Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-02-04
Met German Pig Guns With Shell
for Shell With Destructive
Effect.
3 OF OUR MEN KILLED
AND 9 OTHERS WOUNDED
French Commander Declares
Work of Americans Was
Almost Perfect"
HOLD LINE IN LORRAINE
By Associated Press 90 Every Evening
WTu THE AMERICAN Amir IN FRANCE,


Wrru THE AMERICAN ApmY TN FRAwcr,
Sunday, Feb. delayedj.
American officers are eiated over the
/ results of the first artillery duel between
American and German gnnners, which
followed preliminary sbelllng by the
Germans Saturday evening.
In ofticiai reports To the headquarters
of their organizations, the infantry com
manders today paid tribute To tho prompt
| ness with which tho artillery responded to
the call for barraRe and to the effective
ness Of the artillery fire.
Two Americans were killed and nine
wounded during the bonn bardment, and
one suffered shell shock.
Aerial reconnaissances today showed
tho American gunfire had had q very deg
truetIye effect. 1t IS known at least threo
| enemy dugouis were demolished probably
VT some casualties.
IN regirnental headquarters village
shellad by the enemy, many buildings
| were wrecked completely or in part. There
we're no casualties among the officers The
whlstIing Of two big shells gave warning
Of the corning borabardment and officers
and men sought shelter in tho dugouts.
The bombardment Of the headquarters
village came az the end OF a period OF
sheling which had extended gradually
along several kllometers Of the front.
BARRAGE FIRE INTENSE.
The German artillery opened the en-
! gagemcnt with desultory bopbardment
/ of the American trenches at a certain
point, firing many shrapnei shells. In tho
! midst OF this a red rocket, calling for
| barrage. assembled from the German
| first line.
Before the German. artillery could
| respond, the american 75s, summoned
! into action by signal from the first line,
| laid a curtain Of fire along the enemy first
| line Then began the battle of the gun
/ ners. The increased intensity of the Ger
| man FIRE was met immediately by the
| Americans who not only showered shells
| on the original sector, but quickly extend
| cd their activity TO a wide front.
Within twenty minutes the 15s and
larger pieces were booming all along the
valley, the Shelling finally spreading to q
| town in which regimental headquarters
was located AS darkness settled down the
| guns grew quiet.
| Heavy miSts again overhung The Amerl-
can sector today. Consequently, there Was
| little artillery work and no aenal activity.
| HOLD SECTOR IN LORRAINE.
| The military censor has permitted
4
| American troops are now occupying
| sector on the Lorraine front.
| When the bombardment had reached
| its greatest intensity, the Germans
suddenly concentrated their Gre at two
points, throwing about $50 shells into a
! town in which the headquarters of a Ger
tam regiment are located and which
heretofore had been immune TO enemy
| fire
After the bombardment wounded
| American soldier was discovered In
| position where it was necessary to carry
him over a trench top to field dressing
station A Medical Corps man displayed
| the Red Cross, and the Germans ceased
firing until the man was removed.
FRENCH VETERANS HIGH TRIBUTE.
The French commander Of q sau-
sage balloon squadron who was an
artillery officer st Nerdun during the
heaviest lighting and also participated
III the Sornme offensive, declared that the
work OF certain American batteries at the
front IS almost perfect. He was parti-
cularlv pleased with the work done
by American guns IN Iirng on a German
position in q wood which he observed
from a balloon.
The correspondents permanently ac-
credited to the American Army have
been informed that they may proceed
10 virtually any point within the zone
of Lrc. except the trenches, without
escort and without special permission.
Arrangements have been made whereby
newspaper men may proceed to any
brigade headquarters few kilometres
behind the trenches after first reporting
their presence within the zone to the
headquarters of the division Of which the
brigade is a part.
ONLY TWO AT TINE.
Unless there is some occurrence which
makes it inadvisable in the opinion
Of the brigade commander for correspon-
dents to move nearer the front, they may
walk from his headquarters to regimental
headquarters behind tho lines.
Since Ill road immediately behind
the front arc within easy German gun
range and under German observation,
not moro than two corr, 1ondents may
move forward together. They must wear
gas masks in alert position and helmets.
Newspaper men must obtain special per
mission TO visit tho trenches, and must bo
accompanied by an escorting officer