Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1918-03-07
j. S. TROOPS KILL
MANY GERMANS IN
BIG TRENCH RAID
Strong Enemy Attack Near TouI
RepuIsed.
GROUND STREWN WITH DEAD
Three Prisoners Captured by Per-
shing's Men-Teutons Fire Many
Shells Before AssauIt-Yan-
kee Captain Among Dead.

March 2.-American troops repulsed
"a strong German attack in the salient
north of Toul on Friday morning.
There were many American casualties,
one of the killed being a captain who
was graduated from West Point in
1917.
The raid was a complete failure,
three German prisoners remaining In
American hands.
The ground in front of the Ameri-
can trenches was strewn with Ger.
man dead.
A driving wet snow was falling
when the Germans opened fire on the
American salient with every weapon
at their command. Seventy-sevens,
heavy shells and gas shells fell in a
perfect whirlWind on the American
trenches for half an hour.
AT the same time other enemy shells
in great numbers were dropping on
the American battery positions.
The Germans evidently thinking
that the Americans in this section,
having had one taste of gas a few
days ago, would fear it now, let loose
great quantities of poisonous gas, but
the men put on their masks and only
a few were affected by it. So intense
was the fire that the woods back of
the salient were shot to pieces.
Fierce Hand-to-Hand Fight.
At six o'clock the barrage fire lift
ed on the trenches to the right of the
salient and Germans numbering 24O
came sweeping forward under the pro-
lection of their fire.
They came forward apparently in
tending to make a big haul and
jumped into what was left of the
trenches, but there instead of the
easy time anticipated, found the Amer
leans all ready for battle. Fierce
hand-to-hand fighting began.
One American captain rallied men
with rifles and machine guns and went
through the American wire entangle-
ments into No Mans Land and there
waited for the enemy, whom he ex-
pected to be driven out by his COM
rades in the trenches.
He was right, for soon groups of
the enemy started back through the
wire entanglements. The Americans
poured in a deadly fire, but unfortun-
ately the captain was killed during the
fight. He is the first member of the
1917 class at West Point to be killed.
Barrage Traps Fleeing Foe.
While the Americans were in front
of the wire entanglements and in shell
holes, still fighting desperately, the
American barrage fire began sweep
ing No Mans Land, catching many
running Prussians, who had enough of
American methods. The barrage swept
back and forth, making sure of doing
all possible damage to the foe.
When the enemy had been driven
back out Of the positions the bodies
Of ten German soldiers were found in
the American trenches. Two German
officers were entangled in the wire and
many bodies were in sight. Eight
were visible through the snoWstorm at
one point.
If the Germans captured any pris-
oners, which is doubtful, there were
not more than two or three, possibly
from a listening post.
Two German prisoners were wound
ed and the other taken was unhurt.
One prisoner said:
II did not have chance to do any
thing before an American jumped onto
me and grabbed me by the throat"
The Americans displayed the great
est personal courage, bravery and en-
ergy throughout the engagement and
outfought the surprised enemy from
the instant contact was established.
Quiet on U. S. Front.
With the American Army in France,
March 5.-1t was unusually inactive
along the American front during the
last "a hours, only 105 enemy shells
dropping over. The American artillery
inflicted severe punishment on the en-
emy by heavily shelling a large canton
ment where many troops were assem-
bled
American Patrol Lost.
The Americans the Germans claimed
to have captured on the Chemin des
Danes probably were the larger part
of a patrol Of 13 men which went out
when the raid began and has not been
heard of since. The enemy obtained
no prisoners from the American
trenches.