New-York tribune., 1918-07-03
u. 8. Raiders Take
Party of O1vr1 Size
I'm Picardy Sector

WASHINGTON, July 3 Another
quiet day along the American fronts
was reported by General, Pershing to-
day in communiGue for yesterday,
sent before the successful operations
last night west of Chateau Thierry, de-
scrlbed in press dispatches. An Ameri-
can aviator shot down an enemy ma
cnine in the Toui region.
Capture Of thirty three prisoners,
including one officer, within the space
of twenty minutes, in the Picardy sec
tor. in the region of Chateau Jenlis, on
June 29. was mentioned. The American
party penetrated the German lines and
took the enemy completely by surprise.
The communique follows:
Section A-The day has passed
quietly at points occupied by our
troops.
yesterday one of our aviators Shot
down hostile machine in the Toul
region.
Enemy Not Aggressive
Section BIN Picardy, between
noon June ~ and noon June %, the
enemy showed little aggressiveness
His artillery fire was mucn lighter even
than that Of the day before. 1t was
directed largely against the region of
Grlvenes. The activity Of his ailplanes
showed the same decrease as regards
reconnaissance work, coupled with a
marked increase in bombing operations.
During the night bombs were scat
tered in small numbers over a consid-
cradle part of our sector The enemy
continued to strengthen his position.
Hostile patrols attempted more than
once to. reach our lines, but either re-
tired without establishing contact or
were driven off by rifle fire. Our own
artillery operated very effectively on
the German front lines and also in
his rear areas, where one of his ammu-
milton dumps exploded at o'clock in
the evening. One of his balloons was
brought down in flames by an Allied
airplanc.
Raid Proves Successful
"ln the Picardy sector the day Of
June 2S to June 20 was notable in the
success of our raiding, as reported in
trated the German lines in the region
of Chateau Jenlis at 8 o'clock in the
morning, taking the enemy completely
by surprise. Within the space Of
twenty minutes they had captured
thirty-three prisoners, including an Of
hcer, number nearly equal to our
party. In the course of the operation
we destroyed several dugouts and ma
chine guns. Our casualties were re-
markably small.
AS on the preceding cay, the Ger
man artillery was fairly quiet. Regis
tration fire was delivered at severa,
points, and our positions around Villers
Tournelle and CanJigny were bonn
barded during the early afternoon with
shells of medium and heavy calibre
,tt %ov
preparation fire, changing into bar
rage, was laid down by the hostile bat
teries, and lasted until 3:45 o'clock
The barrage extended from the Fon-
taine wood as far north as Grivenes.
There was little trench mortar or ma
chine gun fire during the day. The Ger.
man airplanes did com paratively little
reconnaissance work. but during the
night dropped a number OF small bomb !;
on our positions, and in the course of
the afternoon made several attempts
to destroy our balloons.
Aicpnnes Forced Back
'ln the case Of one balloon they
We're successful, byt at the cost of one
OF their machines, which was shot down
II flames by a French plane Our anti
aircraft batteries forced other German
airplanes t. retire without accomplish
ing their mission. A number of wagons
were observed during the day in the
German rear areas. but the circula
.lon there was not notable in any re-
spect. Of the German working par
ties. which continued their activities
Of the preceding days, one was bombe d
by an American patrol and another dis
persed by our artillery. Our artillery
fire was again very effective along the
enemv's front line
particulars of the raids attempted
oy German troops on our forces in the
Cclmar sector on June 81 are now
available. They were preceded by ma
chine gun harrsg, lasting for half an
h0u~ One party of the enemy entered
our line. attacking one of our nnsts a 4