The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1918-02-26
All Day Shower From B
Guns Fell on Enemy From
Lines and Working
Parties.
PLASTERED WITH MUD
Enthusiastic SammIes Chase Boches
Half Mile Through Their
Own Communicating
Trenches.
lBy Fred s. Ferguson, United Press
Staff Correspondent

| lBy Fred 3. ferguson, united Press
Staff Correspondent
WITH THE AMERICAN ARMY IN
FRANCE, Feb. 25.-(delayed)-Ger-
man working parties and enemy front
lines were effectively shelled by the
| American artillery today. Cannonad-
ing continued all day
The front was mud locked. A day
| long sleet and rain storm transform
ed the trench areas into knee deep
mire. Animals and wagons were
plastered with mud.
| Despite these conditions, the Unit.
ed States patrols went about their
business as usual during the night.
sliding on their stomachs through the
muck of No Mans Land.
The most welcome incident OF the
darkness was the midnight coffee
ration.
German patrols are now using dogs
as sentries. During the night the
Boches were repairing their barbed
wire when a dog gave warning OF the
approach Of an American force.
Look what We got, colonel!' was
the cry of Americans who partfcipat-
ed In the Chemin Des Danes raid
Sunday as they returned through the
German counter barrage with their
prisoners. An American colonel and
a captain were in a front line obser-
vation post during the raid
The Sammies were so enthusiastic
at the accuracy Of the artillery bar
rage administered that they followed
closely behind the curtain of fire. The
American boys were advancing with
In thirty yards of the exploding
French shells when they reached the
enemys barbed wire entanglements.
The German officers captured were
Ia captain and a lieutenant.
Twenty-three Americans took ref
uge in dugout during the French
barrage. A direct hit scattered them.
The French and Americans jumped
into the enemy's trenches.
Some Yankee lads seized prisoners.
Others chased the Boches through
communicating trenches for half a
mile.
Their enthusiasm carried them be-
yond their designated objective. AS
they were returning a German coun-
ter barrage wounded five German
prisoners and six Frenchmen. No
Americans were hurt.
An entire battalion volunteered for
the raid. Twenty-six were chosen.
The Americans now have twelve
more German prisoners than the
Boches have American captives.
Terrific Raids Day and Night.
by Henry Wood. United Press Staff
Correspondent
WITH THE FRENCH ARMIES IN
THE FIELD, Feb. 25. delayed. j.
Along the entire west front, from the
junction with the British to the Swiss
border, the French armies are now
delivering terrific raids day and night
These are likely to increase in num-
Der, size and Importance until the
Germans either begin or call off their
pre-announced offensive.
The present raids are different
from those last winter, being prepar
ed on a big scale, with immense artil-
lery concentration and preparation.
They are only distinguishable from
veritable attacks in that the infantry
after capturing German positions.
imprisoning the occupants and de-
stroying trenches, Notifications and
material, returns to its own trenches
instead OF occupying the captured
trenches.
Two new elements characterizfng
the present raids unquestionably
sound the keynote of all 1918 offens-
i've operations-namely, surprise and
artillery density heretofore unequal,
ed
The surprise is attained by Install
ing artillery secretly during the night
and beginning preparation without
warning The overwhelming density
Of batteries permit complete prepara-
l. ~ 90
cCyonti,s>d m nara A