New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1918-02-04
AMERICANS HOLDING
SECTOR IN ALSACE
Under Very Heavy Bombardment
Which Kills Two, Wounds Nine
~CBy Cable to The Associated Press)

| Feb. "A German barrage fire at
| shutdown Saturday night opened the
| heaviest bombardment of many days
| was officially announced, is on the
| Lorraine front The American artil-
} Iery replied she'll for shell as the fir
| ing of the heavy guns spread along
several kilometres of front.
| Two Americans were killed and nine
| wounded during the bombardment,
and one suffered shell shock.
When the bonn bardment had
reached its greatest intensity the Ger
mans suddenly concentrated their fire
at two points, throwing about two
hundred and fifty shells into a town
in which the headquarters of a GER
tain regiment are located and which
heretofore had been immune to en-
envy fire.
After the Commandment a wounded
American soldier was discovered in a
position where it was necessary to
carry him over trench top to a, field
dressing station. A Medical Corps
man displayed the Red Cross and the
Germans ceased firing until the man
was removed Early in the day an
American was wounded by a sniper
The whole American sector is re-
sounding with the boom of guns Air
men became exceedingly active along
the American front Saturday. Enemy
snipers wounded two Americans
slightly early Saturday morning.
A shift of the wind cleared away
the mist which has hindered aerial
operations and other activities for
several days A number of battles in
the air were fought by patrolling air
planes early in the afternoon. In one
instance the French aviators defeated
an attempt of German flyers to cross
behind the American trenches
The artillery and snipers also have
become increasingly active. American
75s are harassing traffic behind the
enemy trenches. The Germans are
combining their fire largely to the
| American trenches.
Throughout Friday night machine
| guns ratified ceaselessly from German
positions.
The French commander of q saus-
age balloon squadron, who was an ar
tillery officer at Verdun during the
heaviest fighting and also participated
! in the Sonlme offensive, declared that
| the work of certain American batter
les at the front is 'almost perfect
POI
work done by American guns in firing
on German position in a wood which
! he observed from a balloon.
! 1t was ascertained that the American
! gunners wrecked several of the enemy
| dugouts and SO badly damaged the
| first line positions that at one point
! the Germans were unable to occupy
| them Sunday
| Carte Blanche For NewspapeTnlcn.
The correspondents permanently ac-
| credited to the American army have
! been Informed that they may proceed
! to virtually any point within tie zone
! OF fire, except the trenches, without
| escort and without special permission.
| Arrangemen were made whereby
| newspapermen may proceed to any
| brigade headquarters a few kilome-
| tres behind the trenches after first re-
| porting their presence within the zone
| to the headquarters of the division Of
| which the brigade is a part. Unless
! there is some occurrence which makes
| it inadvisable in the opinion of the
! brigade commander for correspond
| ents to move nearer the front they
| may walk from his headquarter5 to
| regim entail headquarters behind the
| lines.
1 once all TOduS 1ulII6Q1dCSiy OenIuu
| the front are within easy German
| gun range and under German obser-
walton not more than two correspond
ents may move forward together. They
must wear gas masks in alert position
| and helmets. Newspapermen must
| obtain special permission to so to the
| trenches and must be accompanied by
| an eScOrting officer.
The fact that American troops were
| in the trenches in Lorraine was re-
| vealed by the German War Ofssce
| three months ago. At that time, &C.
| cording to an official German an
nouncement, the Americans were on
the front at the Rhine-Marne Canal.
| which intersects the battle line near
| the German border, due east of Nan
cy This announcement was made il
the official report from Perrin of the
first German raid on the American po-
sitions, in which three Americana
were killed, five wounded and twelve
| captured.
The eastern end of the battle line
in France and Belgium runs through
French and German Lorraine. French
Lorraine in which is an American sec
tor, is included in the departments Of
| the Meuse, the capital of which is
Verdun: the Meurthe- ct Mose1le, tho
capital of which is Nancy, and the
| Vosges, with the capital at Epfnal.
The lengt hof the front in French
Lorraine is about one hundred and
| fifty miles.
This section of the battle extends
into the Meuse, from the Marine, near
ST. Menehould, and runs eastward to
the north of Verdun, south to st. Mi
hiel and east to the German border.
There it turns to the southeast and
almost parallels the border to the vi
| cinity of Leinty. Below Leinty 1t cuts
across a section of French soil, past