Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1918-03-15
U. S. men Pierce
GERMAN Line IN
LORRAINE SECTOR
American and French Soldiers
Dash Far Into the Enemy
Trenches.
PENETRATE SECOND POSITION
Successful Dual Charge by Pershine's
Men Follows Four-Hour lombard
ment by Uncle Sans Artillery
Make 6O0-Yard Gain.

With the American Army in France,
| March 12.-TrOOps holding the Amer
lean sector north of Toul made a sue
cessful raid against the BOches early
| Monday morning. This was the first
exclusively American raid without
| French participation.
| The American raiders went over the
top after As minutes artillery prepare
ton. They penetrated the German
| trenches and returned successfully.
According to first reports there We're
| no prisoners, as the trenches and dug
| outs had been demolished and the
| BOches had withdrawn TO their rear
lines.
Guns Sweep Enemy Trenches.
The artillery bombardment started
at 5 80 a. 10. The heavy guns cen
| tered their fire on the German guns
| and rear organizations, while the light
| er pieces swept the trenches, smash
| ing dugOutS and other defenses.
| Under cover of barrage the Ger
| man wire was blown up by American
engineers. The infantry then went
over the top.
The artillery preparation was en-
| tirely as successful as the lombard
| the trip across No Mans Land and re-
turned practically free from enemy
| shell fire.
Make Raid in Lorraine.
Do, s;e fpnn
have made bold raid into the Ger
man lines in Lorraine, the war office
| announces.
Pierce Enemy's Line.
With the American Army in France.
| March 12.-American troops, co-Operat-
| ing with the French, have carried out
| three raids opposite the American Sec
| tor in Lorraine. Two of the raids were
| executed simultaneously at night.
The Americans swept past the Ger
| man first line and penetrated to the
enemy's second line 600 yards back.
The two simultaneous raids, one
| northwest and one northeast of ---
| (deleted) were made after intense ar
tillery preparation lasting for four
hours, in which the German positions
| were leveled. At midnight two forces,
| each one of - (deletedD, with
| small French forces on their TANKS,
moved upon the German detectives be-
| hind creeping barrage, each on
| front of 600 yards When the Ameri-
cans reached tee enemy first lines the
| barrage was lifted so as to box in the
| German positions at both points.
Germans Flee Trenches.
The men dropped into the enemy's
| trenches, expecting a hand-tO-hand
| fight, but found the Germans had fed.
Continuing the advance, they went for
ward 600 yards to the second German
| line. All the time American machine
guns were firing on each flank of the
two parties to prevent the enemy from
undertaking fianking operations. One
| French flankng party found two
| wounded Germans in a dugout and
| took them prisoner. The Americans
| found none.
The Americans remained for 40 min
utes in the enemy lines. They found
excellent concrete dugOuts, which they
| blew up, and also brought back large
| quantities OF material and valuable
papers. While they were in the en-
envy lines German artillery began
vigorous counter-barrage. 1t was
| quickly silenced by American heavy
and light artillery, which hurled large
quantities of gas shells on the bat
teries.
| An American trench mortar bat
| terry, the homes of most of the
men are -- (deleted), participated
| In the artillery preparation preceding
the raid. helping to level the enemy
positions. The artillery, both light and
heavy, was manned by soldiers mostly
| from - (deleted).
The raids were carried out skillfully,
and but for the fact that the Germans
fed, more prisoners would have been
taken. American gas shells are be-
lieved to have caused many casualties
among the enemy. No Americans are
| unaccounted for.
The American artillery in the last
"a hours has bombarded vigorously
/ certain towns in the rear areas. roads
and communicating trenches of the
| Germans opposite the TOul sector with
excellent results. They shelled a num-
Der of buildings in one town in which
| enemy troops were billeted.
They sprinkled with shells road be-
| ing used for transport and scattered
/ the Germans in trenches which were