Evening star., 1918-06-29
HUNS ARE DAzED
. BY j. S. FIGHTING
Bayonet Charges Leave Ger
man Machine Gunners Too
/ Amazed to Shoot.
80 SURRENDER TO l MAN
BY JUNIUS b. WOOD.
Cablegram to The Evening Star and
Chicago Daily News. Copyright, 1918.

Cablerram to The Evening Star and
Chicago Daily News. Copyright, 1918.
WITH THE AMERICAN ARMY ON
THE FRENCH FRONT. June 27 Ode
layed).-Eyewitness details of the
night and day of fighting which drove
out the Germans from their machine
gun nests in the Bois de Belleau.
leaving the ground covered with shell
holes filled with their dead. were told
me today by the men who did the
trick The gun pits were cleaned out
and the victory won through the use
Of the bayonet and grenade.
The number of prisoners taken was
due to the entire collapse of the de-
tenders when they realized that their
line was broken and that further
fighting would be hopeless. Until
then they had fought bitterly. The
machine guns were arranged with
heavy Maxims in the front line and
two light Maxims protecting them
from behind continued to rain death
even after the first gun was cap
tured.
Huns stupefled by Charges.
Instances of men charging wildly at
the guns even when they had to jump
over the parapets and bayonet the
gunners were numerous. More than
once the Germans were too stupified by
such unprecedented valor to continue
firing the guns.
The Army censorship prevents men
tion of the branch of the service per-
forming the exploit. The men had
haAn r, line for waakq without
removing their clothes. under con-
slant fire, with water too precious to
use for washing hands. A toothbrush
and a razor were their only posses
sions, except their fghting equipment;
The Germans at different times had
sent seven separate divisions against
them. Some deeds read like fiction.
When a platoon commanded by
Lieut.. Jacob Hickman of Haverhill.
Mass, started to dig themselves in
after the advance hail of grenades
made the position untenable. Taking
eight men, the lieutenant started on
a detour, searching for the grenade
post, and discovered a grenadier up
wood fighting. The search brought
him into a kitchen containing FOUR
teen Germans.
Though only two of his original
eight were left. he demanded sur
render Of the Teutons. He grabbed
and he surrendered. bringing out the
remainder of the men from the dug
out. There were at least ninety of
them. but when Lieut.. Hickman start
ed to drive them back German
machine gun opened fire on them and
they began to scatter. He threw his
six remaining grenades among them
and emptied the clip of his automatic
in firing at them and then escaped
back to his own lines. The two men
xrifh him both xynnn6ad Get
ting a second detail. he went out
again. rounded up more than seventy
and brought them in as prisoners.
Captures Eighty Prisoners.
That Private Henry P. Lennert of
Grand Rapids, Wis. captured eighty
prisoners single-handed has been told.
speaks German. When the war be-
gan he enlisted in the (deleted)
branch of the service. About o'clock
in theA morning. during a lull in the
and became lost in the woods. and
a German machine gun opened up on
him.
'T threw myself fiat behind a tree"
he says. "and laid there until the gun
stopped. Then I heard voices off to
the side. I thought they came from
our platoon. and getting brave as
everything, I walked over, and the
nrst thing I knew I was on top Of
a machine gun pit. They just looked
at me- they were SO surprised. Then
a sentry made a move and a gunner
snapped out of his hop, letting loose
q stream of bullets between my legs.
T dropped fat. held up my hands nd
sentry aimed a shot at me and start,
ed talking to him in German.
II am a prisoner: why don't you let
mo in?' asked, yelling kamerad all
tho time. The sentry said nothing.
but stopped shooting.
why don't you speak outr asked.
~Can't you talk?'
"stili he said nothing. Then a gun
helper runs back to the captains dug
out and comes back. Still that sentry
again hollers 'Kamerad.' and when
they don't shoot at my hand I sticks
up my head. He then grabbed me and
ned me to the captain.
".Are you woundedr he asked mo.
ct was just carrying message and
that sentry Of yours nearly killed me-
'.rhen three lieutenants came out of
their holes and all laughed.
We know there ts regiment Of
fdsleted in the woods in front Of u.s.
said the captain.
"'Yes. and there Is another regiment
Of (deleted) in that field beside you
Whole Outfit surrenders.
'Then the four officers talked to-
Gethsr and the first thing I knew the
captain was surrendering to me. He
asked me II could take him and his
mon back uninjured.
"Sure I can, II you will follow my
orders I told him. That settled it
"Could you walt a minute till I get
my gloves and capr the captain asked.
I also have bottle Of whisky. sent
me from home
Sure replied. and could I have a
drink Of that whisky7 I haven't had
we hunted for half an hour in tho
captains dugout. which had been
snussed up by the shelling. We went
in and had drink and q cigar each.
He dlled my canteen and slowed away
the bottle and some cigars for my
captain. who should come later. The
outs and got their overcoats. The cap
tain called the men together and we
started.
I'VE got lost in fooling around the
woods. Then the captain got out
compass and steered south. When the
day broke ] looked them over and
FOUND that had seventy-sfx privates
Rnd four officers, all Of whom I led
70 our brigade headquarters. The cap
pistol until we got out Of the woods.
] did not have any arms then. He
Eave me his name as DR.. Lowenstein
o1 Koslin. Pomerania, and said he
would write to me. We sat down in
Lucy Le Bocage. chatted and finished
the whisky until the shells started
coming. Then we went on again"
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