Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1919-01-02
CLOSE FIGHTING
SUITED YANKEES
Showed Their Individual SUPERB
GRITTY in Hand-to-Hand
Battling.
WOUNDED TELL OF VICTORIES
Give Graphic Descriptions of Personal
Encounters With Enemy-Battal.
ion Of Marines Brings Down
German AirpIane.

Paris.-When the change came
from trench warfare to the more or
less warfare of movement, the Ameri-
cans got their long-desired opportu-
nifty to display their physical prowess
and their individual superiority in
hand-to-hand fighting. And they liked
it-this close fighting-as evidenced
by the smiles and laughs of the boys
in the American army hospitals when
they recount tales of bayonet charg-
ing, hand grenading at close quarters,
and even the good, old American style
Of using the fists.
Andrew Dumas of Burke, N. Y, was
suffering bit of pain from wound
in his hip, caused by shrapnel, but
he forgot his sufferings when he told
Of doing away with three opponents
Of Prussianism with his bayOnet. Du-
mas was injured while fighting in the
sector north of Verdun where the
Americans, straddling the Meuse
river, met resistance of the most stub
born kind.
"We crept out one night on a scout
ing proposition and met up with quite
gang OF Huns" Dumas said. eve
couldn't resist the temptation to have
a go at them at close quarters.
know Of three of item that went down
with my bayoIet. I wasn't injured
until two days later
Calls If IDIOT Stuff"
Another Yank, who says 'close up
fighting is shot stuff" is Sergeant
Adolph Stein of 535 st. Clair street,
Lawrenceburg, Ind.
It's STEMS second time in the hos
pital since the middle of August.
His first wound was from Ger
man high explosive, but his second
trip to the hospital was caused by
machine gun bullets-in each leg.
He said he was Just in reach of the
machine gun nest when he fell. But,
he added, his comrades carried on"
and got the gun.
"Just to show you the difference be-
tween Americans and Germans. I've
seen one American hold off five and
six Germans with rifle, and I had
man in my platoon, who, after being
wounded himself, brought in thirteen
prisoners single-handed."
Burt II. Daley of st. Clairsville,
O., who was wounded by machine
gun bullet in the hip, in fighting around
Thiaucourt, also told of close fight
T. hi rN1o %oo
many prisoners, the Germans prefer
ring to surrender rather than try
to stand up to the Americans in hand
to-hand combat.
Surrounded by Germans because
the American advance in the Cham
payne had been too rapid, regiment
to which William Robert Smoker, 91O
May street, Philadelphia, was at
tached, fought it's way through the
enemy Gordon and took prisoners.
Smoker, injured later by shra pnel in
the right leg, told how his regiment
shortly returned to the attack and
advanced three miles. For their
bravery Smoker said the entire regi-
ment was awarded the French foura-
gere.
Down a German Flyer.
An interesting story Of how an en-
tire battalion of marines, including
machine gun company, had hand in
bringing down a German airplane is
told by N. w. Aff1erbaugh of Wood
River, Neb.
"Our battalion was in reserve in a
small forest" explained Aff1erbaugh,
who was later wounded in both legs
by shrapnel. Gall of a sudden we saw
an American plane making for home.
The plane seemed to be crippled. Inn
mediately back of the American was
German plane, trying it's best to
finish the American. Both machines
were flying low, just a few hundred
feet above the earth.
XENery fellow there was just ach-
Ing. to get a crack at the Hun plane,
and we waited until the American
had passed on and the German was
Just above us. We all turned loose
with our rifles and the machine
gun company let fly with it's rat-a-tat
tat.
''The Boche Immediately turned
and tried to make for home, but he
was forced to land about two city
blocks from us. When we reached
the spot where he came down we
found that his plane had been rid
died with bullets and that he had any
number of bullet wounds in his legs
arms and hndv However. / guess he