Omaha daily bee., 1918-03-04
AMERICANS KILLED.

hMENlSANo hlLLEDs
The Americans lost some killed and
number slightly wounded or miss
ing. All are New Englanders.
Three companies Of shock troops,
one Of which had been brought from
La0i by motor cars for the attack,
came up behind a heavy barrage
which had been put down along the
left flank of the American forces.
After sharp fighting the enemy re-
tired.
The American and French artillery
effectively counter shelled the enemy
during the attack which was localized
and during his retirement.
1t is not permitted to disclose the
number of American casualties. One
of the prisoners captured said ti,at
this was the beginning of series of
similar raids on large scale along
the western front.
Use Masks Now
The three recent raids, one in
the Toul section and two along the
Chemin Des Danes, have demon-
strated that the American soldier, not
withstanding his previous mex
perience, now is perfectly at home in
gas mask, and able to fight just as
well as without it.
So quickly reaching this stage the
Americans have shown their unusual
adaptability. Gas was used i'm all
three attacks In just sufficient quanti-
ties to make masks necessary, as the
Germans in their raids did not desire
to- encounter quantities. Of their ows
gas,
When the engagement at Toul be-
gan, virtually all the Americans were
masked. Some of the men, however,
are reported to have taken chance,
when the German infantry attacked,
pulling off their masks for freer
action. One officer risked his life to
give commands to his men during
the roar of explosions. He was unable
through his mask to make his men
hear, so he pulled it off and yelled
his orders. AS it happened there was
no gas in this particular section, but
he did not know it.
All Are Brave.
The officer was willing to sacrifice
his own life to get his men to
place of safety where they could also
strike effectively at the enemy.
There were many other instances oi
personal bravery. A lieutenant.
sergeant and two privates were in
a dugout, when some Germans looked
in. One cried in good English:
Come out, Americans"
The four Americans blazed ava,
with their aitomatics, then rushed
the entrance to stumble over the
bodies of the men whom they had
apparently killed by their quick re.
sistance.
During the bombardment which
hardly could have been more terrific,
two men who were concealed in a
shell hole were buried by another ex-
ploding projectile.
They shouted for help and it came
quickly. Their comrades left the shell
tiers, from which they were ready
to leap into action the moment the
attacking infantry appeared and ex-
humed the buried soldiers with stones,
mud, earth, pieces of trees and she'll
splinters spattered about them.
Americans Use Pistols.
Notwithstanding the ferceness Of
the fight at close quarters, not more
than one bayonet was used and this
was on a German The Americans,
using their automatic pistols, sent bull
lets into the German attackers with
good aim in spite of the excitement.
Rifle bullets accounted for many
more.
Although the army has been curs-
ing the weather and the mud for
days, there is one man in the line
today who is glad it was muddy, for
he owes his life to the slippery
duck boards" or the flooring in the
trenches. With pistol in hand, he
rounded a trench corner looking for
the Germans. A huge Prussian saw
him first and fired, but at the same
moment the American slipped and
fell on his face.
The prussian thought him dead
and turned away. He was quickly
dropped in his tracks by the prone
American, who fired accurately from
the trench bottom. There were men
in the fight from virtually all the
states from New York to Texas.
With one or two exceptions all the
wounded are expected to recover.