The Alaska Daily Empire

BATTERIES OF
GERMANS SHOT
INTO
PIECES

Americans Retaliate Swift-
ly for the Gas Attack Given by the Ger-
man Troops.

FIRE IS MOST ACCURATE

Ground About the German Batteries Is Churned by the American Shells.

WITH THE AMERICAN ARMY IN FRANCE, March 1. — Swift retribution has fallen upon the German batteries which this week bombarded the American trenches northwest of Toul with poisoned gas shells.

The American gunners of the heavy artillery concentrated their fire upon the German Minenwerfer batteries half an hour yesterday and obliterated the position.

Air and other observers signaled that they made many direct hits with highly explosive shells. Timbers and trench-lined splinters were thrown high in the air with the great clouds of earth.

Most probably the American explosive shells ignited German ammunition and gas shells, resulting in still greater destruction. The earth was churned about the German batteries in such a way that if any of the enemy remained, they must have suffered heavy casualties.

Six Americans have died thus far from the effects of the poisoned gas attacks. Eighty more are in the hospital suffering from the poison. Most of these cases, however, are slight, one man only being reported in a serious condition.

Aeroplane photographs aided the American gunners in accurately locating and destroying the German gas batteries.

American patrols were all over "no-man's-land" last night, but failed to encounter any Germans.

The American sector is now an ocean of mud, and constant work is necessary to keep the trenches and gun pits and dugouts free from water. The Germans apparently are improving their positions.