The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1918-03-05
NEVER REACHED
OUR TRENCHES
Yankee-t'ire Entirely De-
feated Assault, Infiicting
Severe Casualties
CAPTURED YANKEES
NEW ENGLANDERS
Men Picked from Unit of
Membership Offered to
Face Fire

With the American Army in France
March 5.--(By Associated Press Vol.
untcers from American units along the
Chemn DIES Danes searched No Mans
Land in rain of machine gun bullets
for thirteen missing men Of patrol
party, but did not find any trace of
them except one man who had been
killed. II is certain the Germans OBJ.
tanned prisoners from this pstrol, and
not from the trenches, as they claim.
Details of the German attack, which
failed completely to reach the trenches,
are now available. American artillery
men laid down barrage as soon a. nc
German started theirs Three companies
of especially trained "shock troops"
which had been practicing for this opeI
alton for two weeks, took part in the
attack. Each company was preceded by
a picked party of twenty pioneers.
The fighting was brisk for about an
hour. but the accurate machine gun and
rife fire from the American front lines,
coupled with the perfect American bar
rage, which prevented reinforcements
from coming up, forced the Germans to
withdraw after sustaining heavy casual
les and with having got foot in the
American trenches
Soon after the attack was over
young lieutenant commanding platoon
some of which had gone out into No
Mans Land went out to find them with
out result. He returned to his trench
and asked for voluntary detail. Every
man in the platoon volunteered, but the
lieutenant picked out small party and
set out again. They were forced to re.
turn however, when the German fire be. |
came increasingly heavy, The lienten-
ant and detail made a third search just |
before dawn without success. All the |
missing men came from New England,
The American general commanding the
unit on this front said the men were
eager for action and were continually
asking permission to remain in the front
line longer than the allotted period. 1t
has been found necessary to caution
them frequently against exposing them
selves, they are so anxious to get a
crack at the enemy. They are tempted
to peer over the top in the daytime and
70 over at night in the hope of start
ng something
The French general who trained these
roops is proud OF the showing they are
making while completing their period Of
instruction. An American captain said;
They called us tin soldiers in America
ess than year ago, but guess we are
delivering the goods. just the same"
Between 500 and 1900 gar shells are
brown on the American positions onethe
'henin des Danes front each day, but |
here have been no serious gas casual
les. They do not find it inconvenient to J
york and fight like divers" few !
nen have been gassed slightly while ad t
listing their helmets, but this is in q
vitabe when gas shells are thrown a s
ong distance behind the lines. A brioa d
Ter general and major who were rid
ng in an automobile on tour of inspec |
ion a few days ago. were gassed slight $
! when shell burst within a hundred II
ards of their car They suffered from I
eadache and slight nausea, bat other 7
Use there were no i'll effects. I