South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-01-22

the bluejackets say il was awful while
ii lasted The German ships had the
advantage in position. The thick,
heavy smoke from their tunnels was
blowing right on TO our ships thus
obscuring their own from the eyes OF
our gunners
Lucky To Escape.
Tuesday Night Q O'CLOCK.
So far we are safe. We have been
steaming - knots for nearly two days.
and have just slowed down to 20
knots. We believe we have left the
enemy well behind. The Campus is
inside Of us. nearest the land. and the
Otranto is about so miles away further
out to sea We expect to enter the
straits OF Magellan about O'Clock
tomorrow morning. Whether we re-
main at Punta Arenas or not remains
TO be seen.
When we think of the action again
we all wonder how we got away as re
did. The whole fire of five ships was
concentrated upon US, and only the
rolling Of the ship saved Us from be-
ing Tiddled with the salVos which they
were firing. We were the last ship in
the line Of battle. and we mad to tackle
two for a start, and jolly soon we put
one of them out of action. but she
came back again afterwards, only fir
ing one gun. The poor old Good Hope
and the Monmouth were subjected 10
a terrific fire, and the admirals last
words were. Get away at full speed,
but our skipper turned to his first
lieutenant and asked. Am ! TO leave
the admiral2" But the case was hope
less. IL would have been certain sui
eide. We tried to distract their at
tention 10 us by having flames from
our tunnels, 50 as TO make a target,
because it was dark about S o'clock,
and then some of the enemy's ships.
seeing the state of the Good Hope,
chased us and the Monmouth. The
Monmouth was making water very
badly. and at her best could only have
done about II knots, whilst our en-
gines were still safe, and we could 90.
Fights On, Sinking.
So the captain Of the Monmouth,
like the brave man he was, signalled
his last message, Il can't get away.
because my ship is making water rap
+ idly forward, so / shall go back and
engage the enemy (thus allowing us
more time To escape) "and endeavor
\ To ram or torpedo one of them" What
+ he really did no one knows, and prob
+ ably never will. This / know, that the
next British ships that go to meet
I these Germans will find them in an
awfully bad condition, the smaller
I cruisers especially.
/ do hope the Monmouth took one
/ of their ships down with her. The
( last we saw of her she was being fred
/ at by five of them. whilst they search
1 ed the seas with their searchlights for
us But we broke all records for
/ speed. and went 27.S knots, with shot
( holes all over us on one side. and
through a terribly rough sea. Myself,
+. / was seasick all night. and never eN en-
turned in. | though she would break
up. but as they were following us, or
! rather we guessed they were, to try to
cut us off, weather or no weather. we
went and it's a credit to our stokers'
! branch.
Also / might mention that all
I through the action not one man in the
ships company showed any sign of
fear. Even the youngsters were en-
/ joying it until they knew the Good
/ Hope had blown up, and then l under
stand the language that flowed from
I the men at the guns was blue as they
despatched each shell at the enemy.
If the Good Hope had not gone down
SO early we should have won. because
the Germans firing mad practically
+ ceased until they saw our flagship
had gone down and then-stand by
the Glasgow. Phew, You could hear
( the shells screeching overhead and the
/ occasional thud as a shell hit us, until
we had 10 nip, and, as I've told YOU,
/ leave the Monmouth.
Made Long Run.
Have Just entered the straits at
noon today. after two and a nalf days
run. The places where the action
took place was near COronel, about
500 or 900 miles north of here. so
. ma a I do hone that
YOU stick the news all right, because
( I'm certain we should be reported
sunk or sinking, and it Will be another
two or three days before we can send
news from Port Stanley.
The ships company has been COM
plimented upon their GOODNESS during
action Down below the stokers were
singing. Wen All Go the Same Way
Home" and Its a Long, Long Way
10 Tipperary," while other witty say
ing were common, such as Don't get
dizzy" There's another sausage for
YOU, and English at that, as each shot
I went one Of our snubs had his hat
taken off. while another gunlayer (tel-
ephonic tube arrangements fixed TO
his head had the piping shot away,
and turned around and swOre at some
imaginary person. saying Who's that
I swinging on my Rudolph
JOked Under Fire.
Another youngsteT, 19 years old
(nearIy) asked for water The first
lieutenant went To the other side of
the ship for a water bottle for him,
and the yOungster said: II don't want
that ching; / want il To wipe the gun 5
mushroom head" First Luff smiled
and got him a bucket of water. An
other one remarked. as big shell
missed him by a hairs breadth:
"Humph / thought my birthday had
come" and continued unlocking six
inch shells from the ammunition
hoist. Another gunner said: I've got
a Jam" TO which someone replied
thinking OF our rations of late) Try
marmalade."
Stiu. apart from all this. it really
was awful You see, the engagements
started at five minutes after seven and
finished at about 1 , minutes after
eight-thats near enough the truth
and nearly all that time firing was on
We fired necessarily for 80 minutes
but the light was So bad. You see, as
the sun went down we were beautiful
targets for the Germans. whilst al
tbaft. smoke was hpinu blown Ia us