Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1918-08-11
Whole Regiment of Negroes is
 Cited for Bravery Under Fire
French General Praises American Blacks for Acquitng Themselves Magnificenty When in Battle
 for the First Time

1 regiment had been subjected to a.
 strong bombardment of nearly 100 shells, gas and shrapnel. Prior to the
 heavy enemy artillery barrage occur ring on the morning of the 18th, our
 advance groups heard movements ap- parently of narrow gauge track trains in the wood back of the enemy lines,
 indicating they were getting ready ! for an attack.
 Every precaution had been made for meeting the move if it came.
 Besides the usual combat troops at
 the main points of the line, special machine gun company occupied spe- cially chosen position on small sali-
 ent projecting into the enemy lines. i 1t was accompanied by combat i group detailed from reserve company
 and carrying rifles and hand gre nades.
 It was 2:15 on the morning of the i 18th that the order to "stand to" was given and all combat groups and the machine gun section took their fight 1 ing position. The enemy artillery now opened a violent artillery bom- bardment, engaging in a box bar rage five of our main groups and the special machine gun position. The lines of this box barrage are well de- fined on the ground, showing it's out CT circuit, with a. considerable scat tering of hits inside. The shells were mostly 77s, with some lbs, gas. shrapnel and high explosives. One of our points received particular att
 tention, probably by nlinenwerfer, the craters of which were two yards in depth and five yards in diameter. The artillery bombardment was eX- tremely violent at the start and ta pered off gradually until it stopped after 30 minutes.
 Meantime under the cover of the artillery, the infantry began it's opera tions, adopting the infiltering process by which detached groups are thrust forward at a number of points instead of moving in mass formation. One group came on with two light ma , chine guns, firing a rather intense fire into one of our positions. An other group was estimated to be about 9 or 30. At another point on our front a stationary enemy patrol took position, firing with two small ma- chine guns. Now and then squads would dart forward from their gun positions. Eight Germans got up co the wire in front of one of our posi- tions. and four others approached at another point. Besides these assault groups which reach our line, there
 were undoubtedly additional enemy forces (n asshulting dplumns and supporting columns which were un- able to enter the field..
 The special machine gun group un- der command of Lieutenant l.. E.
 Shaw was in one of the most expos centers of the fighting, being under terrific artillery fire~of two German machine guns. Lieutenant Shaw
 handled this very difficult situation
 with cool bravery. The enemy bar rage was so close that it was inn possible to stand Up and Lieutenant Shaw controlled his guns by rolling from one to the other. His two guns fired five thousand rounds.
 men stuck to their posts, carried out every order without hesitation, often under galing fire, and showed high degree of skill with Nheir Meap- ons and coolness and courage. Each machine gunned damned three times, was partly dislassembled and cleaned lulIuCI IlICs COAWAUlAS III uNCAOAA throughout the engagement.
 One team fired 1 clips when the gun jammed Reporting this to Lieu
 tenant Shaw they were ordered to clear the jam. While under intense fire of artillery and machine guns they coolly dismouoted the gun, re- mounted it and continued until or I dered to cease. The fire of this machine gun section was doubtless | wholly unexpected by the enemy, and
 this fact, coupled with the effective fire laid down was chiefly instru- | mental ill causing the withdrawal of i the enemy. ! They were instances of individual
 bravery during the action. Private
 Howard Gailard with a small rapid
 fire piece was unable from his posi- s tion to get a good fire to bear upon I the advincing enemy groups. so he coolly and with entire disregard Of danger, mounted the parapet, and while enemy bullet were flying around
 him. fired his rapid fire piece from l the hip, first at one group and then I at the other. Private Smithtield
 Jones and George Woods are especial i ly mentioned for their cOolness ln the
 face of violent shelling when they dis !. mounted the machine guns and re-
 assembled them and continued firing
 until the close of the action. Lieuten- l ant R. c. Crane was in command ot
 the group which received the brunt
 of the enemy fire which. besides the
 barrage. added heavy fire Of large
 minenwerfers. There was no tllncn-
 ing: the group always worked under
 perfect control. keeping all combat
 posts manned though three men were knocked down by explosions of shells.
 Others commended for courage In the
 face of fire are Corporal Frank Har-
 den, Private H. D. Brown. Corporal
 Bean, Sergeant C. A. Morton and Prl-
 vate Sanders.
 From the elaborate artillery prep anation, the size of the box barrage,
 and the extensive front occupied, the
 coup de main attempted by the enemy