The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1918-03-15
AMERICANS KILL
MANY GERMANS
Pershing's Troops InfIict Severe
Losses on Foe North
of T0ul.
YANKEE CAPTAIN LOSES LIFE
Ground IN Front of Position Held by
u. S. MEN Strewn With Teuton
Dead-Many American Cas-
ualties Reported.

With the American Army in France,
March 4-American troops repulsed
strong German attack In the salient
north of Toul on Friday morning.
There were many American casualties,
one of the killed being a captain who
was graduated from West Point in
1917.
The raid was a complete failure,
three German prisoners remaining In
American hands.
The ground in front of the Ameri-
can trenches was strewn with Ger
man dead.
A driving wet snow was falling
when the Germans opened fire on the
American salient with every weapon
at their command. Seyenty-sevens,
heavy shells and gas shells fell in 81
perfect whirlwind on the American
trenches for half an hour
At the same time other enemy shells
in great numbers were dropping on
the American battery positions.
The Germans evidently thinking
that the Americans in this section,
having had one taste of gas q few
days ago. would fear it now, let loose
great quantities of poisonous gas, but
the men put on their masks and only
Il few were affected by it. So intense
was the fire that the woods back of
! the salient were shot TO pieces.
At six O'Clock the barrage fire lift
ed on the trenches TO the right OF the
salient and Germans numbering 240
came sweeping forward.
They came forward apparently in
tending to make big haul and
jumped into what was left of the
trenches, bat there, instead of the
easy time anticipated, found the Amer
leans oil ready for battle. Fierce
hand to-hand fighting began.
One American captain rallied men
with rifles and machine guns and went
through the American wire entangle-
ments into No Mans Land and there
waited for the enemy, whom he ex-
pected to be driven out by his COM
rades in the trenches.
He was right. for soon. groups OF
the enemy started back through the
wire entanglements. The Americans
poured in a deadly fire, but unfOrtun
ately the captain was killed during the
fight. He is the first member of the
1917 class at West Point to be killed
While the Americans were in from
of the wire entanglements and in shell
holes, still fighting desperately, the
| opio no hogan
ing No Mans Land. catching man!
running Prussians, who had enough o
American methods. The barrage sweep
back and forth, making sure of dOint
all possible damage to the foe.
When the enemy had been driver
back out of the positions the bodie
of ten German soldiers were found II
the American trenches. Two German
officers were entangled in the wire an
many bodies were in sight. Eigh
were visible through the snowstorm q
one point
If the Germans captured any pris
oners, which is doubtful, there wer
not more than two or three. possibl
from listening post.
Two German prisoners were wounC
ed and the other taken was unhur
One prisoner said:
II did not have a chance TO do any
thing before an American jumped ont
me and grabbed me by the throat"
The Americans displayed the grea
: est personal courage. bravery and Ell
ergy throughout the engagement an
outfought the surprised enemy frol
the instant contact was established.
Berlin. March 4.-Ten American
: have been captured by the German
!. near Chavignon, on the French from
army headquarters announced. A fe'
French prisoners also were taken frol
the hostile trenches by the Germa
storming troops that made the raid