Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1918-03-07
STORY OF THE ATTACK.
Rv the Associated Press.

March American troops repulsed Il
strong German attack this morning ~
tie salient north OF Foul. There were
many American casualties, II OF the
killed being d captain VINO vas graz
uated from West Point in iSlI.
Tha raid was q complete tall'tre,
three German prisoners remaining III
American hands. Tho ground III front
of the American trenches was stre"n
with German dead.
Attack in Snow Storm.
A driving Wet snow was falling this
morning when the Germans opened ire
on the American salient with every
weapon at their command. seventy,
seven heavy shells and gas shells fell
in a perfect whirlwind on the American
renehes for half an hour. 1t the same
time other enemy shells iii great mum"
bers were dropping on the American
battery positions.
The Germans, evidently thinking that
the Americans in this section, having
had one taste Of gas a few days ago,
would fear it now. let loose great guam
titles Of poisonous gas, but the men
nut on their masks II only a few were
affected by it. SO intense was the fire
that the woods back of the salient we're
shot to pieces.
24O Men in Attack.
Al 6 o'clock the barrage fire lifted on
the trenches TO the right OF the sallent
and Germans numbering 24G came
sweeping forward under the protection
Of their fire. They came forward APP
parentlv intending to make a big haul
and jumped n what was left OF the
trenches, but there instead OF the easy
time anticipated found the Americans
all ready for them. Fierce hand TO
hand fighting began.
One American captain rallied :hen
with rifles and machine guns and went
through the American wire entangle-
ments into No Mans Land and there
waited for the enemy, whom he eX-
pected to be driven out by his comrades
In the trenches.
He was right, for soon groups OF the
| enemy started back through the wire
acknowledgements. The Americans poured
in a deadly fire, but unfortunately the
captain was killed during the fighting.
He is the first member of the 1917 class
at West Point to be killed.
Caught Enemy in Roar.
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 run
| ming PrussianS who a a enough
| Of American, methods. The barrage
/ swept back and forth. making sure of
| doing all possible damage to the foe.
1 Wnlle I16 eucIIiy uoo OSS!A ulifc1
| back out Of the position. the bodies of
10 German soldiers We're found in the
American trenches. Two German Of
( ficers were entangled in the wire and
| many bodies were in sight. Eight were
! visible through the snowstorm at one
| point. The ground vas Uttered with
| enemy hand grenades, boxes of eXplo-
| sives Cor destroying dugouts and in
cend;ary bombs which they had no OPP
| p%Cctnuity to use,
Dig For Missing Mea.
They managed, however, to drop in
cendiary bombs in two dugouts which
| were destroyed by fire, but no Ameri
! cans were In them. II the Germans
| captured any prisoners, which Is doubt
| fol. there were not more than two c.
TREE, possibly from a listening post
| Of the missing, many probably were
| buried. Digging for them now is p-o.
ceeding and others nay be accounted
Gor.
Two German prisoners were wounded
and the other taken was unhurt, ex.
cept for u welt on one of his hands
where he was struck by a young Amer
lean soldier when he showed fight
' aftea capture.