The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1918-03-02
AMERICANS IN
 FIGHT WITH HUN
 ARE VICTORIOUS
(By the Associated Press.)

With the American Army in France, March 2-American troops repulsed strong German attack yesterday morn ing in the salient north of Foul. 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 American trenches was strewn with German dead.
 A driving wet snow was falling yes- terday morning 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 our trenches for half an hour. At the same time other enemy shells in great numbers were dropping on the Ameri' can battery positions. The Germans, evidently thinking that the Americans in this section, having had one taste of gas 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.
 At o'clock the barrage fire lifted on the trenches to the right of the salient and Germans, numbering 240 came sweeping forward under the pro- lection of their fire. They came for ward apparently intending to make a big haul, and jumped into what was l left of the trenches, but there in- stead of the easy time anticipated, | found the Americans 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 pour l ed in a deadly fire, but unfortunately | the captain was killed during the | fight. He is the first member of the | 1917 class of West Point to be killed. While the Americans were in front l of the wire entang1ements 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. 10 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 snowstorn at one point.
 The ground was filtered with enemy hand grenades boxes of explosives for destroying dugouts and incendiary bombs which they had no opportunity to use.
 The enemy managed, however, to drop incendiary bombs in two dugouts which were destroyed by fire, but no Americans were in them.
 If the Germans captured any pris- oners, which it is doubtful, there were not more than two or three, possibly from a listening post. Of the missing many were probably buried. Digging for them is now proceeding and oth- CTS may be accounted for.
 Two German prisoners were wound ed and the other taken was unhurt except for a welt on one of his hands where he was struck by a young American soldier when he showed fight after captune. From the prison CTS the American officers have ob- tained much valuable information One said:
 q did not have a chance to do any thing before an American jumped on to me and grabbed me by the throat
 The Germans had been preparing for the raid for three weeks and be- longed to the Seventy-eighth Reserve Division of Hanover. The prisoners had Russian coins in their possession and came into the trcnrEes oppositt us just before the Americans took over this sector.
 The Americans. lost many killed anc wounded, including officers. The Americans displayed the greatest per sonal courage, bravery and energy throughout the engagement and out fought the surprised enemy from the instant contact was established.