The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1918-03-14
BY Associated Press.

WIN tle american ARMY III rance,
Sunday, March 10.-American troops
cooperating with the French. have ar
ried out three raids opposite the Ameri-
can sector in Lorraine. Two of the
raids were executed simultaneously last
night.
. The Americans swept past the Ger
man first line and penetrated TO the
enemy's second line, 500 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 --(deleted) with small
French forces on their flanks, moved
upon the German detectives behind a
creeping barrage. each on a front OF
500 yards. When the Americans
reached the enemy first lines the bar
rage wac lifted so as to box in the
German positions at both points.
Enters Second Line.
The men dropped into the enemy's
trenches expecting IA hand to hand
fight but found the Germans had fled.
continuing the advance, they went
FORWARD 600 yards to the second Ger
man line. All the time American ma
chine guns were firing on each flank
of the two parties to prevent the enemy
'''N N'N'iAS ltiiNii opNA
one French thanking party found two
wounded Germans in a dugout and took
them prisoner. The Americans found
none.
The Americans remained for as
minutes in the enemy lines. They
found excellent concrete dugouts, which
they blew up, and also brought back
large quantities Of material and Valu-
able papers While they were in he
enemy lines German artillery began
a vigorous counter barrage. 1t was
quickly silenced by American heavy
and light artillery which poured large
quantities Of gas shells on the bat
terieS.
Men Were From -(Deieted.)
An American trench mortar battery,
the homes of most of whose men are
---(deleted) participated in the ar
tillery preparation preceding the raid,
helping to level the enemy positions.
The artillery, both light and heavy, was
manned by soldiers mostly from -
(deleted.)
Soon after these two raids had been
carried out the Americans staged
another at a point further along the
line to the right. They went over the
top after artillery preparation Of As
minutes in which the enemy's positions
attacked were obliterated. At this
place the dugouts were found to have
been constructed principally Of logs.
Engineers accompanying the raiding
party completed the artillery's work Of
destruction. The American infantry
men who took part in the raid are from
-(deleted), n the engineers
from ---(deleted).
The raids were carried out skillfully,
and but for the fact that the Germans
fled more prisoners doubtless would
have been taken. American gas shells
are believed to have caused many cas-
ualties among the enemy. No Ameri-
cans are u~nacconnted for.
The bombardment in preparation for
the raid started at l o'clock Saturday.
Americans and French were massed
along his portion of the front.
After the tremendous burst of fire in
the first salvo the guns continued to
rain shells or the boche first and sec
ond and third trenches and all rear
organizations. including enemy batter
les.
Met No Opposition.
When the Americans went Over the
top in one sector they walked over No
Mans Land withuut opposition
AS their orders specified they must
rcturn in Il certain time they obeyed
and vent no further.
The men in another sector pene-
trated $50 meters behind the German
third line. They encountered some
dugouts that had been smashed by shell
fire and ran into nearly Il dozen killed.
They found one dugout which was in
tact. They shouted for the Germans to
come out. The latter replied by firing.
They were given short shift. Grcnades
and incendiary bombs were hurled into
the dugout where they exploded with
terrific force, hurting everything sky
ward.