The Hawaiian gazette., 1915-03-02
Resident OF Hawaii Received De-
Z tails Of Naval Assault Upon
I i}s German Batteries
|WARSHIPs RECEIVE VERY
HOT WELCOME FROM LAND
Graphic Account Of Bombardment
and Deadly Firing
"' Teuton Guns

Following are excerpts from aletter
received recently by Thomas Iloltum
Lille, from doctor in the British
navy, which tells of some of the eight.
ing by the British warships that have
been bombarding the German defenses
along the Belgian coast: tsI
4 "No doubt you will be wondering
what has happened to me since Joining
the navy. SO far l have had very
good luck.
81 remained on in the barracks for
about a month when | came first and l
wondered IL / should ever get sent to a.
ship. One morning | was wakened
at about seven a. III. and received a
signal that / was to go aboard II. NJ.
., Yestal, Immediately. 1 knew this
Vestal usually went out with classes
for gupnefy practice and that during
the firing they had a surgeon aboaru
In case Of accidents. Well, | repaired
aboard just with my coat, expecting to
go out for a days shooting When 1
got aboard the first lieutenant asked me
where my gear was as we were going
of to the belgian coast. l Immediately
hurried back, packed a bag and got
aboard again. When / arrived / was
greeted by an official who gave me a
paper TO sign-my name and next of
kin. i began to think we were in for
warm time and l was certain of it
when, FIVE minutes later, revolver was
showed into my hand.
1.-THE captain then called the crew
aft and gave them speech. We left
the next day for Dover, remained in
Dover one day and then departed at
midnight for Dunkirk. We proceeded
In the early morning, accompanied by
other ships and destroyers, out to the
Rendezvous, a busy one off Nieuport
Then we got the order to 60 into ac-
cotton wool for their ears, then we
started firing. The noise is extremely
deafening at first but you get used to
it, We were carrying four four.inch
guns. We lay about one and one.half
miles from the coast and that morn
ing fred 500 rounds in two hours. 1t
was D weird sight. The Huns were
coming along the beach and we simply
moved them down as fast. as they came
aiong. We knocked houses to bits and
by the time we were finished the whole
shore was a blazing mass. That morn.
ing we had no reply from the beach.
Next morning we were at it again
but this time we got a very warm re.
| seption. The Germans had brought up
battery of heavy guns through the
night. They let US get close in and
then opened FIRE. 1t was Dante In.
ferno for ten minutes; their big shells
came 'shrieking through the air, the
shrek getting louder and louder. This
was followed by huge splash of wa
ter mingled with green smoke and
flames. They seemed to be all round
us. One went crash through one of oui
ventilatOrs but providentially did not
burst. If it had half the crew prob,
ably would have been killed or wound
ed. They were getting our range ev
cry time and just by sheer luck we es
capped that morning. The Crusader, q
destroyer with the admiral aboard, had
q lucky escape, a Jack Johnson just
striking a yard short of her stern. The
iestroyers cleared off at thirty-fvC
tnOtS covered with black smoke.
thought they were all on fire but the
black smoke is driven out of the fun
nels by special apparatus in order tC
hide them. The whole scene was very
exciting. You wondered what was go
ing to happen next.
eve returned that day, as we were
hopelessly outranged, their guns being
eleven inch to our four inch. The mex,
day we were at it again. This time
we stuck it out and in about quarter OF
IN hour we silenced their batteries
Several shots were just yards short o.
us. Submarines were sighted but W.
got out of their way, the destroyers
keeping them off. This Performance,
twas a daily occurrence. About a fort
night after we had started, the Falcon
a destroyer, was struck by shell oil
Ter bridge. The captain and eight 9th
srs were killed and thirteen mer
wounded. The bridge was wreck &c
and the forecastle presented shamblel
nothing but legs and arms lying about
The same day the Brilliant had one
killed and the RenaIdo fifteen In
jured. We wondered when our turn
would come. We hadn t long to wait
The following day one shell hurst of
our forecastle, killed one man outright
and wounded the first lieutenant anC
| two others. The next shot struck GU
how and nut a big hole in it, We con
tinued firing for some time but had Il
clear out. We got three cheers from
the Venerable's (battleship) crew a
we passed.
ave buried the man at sea, whicl
was rather impressive. We went int,
Dunkirk usually in the evenings an
there used to go up to the railwa,
sheds and attend the wounded The,
came in hundreds - hadn't bee
Grrsned many of them, for a week
frightfullv septic.
owe were always hcing pcstere
"" TRuhcs trying to drop bombs GU IL
hit none of them were near, slthoug
th"v did considerable damage in Dun
kirk.
eve were eventually recalled afte
being ont there for six weeks nud 4,