The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1918-03-07
RRUSSIANS HURLED BACK.
RAID BY HUNS NEAR TOCL COM
PLETE FAILURE.
In Early Morning During Snow Storm
Germans Opened Terrific Fire
On the American Trenches.

With the American Army in
France. March 1-American troops
repulsed a strong German attack this
morning in the salient north OF foul
There were many American casual
ties, one of the killed being captain
who was graduated from West Point
in 1917.
The raid was complete failure
: three German prisoners remaining IN
American hands. The ground in front
of the American trenches was streWn
with German dead.
A driving wet snow was falling
this morning when the Germans
opened fire on the American salient
with every weapon at their COM
mand. Seventy-sevens, heavy shells
and gas shells fell in perfect whiri-
wind on the American trenches Tor
half an hour. At the same time 9th
er enemy shells in great numbers
we're dropping on the American bat
terry positions.
Terrific Assault.
The Germans, evidently thinking
that the Americans in this section
having had one taste of gas few
DAYS ago, would fear it now, let loose
great quantities of poisoned gas, but
the men put on their masks and only
few were affected by it. So intense
was the fire that the woods back OF
the salient we're shot to pieces.
At 6 o'clock the barrage fire lifted
on the trenches to the right of the sa-
lient and Germans numbering 24O
came sweeping forward under the
protection of their fire. They came
forward apparently intending to
make a big haul and jumped into
; what was left of the trenches, but
there. instead of the easy time anti
cipated. found the Americans all
ready for battle. Fierce hand-to-
hand fighting began.
Waited for the Enemy.
One American captain rallied men
with rifles and machine guns and
went through the American wire en-
tanglements into No Mans Land and
there waited for the enemy, whom he
expected to he driven ouS by his
comrades in the trenches.
He was right, for soon groups OF
the enemy started back through the
wire entanglements. The Americans
poured a deadly fire but unfortunate
ly the captain was killed during the
fight. He is the first member Of the
1917 class of West Point to be killed
While the Americans were in front
of the wire entanglements and in
shell holes, still fighting desperately
the American barrage fire began
sweeping No Mans Land, catching
many running Prussians who had
enough of American methods. The
barrage swept back and forth, max
ing sure of doing all possible damage
to the foe.
Ten Dead Huns in Trenches.
When the enemy had been driven
back out of the positions, the bodies
of ten German soldiers were found
in the American trenches. Two Ger
man officers were entangled in the
wire and many bodies were in sight.
Eight were visible through the snow
storm at one point The ground was
Uttered with enemy hand grenades,
boxes of explosives for destroying
dugouts and incendiary bombs which
they had no opportunity to use.
They managed, however, to drop
incendiary bombs in two dugouts,
which were destroyed, but no Ameri-
cans were in them. If the Germans
captured any prisoners, which is
doubtful, there were not more than
two or three possibly from a listen
ing post. Of the missing, many were
buried. Digging for them now is
proceeding and others may be ac-
counted for.
The Prisoners.
Two German prisoners were
wounded and the other taken was un-
hurt except for a welt on one OF
his hands where he was struck by q
young soldier when he showed fight
after capture.
From the prisoners the American
officers have secured much valuable
information. One said:
81 did not have a chance to de
anything before an American jumped
onto me and grabbed me by the
throat"
The Germans had been preparing
for the raid for three weeks and be