The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1919-01-09
AMERICAN SOLDIERS
WIN ARCTIC BATTLE
Crush Leni1e Forces After Fight
in the Snow.
MEN VICTIMS OF ATROCITIES
Tanks Found Hacked to Death by
Axes OF the Reds After 700 Boil
shevists Had Captured v. S.
Patrol Of 60.


Jan. 6-Evidence that the bolshevists
are mutilating allied wounded and
lead came to headquarters In a re-
port from Lieutenant Colonel Gerber
ly, who was In command of American
forces in the vicinity of Shenkursk
on November 20.
A patrol of 60 American soldiers
and two officers were surprised early
on September 20 by a force of about
200 bolshevists.
Seven Americans Killed.
Seven Americans were killed and
seven others were missing, after the
fight.
Following is the report of Lieuten-
ant Colonel Corberly as to the condl-
ton of the bodies found after the en-
gagement, the names of the men be-
ing omitted:
mo. Lieutenant, head smashed
with ak.
mo. Corporal head so smashed
with TX that only parts of the face
remained
mo. 3--Corporal head smashed
with ax and arms and legs broken by
blows, apparently from blunt side
OF AK.
mo. 5-Private, head smashed and
throat cut open. apparently with AK"
WISCONSIN and Michigan troops are
known 10 be among the American
force at Archangel.]
Try to Trap Yanks.
In the meantime the bolshevists are
carrying on propaganda endeavoring
to prove they treat prisoners kindly.
Late last week an enemy patrol in the
vicinity of Kadlsh shouted across No
Mans Land that they had prisoners
to exchange.
American officers went forward to
investigate and ut a safe distance
from the American troops the bolshev-
lists produced two men, one an Amer
lean and the other a Scotchman.
Instead of offering them for ex-
change they said they would "fatten
and treat kindly" any other Americans
or, Scotchmen who joined them. Then
they whisked the two prisoners back
into the woods.
The fighting about Kadish apparent
iy has ceased except for spasmodic
artillery action. The headquarters re-
port said: ''The situation is I'M
changed in all sectors"
Yanks Fighting in Snow.
In the last week the American
troops. fighting desperately, have
driven back bolsheviki troops which
made an advance near Kadish.
The bolshevists also launched at
lacks on the Omega sector and bonn
barded the allied front The Ameri-
cans came into battle along the Pet
rograd road and In the frozen swamps
that border 1t. The battle was fought
in snow from two to four feet In
depth.
American forces captured Kadsh
after display of gallantry that
evoked the admiration of the allied
commanders. Special care has been
taken Of the American wounded and
the body of an American officer was
taken back 100 miles by sledge and
then shipped to Archangel for burial.
There were some casualties on Mon
day, but they were small in compari-
son to those inflicted upon the enemy.
Terrific Red Attack Fails.
On Tuesday, the bolshevists opened
IL terrific fire from three and six-inch
guns and launched a counter-attack
against the buildings held by Ameri-
cans In Kadish.
SO hot was the artillery fire that
the Americans were Withdrawn tenn
porarily from the village. The line,
however was not taken back very
far and the new positions were firmly
held.
The enemy did not occupy Kadish
because the barrage fire from the
American guns made the place I'M
tenable. Shells falling on the frozen |
ground spread their zones of destruc-
ton twice as far as they would under
normal conditions.
Later, under the protection of ar
tillery fire. American detachments |
again swept forward and re-occupied |
the town. The men engaged In the |
advance were from infantry and |
trench mortar units.
Yanks In Hardest Fighting.
This morning word came from head- |
quarters that the American positions |
are now 400 meters south Of the vii |
lage, which is the line marking the !
farthest advance made by the Ameri-
cans late In October before they re.
tired to the north of Kadlsh.
Here and there are graves where |
are buried Americans who fell In the |
struggle that went on during the first |
advance. They are not many In num-
her, but, for the troops involved. they
give evidence that the Americans have
been In the hardest fighting that has
been going on here
The bolshesists are fighting more
savagely here than elsewhere to hold
their positions.
The Petrograd road leads southwark
to Plestsknya. a large village on the
Vologda railway, which is the en-