The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-03-04

win the American Army in Fra
March . iDeiayed) American pat
were sent out last night TO brine
ana bury the notwithstanding 1.
mans--lying In the barbed-wire in
man Land, victims of the pltc
battle resulting from the German j,
early yesterday morning. The wea
or was warmer today, but 1t snov
continuously.
About midnight the enemy hurs
over little gas, but 1t is believed Il
casualties were caused by this.
The Americans worked hard
night reorganizing their defeuces
the raided salient.
We knew as soon as Fritz
down his boubardment that he
attacking said Texas younrs
lying at field hospital, suffering fr
a slight she'll wound.
Our officers ordered lie 70 4,
cover when the bombardment start Il
We reached our dugouts lust as -,
shells began whistling overhead, y.
could hear the thud-thud everywheF
as the enemy projectilss were deton.
Ing, also o. few slight reports fra
shells landing without exploding. \
thought these were gas shells !,
were ordered to put on our
masks. Then after a half hour, FIR
stopped his bombardment. We we
ordered to stand to-" As we wc
out of our dugout we q
the destruction done by the bomba,
ment. 1t seemed as IL every squa
yard had been hit. Black earth h
been turned up everywhere. RESULT
In a weird transformation since W
had descended to our dugouts.
Hand Grenades Burst,
Then, to the right. we heard han :
grenades bursting. New raiders we
coming, and we received orders
repel the attack. We formed a grou
let OF fixed bayonets, and meantir
our shells were whistling across, plar
ing harrage outside our barhe,
wire, thus preventing Fritzy fro
escaping and keeping the Germa
from sending reinforeceinents to the
raiders.
The Germans flooded the sky wi,
star shells, but 1t was hard TO NAL
out the enemy in the driving snos
Pretty soon we saw 4 bunch OF t.e,
mans coming toward us with fxe
oayonets and opened fire. They turne
on, escaping us. Our lieutenant 70.
II,
she'll dropped near him woundine TIL
lieutenant. me, and another lad. Mos
Of us threw off our gas masks, bu
kept on our tin hats We maintains,
A steady stream or rifle fire
The F'ritzies carried rifles, but the,
didn't fire much. tossing grenades in.
stead. They dropped a good mann
rifles in our lines, / hear
She'll u'~xs..lp Gnn~a~,,
Il was in dugout with captain
satd another soldier who was wounde,
n the thigh during the raid "Ashel
wrecked part of our shelter. but thu
lotse was so deafening we couldn't tel
exactly what had happened / thinH
the captain was killed there, as j
didn't see him come out
Almost as soon as the bonn bard.
nent stopped the barrage commenced
The whole side of our dugout wa,
blown away by big shell. and son,s
" lis jumped out, We saw a hall
iozen Germans and let fly some hand
srenades. While they were looking
Town the crater we smashed the stair.
way TO the real entrance of the dug
nut They were scared to death OF
,ur bombs and ran of. We opened
'ifle fire and at the same time distin.
rushed more Germans to the right OF
As. As we started to tackle them, A
punch OF our lads from another direc.
ion jumped on them and we had 10
top firing for fear We would hi
They seemed TO be smuggling each
'ther with their fists and using their
run butts, as We didn't see any rifle
lashes. Those Fritzies beat IL pretty
ooQ.
Thought Them Easy
Then we kept losing them in the
darkness and were afraid TO shoot I'M
ess we were sure we wouldn't hit our
'wn fellows. Fritz evidently thought
We were easy meat. as the rai..e-.
lidn't seem TO be able To distinguish
ach other either
The fact that the Germans launched
! concentric attack across the neck OF
'ur salient and the adjacent protec-
ion, instead of frontal. attempt to
inter our trenches indicates the
'nemy's optimistic idea of success In
Irving into the American lines
The Germans intended a turning
towards our front with ths
'bject OF sweeping up all the Asneri-
ans In the salient. killing all who re
listed But the Americans, far from
by the tremendous prelina-
nary bombaksment with guns Of all
q ffhra~ and trAnrf vx&arfa - On 49,. 4 d. !.