New Britain herald., 1918-02-08
HEAVY PUNISHMENT
 ON PRUSSIAN LINE
American ArtilleriStS Send Shells
 Into Enemy BattahonS FOE BATTERY SILENCED
Uncle Sam's SharpShOOtcrS Mako Short Shrift of Hun SnipcrS-Lieu- tenant Who Ragged BOchc AirpIane Was New to the Game.

With the American Army in France, Feb. 7.-(By The Associated Press) .- The American artillery is keeping up a haraSsing fire on the German lines, bonn barding batteries, trenches, cross roads, dugouts, light railroads and houses in which enemy troops are bill lctcd.
 Evidently the American tactics an- gered the Germans, for they started a vigorous smelling of our batteries with ITS, the firing stopping only when the American heavy guns silenced the German artillery.
 Early today observers saw a body of enemy infantry, estimated at two battaliOns, near forest. A heavy fire was directed on the spot scattering the Germans. It is felt certain the enemy sustained numerous casualties Later American shells started a fire in a German town, which burned for an hour.
 Patrols have been active. An Amer ican patrol last night entered a Ger man trench. They found a loaded rifle on the parapet and fresh foot prints, but no soldiers.
 Clearing Out Snipers. American artillery and infantry have l succeeded in clearing out a majority ] of the snipers who caused considerable 1 annoyance from the time the sector l was taken over by the troops Snipcrs' | posts in buildings have been destroyed | by knocking down the shelters over the heads of the Germans with shells.
 Snipers hidden in bushes or shell holes ] have been routed by American sharp shooters, ending annoyances. Night l patrols have succeeded in locating l some of the positions
 At one point snipers were discov- ! cred in a shell hole. A few we'll pla ced
 shots from light artillery ended their 1 career. At another place a hail of
 machine gun bullets was effective.
 One, two, or possibly three, snipers' | posts arc still in front of American
 positions but are not likely to be | there long.
 American ..Noyice'' Gets Aviator 1 The young American lieutenant who ] had the honor of shooting down his 1 first German airplane while accom- 1 panying a French escadrille on a 1 bombing expedition Tuesday night, l had never operated machine gun l before while in flight and never had 1 been over the enemy lines. He got his
 man over the German city of Saar- ! burg. The bombing squadron was
 over Saarburg and in the act of
 dropping bombs when enemy air
 planes were. seen approaching rapid 1 1y. By the time the bomb dropping
 had been completed the enemy was
 close and the French formation of 1 which this American ard another 1 American had accompanied as gun l ners was at an altitude of 10, 900 feet. l The lieutenant, who is a Missourian, took of his gloves so that he might 1 operate his machine gun more effec- 1 lively when he saw an enemy plane 1 driving in front and firinng. Tho bull 1 lets whizzcd close to the French ma- | chine before the American could get | his piece into action Then he turned l a stream of bullets into the enemy and before the first drum was exhausted | the enemy machine tOppled and start | ed to spiral Then it flopped and flut- tered down with a flare of smokc and | flame in it's wake. It crashed to the l ground d short distance from tho l German city.
 The other American aviator, also ] a lieutenant was not so lucky, for the machine he picked out to engage 1 lodged away quickly and he was
 unable to get in any effective shots