Show ti s d 4 6 M Y i Y Yv 4 If IN FIERCE C t v y BATTLE I HUNS NS SUFFER DI BiG Il SS IN HEAVIEST ATTACK A II A K UN N By y 6 11 s WITH ITH THE AM AMERICAN RICAN A ARMY MY IN FRA FRANCE April Apri 11 fl The The he Germans attempted an attack tta k against the the- American positions northwest of of f Toul I lu just t before sunrise this morning and were com corn cornI completely completely repulsed ed Two German perman prisoners said the enemy planned d the attack with a force of men b but t that it it was was stopped in its full strength by by bYthe the offensive fire of the American artillery The Americans l lost st no prisoners One of the German prisoners pris- pris I died later of wounds The attack was attack was the lle heaviest yet made on an American force Brilliant work bY k A American er c 1 gynn gunners rs di dispersed persed the German infantry I before they reached reache the wire entanglements rits and those of the enemy who got into the wire were accounted for with machine gun and rifle fire The German attack came after a violent artillery bombardment of three days A large number of the enemy are believed to have been killed or woun wounded ed during the attack which continued d for nearly two hours j Bombard U U. S. S Men for Jar 72 Hours Before Final Attack s For two seventy-two hours before before- their effort the Germans had been firing an increasing number of sl shells shells' a at the AI American leri n positions position's and making extensive use se of gas shells At noon noon yesterday the enemy began a harassing fire against one of our strong points and arid kept it up throughout the night dropping hundreds of shells of f fall all calibers calibers- on both f front ont and rear positions The American Americ n artillery artillery artillery artil artil- lery replied vigorously the men in some batteries working with their gas masks gas masks masks' on for two or three e hours at a stretch About 5 5 o'clock this morning German infantrymen in nl the front line signaled their batteries for a barrage and started for the American front line The American gunn gunners rs laid a counter barrage I almost immediately The attackers who were especially trained for this for this operation were selected from among the best men in three regiments They were preceded by shock platoons but the American barrage caught them before they were able to reach our wire entanglements A terrific fire against the advancing enemy advancing enemy was kept up by bythe bythe bythe the American batteries The Germans probably suffered severe casualties as several bodies were seen hanging cross across the barbed wire after the enemy retired The attack was was made made in a heavy morning mist but the American gunners did wonderful work considering considering considering con con- the poor visibility As soon as the American barrage lifted American infantry climbed from their shelters and attacked the enemy with heavy machine gun and rifle fire driving back th who those se who vho had not been dispersed by the artillery fire y Biggest Operation in Which Which Americans Have Taken Part The attack was followed by by bya a artillery duel which ch was vas still going on at a late hour By International News Service WITH THE AMERICAN ARMY IN FRANCE April 11 11 American troops on the front northwest of Toul beat off the heaviest attack yet delivered against them when the American lines tines were assaulted by shock troops The enemy was completely routed and suffered heavy losses It was the biggest operation in iri which Americans had taken part and was marked by terrific artillery fire The Germans were everywhere outfought The action lasted two hours and was prefaced and followed follow d dby by the heaviest artillery exchanges in which American artillery had yet taken part k The Americans in the front front trenches fought with th the utmost utmos gallantry and refused to yield a single foot of ground The rhe attack attach t r |