The Alaska daily empire., 1918-08-16

pany and carrying rifles and hand grenades.
 It was 2:15 on the morning of the 18th that the order to stand to- was given and all combat groups and the machine gun section took their fighting positions. The enemy artil lery now opened violent Lombard ment, engaging in "box barrage" five of our main groups and the special machine gun position. The lines of the box barrage are well de fined on the ground, showing the outer corcuit, with a considerable scattering of hits inside. The shells were mostly 77s, with a few 155s, gas, shrapnel and high explosives One of the points in our lines re ceived particular attention, probably by minesnwerfer, the craters Of which were two yards in depth and five yards in diameter. The artil lery bombardment was extremely vio. lent at the start and tapered off gradually until it stopped after thirty minutes.
 Meanwhile under cover of the ar tillery, the enemy infantry began It's operations, adopting the infilter- ing process. by which detached bod les are thrust, forward at number of points instead of moving in mass formation. One group came on with two light machine guns, firing ra- ther intense fire into one of our positions. Another group was estf mated to be about 15 or 30. At an other point on our front a stationary enemy patrol took position, firing with two small machine-guns. Now and then squads would dart for word from their gun positions. Eight of one of our positions, and four others approached at another point. Besides these assault forces which | reached our lines, there were un doubtedly additional enemy forces ] in assaulting columns and supporting columns which were unable to enter the field
 The special machine gun group Shaw was in one of the most ex posed centers of the fighting, being under terrific artillery fire and the fire of two German machine guns. Lieutenant Shaw handled this very difficult situation with cool bravery. The enemy barrage was so close that 1t was impossible to stand up and Lieutenant Shaw controlled his guns by rolling from one to the oth
 ed His two guns fired five thou sand rounds.
 Under this violent onslaught the
 men stuck to their posts. carried out every order without hesitation
 often under galling fire. and showed Ia high degree of skill with their weapons and coolness and courage
 Both machine guns jammed three
 times, were partly disassembled and
 cleaned under fire. continuing in ac
 tion throughout the engagement.
 One team fired fourteen clips l when the gun 1ammeu. heportlns
 this to Lieutenant Shaw they were
 ordered to clear the jam. While un
 der intense fire of artillery and ma
 chine guns they coolIy dismounted fthe gun. remoGnted it and continued firing until ordered 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 instrumental in causing the withdrawal of the enemy.
 l They were instances of individual
 bravery during the action. Private
 Howard Gaillard with small rapid
 fire piece was unable from his posi- ton to get a good fire to bear upor
 the advancing enemy groups, so hs
 coolly and with entire disregard ts
 danger. mounted the parapet. anc
 while enemy bullets were flying
 around him. fired his rapid-fire piece
 from his hip. first at one group ant
 then at the other. Privates Smith
 field Jones and George Woods ar'