the Uhlans. The prisoners
said they had had no food for two
days, as the American artillery had
prevented their rations from being
brought up to their position. The
captive Germans quickly devoured
the food given them by our men.
The enemy front lines had been
destroyed by shell fire, and during
Fridays attack the Americans tenn
porarily abandoned thei" own front
line, allowed the Germans to enter it
and then forced them TO engage in
hand-to-hand fighting in the open, in
v hich the American troops greatly
eNcelled.
This attack, which was the longest
and largest scale operation conduct
ed against the American troops
since the entry of the United States
into tho war; has developed many
deeds of individual bravery and hero
ISM. A young lieutenant, whose
home is just outside of Boston, with
three enlisted men attacked nineteen
Germans who mad penetrated into one
of the American. trenches.
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 "kamerad." The lieutenant
marched the prisoners into the rear
of our line and then returned to the
front and resumed the command of
his platoon.
Musicians Carry Wounded
Five other Americans penetrated
n q uharp fNWplVn
of the enemy were slightly wounded.
They resisted surrender, but our
men threw grenades into the dugout,
killing four of the Germans. The
others quickly gave themselves up.
A small party of bandsmen vol
unteered for stretcher- bearing duty
in the first line and worked until
they were nearly exhausted. The
chief surgeon ordered them to re-
turn for rest, but they hid until
the surgeon disappeared and then
resumed their tirst-aid duties.
A 19-year-old courier who carried
n message more than two miles under
heavy shell fire fell exhausted after
d"Iivcring his message into the hands
of the commander of the unit. After
II short rest he begged to be al
lowed to continue his front-line cour-
Ter service.
Another lieutenant, commanding a
machine gun unit, just missed being
struck by a shell which buried the
gun, but he ordered his men to dig
out the piece, and soon had it firing
again into the German positions.
Scores of officers and men who
had been assigned to rear-line duty
pleaded for an opportunity to go to
the front line. The artillerymen also
did courageous work and furnished
wonderful support for the American
infantry.