New Britain herald., 1915-11-26
BRITISH GUNNERS
 HAD GREAT SPORT
Bombardment of DedeagatCh Re.
 .garded as Field Day


 cized British view of war as sort of exalted game of sport is empha- sized in a British officers description of the bombardment of Dedeagatch by the British feet contained in letter published here. His letter bristles with such phrases as "It was a grand picnic for the men," The ships com panies enjoyed themselves immense ly," "The harbor-master's office burned splendidly," "The destrovers were able to creep in and plug all manner of things
 The officer began his letter by re- marking that he was playing piquet with the captain when the orders came to lift anchor and attack Dedea- gatch. and he regretfully chronicles that "the exigencies of the service made me sacrifice a hand containing fourteen aces!' There were some grewsome preparations for the battle in the captains cabin, which had been turned into an operating theater. No need arose for using it, however. as no defense of the port was attempt ed by the Bulgariars.
 BOmbarIment Description.
 The description of the actual bom- bardment is in part as follows:
 "At about quarter past one in the afternoon we 1oosed off at the big bar racks. Our first shot brought the sol diers tearing out of the buildings, and we eased up bit and let them get clear. Then we banged and battered away at about 2,S00 yards, making enormous holes and smashing in great areas of walls. Unless someone was killed inside the buildings, think we did not hurt anyone. (German ac- counts of the battle declare that sever- al hundred soldiers were killed in these barracks.)
 "We were only out for destruction and damage, not slaughter, as the thrifty Bulgar hates to have his prop erty knocked about but cares very lit- tie if his neighbor-cr even himself is laid out.
 After a bit we went for the harbor very tricky work. as the bulk of the caiques which we had orders to shoot at were just beyond low outer break water and with trajectory from the ship, the least alteration in the eleva- ton of the gun made big difference. The difficulty was largely settled when our shells set the masts and sails afire, and the flames spreading down. ward to the ships.
 No One Hurt
 "The destroyers and monitors drew much less water than our larger ships and were able to creep In on the lead, the charts of Dedegatch being in- accurate and they plugged all manner of things Fortunately the population of the town had all gone away, and the troops stayed behind up in the hills. sc I don't think anyone was hurt. We killed a sitting engine which tried to hide itself behind a bush, but one which ran away escaped all right Two of the destroyers inspired it to still greater efforts with their four inch guns.
 When we realized that there was no one hurt, it just became a bon ire or Trafalgar Day fireworks-it being the 10th anniversary of the battle of Trafalgar. We set all man ner of things on fire. Common shell was effective but lyditte was better. We burned a vast mountain of coal, many railway vans and trucks, ships. and two oil stOrehouSes.
 But the best blazes were ware houses behind the caique harbour and an immense factory stuffed with high ly infammable goods It was six stories high, ten windows square, and had two anneXes each of four stories l With roaring wind to help us, and 1 no fire brigade to spoil the fun, it l was a most gorgious fiare-up, and the l flames were bright enough to cast a | sha dow six miles away!
 Cars Burn.
 "The railway cars burned merrily 1 the fire jumping along from one to the other and even eating away to windward, and the storehouses burned solidly and well, section after section catching. They had great glass sky lights, which were shattered by the shells and ventilated the fire nicely
 "The great thing about it was that tried to put the fires out, and if one got smoky, a shell frightened things up a bit and improved the ven- tilation, so I don't suppose I shall ever sec finer blaze than Dedea- gatch. The sparks from the big fac tory set fires to leeward, and these de- well. The coal heap fire un- fortunately could not spread to any thing but it blazed and glowed in the wind.
 Sometimes a shell would not set fire to a building-it would make hole in the front wall and burst in side, chawing it up. Or, if lyddite | shell, 1t would blow the roof off and | the brick wall out-satisfactory, but | not picturesque. The barracks were | in several detached sections and the | only one of them burned. The Bull ! garians had a flag flying over one of | the barrack buildings. and we brought 1 it down in six shots, together with the | building 1t had adorned.
 we stayed on until after dark, | enjoying the blaze. The flames from | the big warehouse must have shot up