The Watertown news. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1917-1919, 1918-02-27
3 u. s. MEN DIE
IN GAS ATTACK
Nine Others Are Put Out of Ac-
tion by Germans in the
TouI Sector.
AMERICANS QUICK To ACT
Teutons Assault Yankees With Pro-
jectors for First Time-Number of
Soldiers Overcome Before They
Adjust Masks.

With the American Army in France,
Feb. T.-Three American soldiers
were killed and nine badly "gassed" in
two formidable gas attacks made by
the Germans on the American posi-
donS in the TOul sector early Tuesday
morning with projectors.
The enemy also b eavily bombarded
the American batteries with gas shells,
but without result
Only the excellent preparatory train
Ing ia Quickness by the American
troops prevented the protector at
tacks, the first experienced by them
from causing more casualties.
Attacks Ten Minutes Apart.
The attacks We're made within ten
minutes of each other and were d.
rected at certain wood. Seventy-fve
sight-inch shells of 80 per cent gas
and 20 high explosive shells were fired
from German minenwerfer.
The flight Of the projectiles was
traced through the air, the gas shells
bursting in the air and the high ex-
plosives detonating when they came in
contact with the earth. Large frag
ments Of shells flew from both mis-
siles.
The gas caught some Of the men be-
fore they were able to adjust their
masks and overcame others while they
were asleep in dugouts.
The American artillery has replied
constantly, doing most effective work
against the enemy front line trenches,
his battery positions and wire entan-
clements. Numerous working parties
Of the enemy also were shelled. Be
yond observation by balloons there
has been no aerial activity owing to
the low clouds and rain.
American machine guns last night
and this morning fired many thousand
rounds on the rear Of German posi-
tons, where marked movement Of men
and material progresses. The enemy
tried unsucceSSfully to hinder the
American patrol work by hurting new
and powerful flares into the American
wire entanglements.
Details of the Franco-American raid
In the Chemin des Danes Saturday
show that 26 picked American soldiers
participated, after every member of
their battalion had volunteered.
Take Entire Party of Enemy.
There was some hand-to-hand fight
ing. but the entire enemy party at this
point was captured The raiders
chased the enemy out of other shelters
and along communicating trenches
without catching any. There was some
criticism Of the fact that the Ameri-
cans were SO enthusiastic that they
went beyond the detectives.
The raiders and prisoners started
back across No Mans Land on sched-
ule time, but were caught in German
counter-barrage. One enemy shell
wounded five Germans and six French
men but no Americans.
French Raids Fierce.
French Grand Headquarters, Feb.
27.-Trench raids along the French
front have increased In intensity dur
ing the last month to such an extent
that they have become, In some in
stances, battles In which thousands of
men have been engaged and hundreds
of prisoners taken. The artillery is
throwing unheard Of quantities of
shells.
The objects of the raids vary wide
ly. Sometimes a raid is undertaken
In order to identify enemy units, and
at other times to improve the lines or
capture observation points.