Arizona republican., 1918-04-21
AMERICANS STOP
 GERMAN RA|D|NG IN LARGE SCALE
Twelve Hundred Huns Are Driven Back by Sammies
 After Bitter Battle at
 Seicheprey; Line Holds
Republican A. p. Leased WireJ

WITH THE AMERICAN ARMY IN FRANCE, April 20.-Twelve hundred German storm troops, the largest num- ber ever concentrated against the American troops for an offensive oper- alton, were hurled against the Ameri- can positions on a one mile front west of Renneres forest, northwest of Toul, today, after a terrific hombardment of gas and high explosive shells.
 Enter Front Trenches
 The enemy succeeded in entering the front line trenches and taking the vil- lage of Seicheprey, but after furious hand-to hand fighting, which was still going on at night fall, the American troops recaptured the village and most of the ground lost in the early fighting.
 AirpIanes Take Part
 The Germans have made a strong at tack against the American lines. Ger man airplanes, flying at low altitude. attempted to disorganize the American fighting men but two enemy aviators were brought down and the others driven off.
 The Germans suffered heavy casual ties and the American lines remained virtually intact
 Come for Stay, Stay Brief
 The attacking troops carried rations and entrenching tools, indicating that they intended to occupy the American positions for a long period. A heavy haze overhung the sector when the attack began, but later there was bril- liant sunshine. The American artillery men did valiant work, the men on many of the batteries wearing gas masks.
 The enemy's casualties are believed to have been the heaviest sustained by them thus far in any operation against American troops. Numbers of German dead are lying in No Mans land in front of the American trenches.
 Trains Run Regularly
 The correspondent viewed the battle from hill a short distance behind the lines Trains moved 10 the front with great regularity and scores of huge shells were seen bursting, throwing up clouds of white smoke in the neighbor- ing hills. The heavy rumbling was heard all day.
 The American ambulances tore over the shell torn roads and approached to within a short distance of the front line. Numbers of men in the rear po- sitions begged their commanders to be sent up to assist the infantry men bear the brunt of the attack. The men of NAA s7Sl NANNo NCit tdStl IOI dl tDDOL tunity to fight the enemy in the open,
 Resistance Surprises Enemy
 The resistance offered by the Amer ican troops was d surprise to the en- enly, who expected to break through with little difficulty.
 Contrasted with the activity of the Americans behind the lines scores of old men, women and children were seen peacefully employed in the fields, apparently unmindful of the furious fighting which is going on less than five miles away. The troops in nearby towns eagerly sought news, expressing confidence in the Americans and hop ing for the chance to take part
 All the Americans moving to the front were in the highest spirits and waved their caps to the cheering vil- lagers.
 Are Holding 20 Miles
 The village of Seicheprey. where the German attack occurred Saturday is northwest of Toul and about ' miles east of the forest of Apremont, where the Americans repulsed masses of Ger man storm troops recently. The fact that American troops have been on the sector north of Toul has been known but the fighting at Seicheprey, together with the report of an engagement of 1 St. Mihiel shows that upwards of 2O miles of the line in the sector is un- der American control
 Seicheprey lies among rolling hills overlooking a winding valley which runs off to the northeast. The prob- l able objective of the German attack there was to get possession of a strat l eSic roda which parallels the battle line for b miles.