The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1918-03-15
American Artillery
Upsets German Plans
of Gas Attacks

Der of gas shells fell on our battery
positions the American guns silenced
certain German batteries by pouring
in a fast and extremely accurate fire.
Our artillerymen stayed in their dug
outs until the gas shells began to fall,
when they put on their masks and
manned the guns while thus protect
ed. Some mustard gas shells were
mixed with the others that fell and
this type Of gas without their masks
on.
ENEMY WIRE LEvELED
The American artillery also tore
great gaps in the enemy wire and
lcveled various portions of the first
and second line trenches. forcing the
enemy virtually to abandon them.
Details of the recent raid which
have Just been developed show that
while numbers of Germans were killed
by shell fire when the box barrage
was in effect and others later by the
creeping barrage. there were also a
few Of the enemy shot here and there
during the time our men were in the
trenches. There were many Americans
among the raiding party of four Of
ficers and 20 men who did not see
single German soldier. All the men in
the raid seemed particularly impressed
with the way the American barrage
worked.
LIKE CLOCKWORK
1T worked like clock said one SOL
der. whose home is in Texas 1T made
you feel you could go right on to Ber-
lin behind it. The only trouble about
this show was we didn't see enough Of
Fritz. He must have beat it like a
rabbit, because I did not see single
one all the way back to the second line,
although some of the other fellows did"
The men went in In yards on a 100
yard front. None of the Americans was
killed and none is missing. 1t is certain
that five Germans were killed in the
fighting.
Artillery fire of quite lively character
also Is continuing in the sector east of
Luneville. So far as Isl known. the Ger
mans have not reoccup1ed their first and
second lines there.
SHIPPERS ARE BUSY
Both the Luneville sector and that of
Toul have been much occupied with snip
ers today, as we'll as iasr night. In the
former sector one sniper was detected in
a tree after period In which he had
done fairly effective work. One Of the
American sharpshooters crawled cauti-
ously to vantage point in No Mans
| Land and opened up on him. The Sec
ond shot hit the German. whose body
dropped to the enemy wire, where 1t
hung for the rest of the day.
| Northwest of Toul rifle fire and gren-
AIDES dislodged German frotm sniper' S
post in a shell hole and also silenced
| the enemy in machine gun emplace-
/ ment on the front lines who had been
annoying our men with bursts of fire.
The American machine guns, by cross
| fire. again drove out tine Germans from
number of listening posts.
BATTLES IN AIR
| An American aerAl observer in q
French atrplane crossed the German lines
( this morning at low attitude and used
his machine gun effectively on the sec
ond line. Other Americans we've in the
air all day many Of whom whnt over
German territory One aerial battle Ii
| reported. The American observer emptied
one gun at a German plane. but without
Iapparent result, as the enemy was hur-
rying toward the rear. Another machine
in which the American observers were
manning the guns went up to meet. Ger
man airplanes which had crorsed the
Hines, but the Americans failed to gel
i close enough to shoot with any chance
| of scoring a hit.
The Germans are doing much work be-
hind their lines. Additional camouflage
lconstruction 10 going on and an exceed
lingly heavy traffic fs in evidence ~
many places. especially at night.