The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-05-04

where the big shells from tho German
suns had exploded.
"The Travelling Circus"
During the early spring and summer
OF 1918 the Germans harassed the green
American troops OH all the fronts with
an organization which the doughboys
came to call "FIindenburg's Travelling
| Circus" 1t was composed of picked
shock units OF Prussian Guards and
Bavarian> shock troops, and was sent
back and forth along the line, as a
captured German officer explained. "to
show the Americans what war was
like" 1t never has been definitely es-
tablished, but it always has been be-
| lieved In the A. +. +. that 1t was this
! unit which attacked the 1921 Infantry
at Seicheprey. These Germans were
as good troops as the Kaiser had in his
army. and their forte was raids under
cover and protection Of a box barrage
which the German artillery laid down
on three sides OF the objective. They
were especially trained in the use OF
hand grenades, liquid fire projectors
and the bayonet, and a raid by them
with their accompanying blast OF shell
fire. was a difficult thing even for ex-
perienced troops to cope with. Against
green troops their success, or at least
certain preliminary success, was al
most foregone conclusion. This same
circus came over against the Seven
ty-seventh Division in the Baccarat
sector in June and gave the New York
troops their first real taste OF modern
warfare. Several men Of the Seventy
seventh Were caught in n dugout and
burned to death by the German flame
projectors.
THE Seventy seventh boys used 10
tell US about that raid" said Gladys
Mcintyre, "and they had one particu-
larry GOOD story about a little Italian
who was one OF the 307th infantrymen.
This boy was out in front OF the
american wire with one of those
French automatic rifles that shoot
sometimes when the Boche came over
lie lay there and peppered them for
all he was worth. and finally the group
of Germans opposite him began shout
ing 'Kamerad.'
But the American kept pumping
away at them with his automatic.
Me no TAXA da priz tonight he
yelled. NO taxa ia pr,z.'
And the boys used to tell US that
he killed all of them"
The raid at Seicheprey was one of
the most pretentious that this shock
unit ever attempted, and reached the
proportions OF a real engagement, as
the unit itself was undoubtedly sup
ported by other German troops. The
attack occurred on the morning OF
April 20. following an intensive artil-
lery preparation OF several hours. The
Boche bombardment began early in
the evening. when the German artil-
lery threw over gas shells until they
had saturated the entire territory
against which they intended to launch
the attack. They alternated with high
explosives, and although the village of
Ansouville was under literal hail of
gas and other shells. the Mcintyre
girls and the other Salvation Army
workers there stuck to their kitchen
and kept making pies and doughnuts
for the soldiers that struggled in all
during the night.
About midnight the German artil-
lery fire increased in intensity and
shells fell perilously close to the Sal
walton Army kitchen. The town got
filled with gas, and during the greater
part of the night the Mcintyre sis
ters had TO wear their gas masks, but
they continued TO make pies and
doughnuts and keep the coffee and