November 5, 1917

First Casualty List Is Announced Today; Iowan Among The Dead

Washington, Nov. 5 -- Three American infantrymen are dead, five wounded and twelve captured as a result of a sharp attack by the Germans on a salient of front line French trenches held by Pershing's men on November 3. One wounded German was captured. Those reported killed were:

Among the wounded was Private Dewey D. Kern whose mother is Mrs. Eva Tilton of Collins, Iowa.

This report announced by the war department brought home to America today the first casualties in dead and captured resulting from actual fighting between the Sammies and the Germans. Attacking before daylight under the protection of heavy barrage fire which cut the American salient off from the rest of the line, the Germans apparently completed their operations before reinforcements could reach them. No word in Pershing's statements indicates the extent of America's part in the fighting. An ordinary trench salient holds between twenty-five and thirty men so it would appear the little force of Sammies was practically wiped out. That a wounded German was taken prisoner, however, showed that a fight was put up before the Americans yielded. The size of the attacking force and the German losses are not given .

~source 'The Iowa City Citizen',

~ submitted by Iowa Old Press