Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1918-06-26
WESTERN men
FIGHTING HUNS
ON GERMAN SOIL
Wisconsin and Michigan Troops
in AISace.
FIGHT AT xIvRAy DESCRIBED
Carefully Rehearsed Attack on YAM
KEGS Broken Up Largely by Ma
chine Gun and Rifle
Fire.

Washington, June 19-The war de-
partment on Tuesday authorized for
mally the announcement of the fact
that the Thirty-second division (Na-
tional Guard) is now fighting in Al
sase, on German territory. Since the
division has been in action its presence
has been identified by the Germans
permitting the fact to be disclosed.
The Thirty-second division is COM
posed of Michigan and Wisconsin
troops, which left this country COM
manded by Maj. Gen. William q. Ham,
under whom it was trained at Camp
Macarthur, Tex.
First Killed on German Soil.
It was soldier of this division, Pri-
vate J. w. Guyton, who had the dis
tinction of being the first man OF the
American forces to be killed on Ger
man soil. The division took over a
sector of the line in Alsace just north
of the Swiss border only a short time
ago.
AS it was reorganized before its de-
parture for Europe, the Thirty-second
division was composed of the old No
tional Guard units from Wisconsin
and Michigan.
Several units of the Thirty-second
were on board the British liner Tus-
cania when is was torpedoed and sent
down by an enemy submarine last
February, and some of the members
were among the relatively small num-
Der of victims of that disaster.
Machine Guns Stop Attack.
With the American Forces on the
Marine, June 19.-Several German
patrols which attempted at night to
approach the American lines in the
Marine sector were smashed by the ac-
curacy of the American machine gun
fire. One German patrol was almost
typed out.
Attack on xivray Told.
With the American Army in France,
June 19-The carefully rehearsed
German attack on the American posi-
lions In the village of Xivray on Sun
day morning was broken up largely by
machine gun and rifle fire. The Ger
man attack was made for the purpose
of taking prisoners, according to state
ments made by Germans who were
CAPTURED by the Americans.
The artillery barrage let down by
the American gunners inflicted consd-
cradle losses on the large enemy raid
ing party as it crossed mo Mans
Land" but the raid was actually stop
ned by the hot fire from the American
machine guns. The gunners every
where stuck to their posts in the face
Of the attack.
Americans Gas German Front.
With the American Army in Lor-
rhine. June 20.-The first American
gas protector attacks was launched
against the German troops north of
Toul, evidently causing heavy casual
ties. The German losses were added
to when, in attempting retaliatory
attack. the wind blew the German gas
back into their. own trenches.
American engineers, using American
made projectors, discharged thou
sand American-made gas shells into a
small German area. The projectors
were fired by electricity.
The Germans were taken completely
by surprise. The gas attack was fol-
lowed by an intense artillery barrage,
after which the enemy frantically
shelled the American positions.
The unsuccessful German gas at
tack followed their artillery lombard
ment.