The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1918-02-07
U. S. SECTOR IS
HOTLY ATTACKED
Four Americans Wounded, One
Captured - Enemy Takes
Advantage Of Weather.
BOOBIES ALSO SUFFER LOSSES
Violent Barrage Fire Precedes Assault
on American Listening Post, Only
90 Feet From German Station
Trenches IS Yards Apart.

With the American Army in France
Feb. l.-Taking advantage of a thick
mist, strong force of German troops
raided an American listening post
trench on Wednesday morning, killing
two American soldiers, wounding -four
and capturing one other.
The raid followed heavy barrage
fire which lasted Is minutes, complete
ly isolating the listening post from the
first line trenches.
The fighting lasted 20 minutes and
two German soldiers are believed ia
have been wounded.
The Americans fought calamity
When the raiders retired they were
followed by drafted men from Cali.
fornia. who bombed them copiously.
Trenches IS Yards Apart.
The attack took place at the point
where the American and German
trenches were In closest proximity.
No Mans Land at that point is only
So yards wide.
A long period of infantry inactivity
was broken by the raid, although there
had been cannonading which had
claimed some American victims.
Il was standing in our listening post
just about 40 feet from a German
listening post, just after daybreak,
when Fritz began TO turn hell loose
with his guns" said lanky Tennes-
seean. IL learned afterward that the
Germans had put down barrage
which had cut me off from our first
line position, held by platoon. Well,
the racket lasted about Is minutes.
All at once something struck me.
had been hit in the shoulder and thigh
b, fragments Of an exploding shell.
saw four Boches closing in on my post
and turned loose with my automatic
rifle. think two of them were wound
ed. Then passed out"
Dakota Man Wounded.
The attack began about seven o'clock
In the morning, and one of the first
men wounded was a National Guards
man from North Dakota. He occupied
a cot In the hospital next TO the Ten
nesseean. asked him what happened,
and he replied:
II was at gas station on the first
line. When the Smelling began peered
over the trench parapet and saw fig
ures stealing through the mist across
the frosty ground toward our positions.
The thought flashed through my brain
that they looked like the ghosts of the
The next minute l was knocked uncon-
scious. A shell fragment had hit me
ON the head"
The third wounded man had been hit
on the thigh and the fourth yas struck
In both legs.
The fighting was fierce while II
lasted and II is believed that at least
80 Germans were in the attacking
group. The Smelling which had pre-
ceded the raid was SO violent that II
could be heard plainly at brigade head
quarters.
All of the advantages of topography
where the raid was made, were with
the Germans. The valley was over
looked by the German positions and
the high hills in the rear gave the
enemy good opportunity for observa-
ton upon the trenches, which are shall
low at this point.
II was at this spot that "A German
soldier recently leaped upon the rim
of his trench with Il white flag in his
hands, shouting, "IIello" lie hastily
jumped back into his shelter when he
found that his attempt at fraternizing
was going TO meet with hostile recep-
ton.