The Sentinel=record., 1918-04-16
GERMAN RUSE FAILS
FOOL AMERICANS
OuTNUMBER AMERICANS TWO TO
ONE, BUT ARE BEATEN BACK
WITH HEAVY LOSS.
FHTF

lBy q staff Correspondent of the
Associated Pressl
With the American Army in France
April l5.-The German attack against
the American position on the right
bank of the Meuse north of st Mi
hiel yesterday. was made bv a force
Of 400 picked troops who were recently
brought there from the Russian front
Although the Americans were outnum-
bered more than two to one. they
completely rcpulsed the enemy. driv-
ing him back to his own trenches. The
known enemy casualties include
siXty-four dead, many wounded and
eleven prisoners beside a number of
wounded who were dragged back to
the German lines by their comrades
The Germans attempted to deceive
the Americans by appearing in front
Of the trenches and speaking French
and English and also by yelling gas.
The deception, however, was soon dis
covered and cost the enemy dearly
The American casualties were com
paratiyely slight.
Numerous stories OF Individual
bravery poured into the headquarters
today. A young Italian born i'm a
Pennsylvania coal mining town. killed
one German and captured three. Tie
saw eight Germans walking in a com
muniCation trench ahead of him and
although alone, he shot and killed
one and ran after the others, cap
turing two and wounding some of
those who escaped He then re-
turned to the American line and turn
Jed over the prisoners to a non com
missioned officer and cooly asked for
match
The officer iojyingly said. "TIl give
YOU match if you bring in another
prisoner"
The Italian who is only five feet
four inches tall took him at his word
and went back over the parapet He
returned in less than five minutes
walking with drawn bayonet behind a
six foot German who was yelling
'kamerad, kamerad
\ few minutes later it was reported
that ten Germans were lying in a ma
chine gun nest in No Mans Land. The
Italian started for the spot alone, rbut
he was ordered back by the com
mander Of the unit who later sent
detachment of men to rout out the
enemy, which they did
The prisoners captured by the
Ampripanc yrora r,Ogt1,r
under 20 years of age. They carried
two days rations and entrenching
tools and said they expected to occupy
the American front line positions
Most of them complained about the
German food The bread which they
carried was almost black and they
eagerly deyoured the white bread of
fered by their captors
The prisoners said the attack was
made by picked men of four COM
panics, two from the 272nd Regiment
Reserves Of shock troops and one of
pioneers Some wore belts with large
buckle bearing the inscription "Gott
Nit Jns Several carried long trench
knives resembling a dagger.
A large percentage of the American
troops participating in this engage
ment were sons of foreign born par
ents, some of them being only II or
IS years of age. They are. however.
hardened to trench warfare and abso-
lutoly fearless There is nothing they
like better than "A chance to "go over
the top" The officers have difficulty
in restraining them whenever they ask
for a patrol or raiding party. Every
man wished to 20 and they are con
WINGED that each Of them is better
than two Germans Yesterday they
certainly proved it.
The enemy made the attack in four
groups. As soon as they reached the
American entauglements they began
yelling gas At one point the
Americans began to put on their gas
masks, whereupon the Germans
opened fire, hut the ruse was discov-
cred before the enemy could do any