Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-02-04
AMERICAN FRONT
RESOUND|NG WITH
BOOM OF BIG GUNS
German Flyers RepuIsed in
Attempt to Cross Behind
Pershing's Trenches.
HUN DUGOUTS AND LINES
SUSTAIN SEVERE DAMAGE
Advanced Positions Made Unten:
able by Concentration of -.
U. S. Artillery.
CLOSELY MENACES BOCHE SOIL
ESpeditionary Forces Occupy Sector
on Historic Field Between Ger
mNn Border and Nancy.
CLOSELY MENAcEs BoCHE SOIL
rBy Associated rresy.l ]

WITH TIE AMERICAN ARMY IN
FRANCE. Saturday. February g.
American troops now are occupying q
sector OF the Lorraine front In France.
This announcement is permitted By the
military censor. "a,
Tho whole American sector is re-
sounding with the boom OF guns. .,ir-
men became exceedingly active along
tho American front on Saturda-.
Enciny snipers wounded two Americans
slightly early this morning.
\ shift Of tho wind to-day cleared
away tho mist which has hindered
aerial operations and other activities
fer several days. A number Of battles
in tho air were fought by patrolIins
planes carly this afternoon. In one.
instance tho French aviator3 defeated
an attempt of German flyers TO cross
behind the American trenches.
The artillery and snipcra also have
become increasingly active. American
'5s ere harassins traffic behind the
enemy trenches. The Germans are con-
lining their IRE largely to tho Anori-
can trenches. .--..
Throughout Friday night machine
guns ratified ccasclcssly from German
positions.
\ German barrage fire at sundown
last night opened the heaviest bonn
hardment OF many days along tho
American sector, the American artlllers
replying shell for shell. az the firing
OF the heavy guns spread along sew
cral kilometcrs OF front ss-,-,
Two Americans were killed and nine
wounded during the bonn bardment, ana
one suffered she'll shock S@a
ENEMY DUGoUTs WRECKED
nY YANKEE ARTILLERIsFs
II vas ascertained to-day that the
American gunners wrecked several OF
the enemy dusouts and SO badly dam.
aged tho ilrst-line positions that AZ
one point the Germans were unable.fo
occupy them Sunday ~s
When the bombardmcnt had reached
rs greatest intensity, the Germans sud-
denly concentrated their dre at two
points, throwing about $50 shells into
town in which the Headquarters Of
certain regiment are located, and
which heretofore had been immune. to
enemy flre.
After the bombardment a wounded
American soldier was discovered Inca
position where it was necessary 10
carry him over a trench top to a Gcid
dressing station. A medical corps man,
displayed the Red Cross nag and Tia
Germans ceased firing until tho man
was removed.
Early in the day an American wa,
wounded by sniper.
The French commander OF sausage
balloon squadron. who was an artE-
iery officer ~ Nerdun during the heav.-
est lighting. and also participated in
the Somnie offensive. declared to-day
that the work OF certain American
batteries at the front Is almost per-
feet" He was particularly pleased
with the work done by American guns
in firing on German position in
wood. which he observed from 4 ball
loon.
POSITIONS ARE
JUST EAST OF NANCT
The fact that American troops we're
i'll the trenches in Lorraine was re-
veaied BY the German War Office three
months ago. At that time, according !
to an official German announcement,
the Americana were on tho front at tho
Rhine Marne Canal. which intersects
the battle line near the German bor-e
der, duo east OF Nancy This announce
mcnt wac made In the. Official report
from Berlin OF the first raid on the
American positions, in which three
Americans were killed. fvo Wounded
and twelve captured. sf"''
Tho eastern end OF the battle line int
France ard Belgium runs through
French and German Lorraine. French
Lorraine. i'll which Is the American
sector, IS included in the Departments
OF Mcusc. the capital OF which is S'er-
dun: Meurtl.c- ctMoselic, whose CAPT.
tai IS Nancy, and VoSscs, with TIE
caifta. It ;:pinal. The length % the
front in French Lorraine IS about 100
miles.
This section 81 the battle limo e1.
tends into the Mcusc from the Marre,.
aear ST. Menehould, and runs eastward (
10 the Eorth of Nc-dun, south TO alihrri
and east to the &C tnnau border. The.e
il turns to she southeast, and almost
parallels the border to the vicinity or.
Leintry. BeiSw Lnintry 1t cuts ucrosa,
a section OF French soil. past gadoDS.
vlller and Senones and to tho cass OF
ST. Die. and again crosses the German