Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1918-10-30
Lieut., Dan EIliott'S Sixteen
Lads Take Swift Revenge
on Nine Boche Crews in
0ozy No Mans Land,


fishing Co,
(The New York World)
(SpeciaI Cable TO the World and AL
buquerque JournaL)
With the LIST American Army in
France, Oct. 29.-Operations in the
Argonne- Mense region arc clogged by
mud. At some points Gen. PERISH
lng's divisions are pushing the foe
back forcibly, at others he is giving
ground voluntarily. Everywhere both
SIDES battle day and night with the
clammy, Shiny mire with which all
things at the front are thickly and
hideously besmeared.
The narrow pits called "fox-holes, y
IN which the doughboys crouch for
scant shelter from the shells and bull
lets, area wash with liquid mud.
Their clothing, faces and hair are
caRed with it. and the damp, half
cold food brought forward to them
at night is splotched and gritty with
it.
Back in the battery positions the
artillerymen fare little better. Mud
engulfs the gun-wheels above the
hubs. Tired horses, ill-fed with wet
fodder, strain at their traces for hours
when the order comes to shift a bat
terry forward a couple of hundred
yards.
Roads back of the line are mere
Mississippis of yellow slime, into
which men sink ankle-dee and
trucks founder about in helpless
fashion. Tanks are at work drag
ging the stalled transports out of the
mire. | saw one of them churning
along through sticky clay two feet
deep with three huge motor trucks
in tow.
Fighting, However, Goes On.
Despite the barometrical handi-
caps. however, munitions and sup
plies somehow reach the front and
the fighting goes on. The Boches
are displaying fewer intentions Of
Withdrawing than before. In fact,
they have reinforced their machine
guns with additional man. power
Some elements of the Kriemhild line
are still in their hands. They have
strung wire along new series of po-
sitions, a mile or so in the rear of
their present line, which has been
dubbed the Freya line, but they have
no trenches behind this wire and evil
IDENTIFY they have no desire to remain
there unprotected. Probably they in
tend to dig some, but the Americana
are giving little opportunity to them
to improve with earth the natural de-
fensive properties of the Freya line,
which is geographically less formid-
able than the Kriemhld lines.
Neither line has the strength Of the
old Hindenburg line, which was
swiftly cracked by the 1st Army in
the offensive begun on Sept. 26.
German machine guns are still the
greatest source OF discomfort TO our
boys, except the mud, The Rainbow
Division OF infantry has recently en-
ployed new tactics against these pests
| heard about il in connection with a
story of the gallant conduct OF a pa
troll of sixteen Irish 1ads of the 165th
infantry, who assailed and wiped out
three separate clusters of machine
guns without stopping to catch their
breath.
Major Kelly VS.. Thrce Nests.
Major Michael Dynamite NIike)
Kelly. commanding particular bat
talon of the old 69th, from which
| The patrol was drawn, discovered the
three nests during stroll out into
no mans land a couple Of nights ago.
lie got so close to one Of the trio that
ne heard the crew gossiping guttur-
ally among themselves. A moment
later a glare shot UP from German
| outpost and bullets began to pierce
the atmosphere about the Major from
nine different quick-firers, each nest
being composed OF three guns.
The Major plunged down into the
| nearest shell-hole and felt the rain
Water-ooze, with which it was filled,
soak through to his bones before he
was able to crawl out again and re-
turn TO his post of command. As soon
as ne was back, he called his machine
gun officer and babe him lay a bar
rage on the obstreperous foe.
The barrage was laid in accordance
with the usual practice oil. the Rain
DOW Division. Browning machine
guns, supported on light tripods called
Rainoow mounts" were cautiopslv
SEE up at specially chosen points, and
direct fire was poured upon one OF
the three enemy nests. The Boche
summers quit firing under this sudden
hail of lead, and ducked down into
their fox holes
Thereupon fifteen voting New
workers. commanded by Lieut., Dan
Elliott, sailed forth--mostly on their
bellies-and went for their objective
oy swift creeping. Twice. they were
forced back by savage enf1lading bull
let showers, but the third time they
reached the implacement. all painting
for breath, and drove their bayonets
nome into the bodies of the Germans
In. the nest" Ms $40
How These Lads chopped Up"
The same manoeuvre was repeated
for the second rand for the third ma
chine gun nest All nine enemy wea-
ponS were nut ont Of rom mission