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Show HOLDING THEJR 01 First-Line Trenches of the Germans Caved in by the 75's Operated by Pershing's Artillerymen; Artil-lerymen; Dugouts Are Demolished, Probably With Heavy Casualties. Casual-ties. ITALIAN HEROES WILDLY CHEERED Young Sardinians Who Cut Their Way Up the Col di Rosso Come Out of the Trenches for a Rest; British Losses Show Great Falling Off. WITH THE AMERICAN ARMY IN FRANCE, Feb. 5 (By the Associated Asso-ciated Press) .-The sector occupied occu-pied toy the American troops is northwest of Toul. It is inadvisable to mention the number of men in line, the length of the sector and other details. The location of the sector was kept secret until it became certain that the enemy had discovered it. Toul, capital of the department of Meuthe-et-Moselle, Is fourteen miles west of Nancy and is a fortress fort-ress of the first class. The present battle line is about sixteen miles north of Toul, where it extends eastward from St. Mihiel toward the German border. Recently Recent-ly there have been raids by French troops in the region of Flirey and Seichepray. When the American trench was raided last November, it was said in the German official statement that the Americans were stationed along the Marne-Rhine canal, northeast of Luneville. Toul is about twenty-eight miles west-northwest west-northwest of Luneville. WITH THE AMERICAN ARMY IN FRANCE, Sunday, Feb. 3. (By the As- KOrtatcd Pres) -American officers ; are elated over the results of the first artillery artil-lery duel between American and German gunners, which followed a preliminary shelling by the Germans Saturday evening eve-ning In official reports the Infantry commanders today paid tribute to the promptness with which the artillery re-, sponded to the call for a barrage and to the effectiveness of the artillery fire. Aerial reconnaisances today snowed that the American gunfite had had a very destructive effect. It will require several nightH of bard work under artiir lery fire for the Germans to repair the first line trenches caved in by the American Amer-ican 75m and to patch the gaps in the barbed wire. Dugouts Demolished. It is known that at least three enemy dugouts were, demolished, probably with some casualties. On the other hand, t ho damage done to the American trenches will be repaired before tomorrow morn! illg. In a regimental headquarters village shelled by the enemy many huildings were wrecked. There were no casualties among the officers. The German artillery opened with a desultory bombardment of the American trenches at a certain point, firing many shrapnel shells. In the midst of this, a red rocket calling for a barrage ascended ascend-ed from the German first lines. Before tiie German artillery could re spond, the American 75s laid a curtain of fire along the enemy first lines. Then began the battle of the gunners-Fire gunners-Fire Quickly Met. The Increased Intensity of the Gorman fire was met immediately by -the AmerU cans, who not only showered shells on the original sector, but quickly extended their activity to a wide front. Within twenty minutes the 75s and larger pieces were booming all along the valley, the shelling finally spreading to a town in which regimental headquarters was located. As darktiess settled down the guns w-ere quiet. Heavy mists again overhung the American Amer-ican sector today, consequently there was artillery work and no aerial activity. |