Don
Martin diary entry for Saturday, July 6, 1918:
Went to second division. Very quiet everywhere. Sent no cable. Poker
game at night but I didn’t play. Looked for air raid but there was none.
The
good story published in the Paris Herald on July 6 was published in the New York Herald
on Sunday, July 7, in expanded form.
THREE
AMERICANS CAPTURE TWO GERMANS IN
DARING RAID INTO ENEMY POST ON JULY FOURTH
Crawl Across No Man’s
Land, Enter Dugout and Return Safely with Huns, American Machine Gun Barrage
Protecting Them in Their Final Dash Home
By Don
Martin
Special Correspondent of
the Herald with the American Armies in France
[Special Cable to the Herald]
WITH THE
AMERICAN ARMIES IN FRANCE, Saturday [July
6]
An American corporal and two
privates with the forces at the front celebrated the Fourth of July by giving an
exhibition of coolness and pluck under fire that reads almost like a chapter
from an adventure story. These men were sent on a day's reconnaissance into
enemy territory. To gain their objective the Americans were forced to crawl for
half a mile through the tall grass and brush of No Man's Land, a long, trying
ordeal, in which discovery would be almost certain to end in death. When they
had covered their first half-mile they came upon a small outhouse, and the
corporal and one private went inside, leaving the other soldier on sentry duty
outside.
Inside the men discovered a
German who was in the act of connecting telephone wires with the shack, which
was to be used as an observation post. Quick as a flash the Americans seized
the German and subdued him without his even being able to utter a cry of alarm.
On being questioned he informed the Americans that there was another of the Kaiser's
men in the cellar. Circumstances greatly favored the man in the cellar, but
without a moment's hesitation the two Americans went down. Instead of putting
up a fight the German threw up his hands, cried "Kamerad" and seemed
willing enough to be made a prisoner.
But the Americans now faced the
difficult problem of getting the prisoners back to their lines without
discovery, disastrous to all. After a consultation the corporal sent one of the
privates on the perilous journey back to the American lines to say that
prisoners were on the way and asking that the return of the captors be
protected by machine guns. The messenger also was instructed to say exactly at
what time the return journey would be attempted.
When the time set had elapsed
the two Americans, trusting to the safe return of their companion, began the
return trip with their prisoners. All of this may sound like a romance, but it
is true, as I not only saw the official report of the undertaking but also
talked to the men themselves. In order to minimize the danger the Americans
forced their prisoners to crawl beside them. They had covered half the distance
without trouble when suddenly German snipers began to show activity and bullets
began to spatter on all sides.
Fortunately the Hun aim was poor, and the
Americans kept on. But the German marksmanship improved with every shot and the
Americans soon found themselves in such a tight place that, trusting to the
boys behind the lines to have their machine guns ready, they arose and, forcing
the Germans ahead of them, made a dash for the American line.
This was a signal for the
American machine gunners, and they directed a stream of lead into the German
line and the Americans ended their dash in safety. The three men who took part
in this daring raid are Corporal Randolph A. Shafer and Privates John Kane and Alonzo
Amendala. Like most Americans, they seem fascinated by the lure of adventure
and declare themselves as being ready any time to take their chances with the
Germans, no matter what the circumstances.
On Thursday night Americans in
the Belleau region decided to learn what new German divisions were opposite
them. They sent a barrage toward the German first line and a moment after a
platoon of Americans dashed across. They succeeded in killing two Germans and
capturing one without sustaining any losses themselves.
Thrilling air fights are being
carried out over the American sector several times each day and it has now been
established as certain that the best German fliers, survivors of the Richthofen
circus, have been sent here to terrorize the Americans, who, however, refuse to
be frightened.
This morning there were two air combats.
First, eight Americans attacked fifteen Germans at Chateau-Thierry. The battle
lasted ten minutes and the belief is that the Americans vanquished one German.
Later a squadron of Americans met another squadron of Germans and this time the
Americans certainly winged two Germans, although there is no official
verification of this. All the Americans returned safely from the second combat.
The Americans who are supposed to have scored victories are Lieutenants Ralph
O'Neil, J. C. Raible, Daniel W. Cassard and Francis Simonds.
One of the features of the air
activities here are the daily flights being made over enemy lines by Quentin Roosevelt,
who is taking turns regularly at patrolling. Young Roosevelt is a modest youth
but a good flyer and eager to have his first trial with the Hun.
Don Martin wrote an update on events
on the Toul front on July 7 for publication in the Paris Herald on July 7.
Toul Front Boys Celebrated Fourth
By
Gassing Enemy
(SPECIAL TELEGRAM TO
THE HERALD.)
By
DON MARTIN.
WITH THE AMERICAN ARMY, Saturday. [July
6]
Information from the Toul front is
to the effect that on the Fourth of July the Americans shelled the enemy very heavily
with gas. An American aeroplane attacked three enemy planes and drove them away
from our lines. There was considerable rifle firing and unusual artillery
activity against the Americans.
An American reconnaissance plane was attacked
by two German Albatros machines, and in the course of the action one of the
machines was observed to fall to the ground. Several reconnaissance and
photograph missions were successfully accomplished.
It is now permissible to state that
First Lieutenant Wesley Freml, Jr., who led 80 man in a successful raid at the Bois
Fontaine-sous-Montdidier on June 29, in which one lieutenant and 35 Germans were
captured, was killed in that action.
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