Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1918-03-12

explosions sending the men over the
top.
On another sector no dugouts or pill
boxes were found intact. The raiders
penetrated beyond the third line and
captured two wounded prisoners.
American soldiers, operating with the
French in the section where five pris-
oners were taken in a third sector,
walked across No Mans Land without
opposition, laughing and joking at the
lack of enemy fire
With their barrage roaring ahead. the
Sammies started their march Boche-
ward at a steady, even stride. There
was no running. The men marched az
though on parade
They soon began encountering shell
holes and several slipped in up to their
hips Their bunkies. with outstretcned
hands, aided in pulling them out.
The Effective of one company was
located n a shell-shattered woods. where
nothing but splintered trunks of trees
which raised their jagged limbs toward
the Sky in a mass Of debris was visible.
Then new noise was heard above
the rumble OF the barrage-the roar
o the exhaust Of Boone airplanc as it
suddenly appeared above the raiders and
swooped down toward the woods. Inc
rattle of its machine sun could lie heard
about the other noises as it swept SO
low the yankees looking upward could
see the faces of the aviators., g..
The machine gun bullets clipped
through the trees as the infantryrien
raised their rifles and banged away at
the plane .
Then GU" own barrage fire became toe
hot and the airplane sailed into the sky
and disappeared.
Ag second 1ipe-
a private slipped on something and kick
ed il our of his way, 1t was a German
arm. Plastered against the trees and
even hanging from the limbs were
pieces of Berman flesh, blown there by
the American artillery. The demolition
was complete.
They cleaned up the enemy trenches
in short order and were ordered to go
back when the German barrage start
ed sergeant shouted: Get out OF
the way, let a man run who can run
The Americans dashed back to their
own trenches, their leggings and pants
torn to tatters by the barbed wire en-
tanglements.
All speculated on the fate of the
Boches after being subjected to such
Smelling. .......
The captain stepped up in line with
his men. All were tense.
ing overhead. All were tense.
5:O2-The men took last look at
their rifles and stamped their feet to get
a firm footing on the fire step.
5:0S-A corporal to the captain: Cap
tain. if you get it, l get your puttees,
Don't u"
The captain laughed and said: Sure.
My puttees are dilapidated, anyway"
5:04-The captain pulled a whistle
III lat right
arm went toward the parapet
5:05-The zero hour"
The captains whistle blew.
The men vaulted the parapet like
trained gymnasium team vaulting the
horse as one man.
The whole thing had been practiced
in advance. No orders were necessary.
All the Sammies returned from their
coray, laughing and good humored
This afternoon they were resting oask-
q ing in the sun and perched on the
rocks beside the street in a shattered
village.
A former famous (deleted by CENSOR
said he was proud that it was his
outfit that was in the raid
Accompanying the company in an air
plane was colonel This was the
SECOND time he had gone over the top.
lie said he wanted the boys to know
Z SO1neDOdN was WIN IneH. ne ,-WeIll
he full distance and returned after
the raid was over.
The American raid was in retaliation
! for the German raid of March 5th and
! the four-day bombardment
Although few prisoners were taken,
the raid was the most. successful to
date. The artillery bombardmept Gre
; ated terrible havoc in the German
trenches. Considerable information and
material were gathered. The French
heaped tho highest praise on all the
troops engaged. Recommendations were
made that some receive the CroiX de
liuerre. .-
The four-day 'bonnbardmeut OF Anferi-
can positions near the Swiss border
ended yesterday afternoon when. Yam
: kee gunners neutralized the work OF
] the Boche batteries Despite the un-
usual enemy activity on this sector the
American troops stood UP under the
! cannonading in splendid fashion, ...
: Announcement of American troops op-
Grating with the French at Reillou,
Neuviller and Badonviller indicates some
of PershinE's men are still in the vicini-
" of the Rhine Marine canal, which was
the first place the Americans were ac-
lively engaged in the war. Badonviller
= is about .thirty-two miles east and south
Of Nancy. and about seventy-iive miles
east and south of the st. Mihiel sector
= At that point the front is within i've
miles of the German border. Neuviller
/ is about three miles northeast OF Badon-
viller. Reillon is about twelve miles
northeast of Badonviller.
This officially places American troops
al five different points on the French
front They are in the Chemin des
I DANES sector. near Craonne; in the Ar
; gonne, near Butte du Mesnil; in the
sector running east from st. Mihiel; IN
| the sector near where the Rhine-Marne
canal crosses the front, and somewhere
near the Swiss border"