New Britain herald., 1918-10-09
BATTALION RESCUED
UNDER GERMAN FIRE
Americans, Cut OFF in Champagne,
Held Out Five Days

With the American Forces North
west of Nerdum oct. s. (By The AS
ISOLATED Press.-With their ammuni-
ton nearly exhausted and weakened
from lack of food during five days
in which they had been cut off from
their comrades support in the
thickest of the Argonne, q battalion
OF American troops has finally been
rescued by relief expedition, accord
ing to reports received this morning.
The lost battalion, whose where
abouts was Il mystery for some time
after it's disappearance during the at
tack along the edge of the Argonne,
comprised several hundred men un-
der the Command of Maj. Charles
WhittleSey. Completely surrounded by
the Germans, they made their stand
with their pistols and rifles and a
few machine guns as defensive Weap
ons. When relief reached them their
stock of cartridges was almost gone
and the men were in q weakened
condition from lack of sustenance
and the effects Of the dampness of
these fall days, from which the
trapped infantrymen had no blankets
to protect themselves. The relief eX-
petitions encountered great difficulty
in aiding the rescued men, some of
whom were so weak they had to be
carried.
Several efforts were made ycster-
day to obtain reports from the lost
battalion by messenger and carrier
pigeon. A basket containing a num-
Der of pigeons was lowered by para
chute il the vicinity of where the
were thought to be. The
ia ia SI<
clared that the basket seemed to
fall exactly where he intended it
should, but no bird had returned up
to q late hour yesterday.
The "lost battalion pushed aheadt
with the other troops when the first
attack to the west of Yer
dun began. They were surrounded
in all probability because they were
not used to forest warfare. They
advanced in too widely separate col
umns and the enemy was able to in
filtrate behind them witout being
seen.
AS soon as the members of the
battalion missed the troops to the
right and left Of them they tried to
find them but their efforts were
checked for the time being by the
rain and terrain conditions. The
began a sericcs of ingenious means to
give the men relief so that they could
hold out against the assailants hinged
about them until their comrades
could forcibly come to their relief
Many times in the course of the
day airplanes flew over the section
Of the forest where the Americans
we're believed to be and messages
we're dropped for them. AS it was
thought their supplies on hand prob
ably had become cXhaused cunning
y devised parachutes, used to b1ag /
no ammunition, were then released !
above the forest which concealed she !
of the troops from the |
ewes of their anxious seachers /.
It was five days ago that the bat !
talon was trapped near the edge of
he Areonnc forest, about two miles t,
southwest of Lancon. 1t appears !.
rom the accounts that after sys- !
EN- of trenches running east and ,
vest had been captured near the edge !
IF the Argonnc, the Americans passed ,
.bese trenches and gained gound to !
he north. During the night, how
ever, German troops to the left of
he Americans slipped to the rear of
he latter and into the trenches cap .
,ured earlier and passed over by the !
advancing forces. Meanwhile the Ger !
mans had closed in on the east and |
vest, completing the circle.
The Americans unQueStiOnably snf- I
cred severely from the cold as the !
temperatures for the last few nights
las been near the freezing point