The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-01-31
Made Attack Under Cover or
Mist Early in Morning.
Then Fled Back to Own Lines
With Captured Sammy.
FIVE KILLED PREVIOUSLY
Almost Daily Casualties Occur
in American Sector.
Single Shell Kills Three Ameri-
cans in a Trench Recently.

With the American Army in France,
Wednesday, Jan. 30.-By the Associat-
ed Press.-An American position on
a certain section of the French front
was raided during a heavy fog shortly
after daylight this morning. The at
tack was preceded by violent artil-
lery barrage.
Two Americans were killed and four
wounded. One soldier is missing, and
is believed to have been captured by
the enemy.
Then Hell Broke Loose.
Last night was fairly quiet thruout
the American sector. The usual num-
ber of shells came over. doing no
damage, and there were the customary
sporadic outbursts of machine guns
fire from both sides at points where
TIE opposing lines are nearest.
At daybreak this morning the heavy
fog which had been enveloping the
whole position and the country for
miles around for several days became
still thicker, blotting out all except the
nearest enemy positions At O'Clock
three muffled reports sounded thru
the fog There were three whistles,
followed quickly by three shells burst.
-he projectiles exploded on three sides
of an American listening post just out
side the wire. within fortyfive feet of
an enemy listening post.
Then hell broke loose" said one
man.
For fifteen minutes the enemy
broke hundreds of high explosive IT'S
around the post and the surrounding
ground, cutting off the men there.
Two of them were killed in the first
few minutes.
Tell How 1t Happened.
Another man who was at the post
70 a he la a
lying on a cot in a field hospital that
he saw four Germans approaching out
of the fog, as the barrage lifted. He
brought his automatic rifle into play
and saw two of the Germans fall. He
kept on firing until shell splinters hit
Kim in the head and arm.
The last l remembe in the time
before | reached the hospital" said
another wounded man, 'is seeing
something moving thru the fog.
determined to get some Germans and
put my rifle to my shoulder. but never
pulle the trigger. There was a deaf
cning explosion behind me. Frozen
earth, ice stones and shell splinters
came my way.
Inspection of the scene of the raid
showed that the ground was ploughed
up by the explosion of shells, in the
recent fighting in the American sector.
Casualties have been occurring al
most daily for several days this
sector It is now permitted to disclose
that all the recent casualties given out
from Washington occurred in this sec
tor. Five deaths were caused by shell
fire. mostly Shrapnel
One man wounded was hit by a
sniper'S bullet. He fell in a trench
filled with water and almost drowned
before he was rescued by his captain
Several of the wounded had been
listed as accidental woundings. These
were mostly wounds on the hands. 1t
is certain that the enemy casualties
from the American cannon and ma
chine gun fire had been as great or
greater than ours.
Three Killed by Single She'll
The casualties given out in Wash
ington recently occurred over certain
recent period. The dead were buried
within the sound and range of the
guns One man was blown to pieces
by a shell in a regimental headquar-
ters town as he was following his
colonel into a dugout.
Three men were killed by one shell
whicn fell in a trench, and another
died of wounds in a hospital Quite a
few of the men sent to hospitals were
(C0ufiuuad on i