The Arvada enterprise., 1918-11-14
CHAPTER X.

!
CHAPTER X.
He'll at oaIllpeiL
After was discharged from the hos
pital. was ordered to report to my
ship at Brest for uea duty.
The boys aboard the Cassafd gavs
mo hearty welcome. especially Nur.
ray. who had come back after two
weeks In the trenches at Dixmuds.
was glad to see them. too. for after oil,
they were garbiss, and I always feel
more at home with them than with SOL
diers. Then. II was pretty rough stun
at Dixmude. and after resting up at
the hospital. l was keen ON going to
sea again.
The Cassard was In dry dock for r.
pairs after her last voyage to the Dar-
danelles as convoy to the troopship
Duplex. Everythin: was being rushed
to get her out as coon as possible. and
crews were working day and night.
There were other ships there too-su-
perdreadnaughts, and dreadnaughts,
and battleships, and armored cruisers.
oil being overhauled.
We received and placed guns Of
newer design. nlled the magazines with
the highest explosives known to naval
use, and generally made ready for q
hard Job. Our magazines were filed
with shells for our big II and 1l-inch
guns. A 14-inch shell can tear q hole
through the heaviest armor plate at
>l2.0OO yards. and will do more damage
than you would think.
When We had coaled and had got
our stores aboard, We dressed for &C.
tion-or rather. undressed. The decks
were clear; hatch covers bolted and
davlts folded down: furniture. chests.
tables, chairs were sent ashore, and In.
f'ammable gear. like our rope ham.
mockA went overheard. You could
not and single wooden chair or table
In the ward room.
When the ship II cleared for action.
shell bursting inside cannot IND
much to set afire, and II one bursts on
deck. there Is nothing to burn but the
wooden deck. and that is covered with
steel plate.
Finally, we had roll call-all men
present. Then We set sail for the
Dnrdanelles as escort to the Duplex.
which hnd on board territorial and
provincial French troops-Gascons.
Pnrisians, Normans. lndo.C Chinese,
SpahIs. Turcos-all kinds. When we
messed, we had to squat down on the
steel mess deck and eat from metal
plates.
There had been notice posted be-
fore we left that the Zeppellns had be-
gun sea raids. and we kept a live eye
out for them. The news proved to be
II fake. though. and we did not see q
single cigar while we were out.
We made the trip to the Dnrdanellcs
without sighting an enemy craft. keep
Ing In close touch with the Duplex,
and busy every minute preparing for
action.
was made gun captain and given
charge OF the starbonrd bow turret,
mounting two li.inch guns. I had my
men Mt gun practice daily. md by the
time we ncnrcd the Dnrdanellcs, after
Ave days. they were In pretty fair
shape.
1t was about 8 a. m. when we drew
near Cape Hcllcs und took stations
for action. The Duplex was In front
OF us. The batteries on the cnpc
opened up on us. md In n few min.
utcs later those at Kun Kalch Joined
In.
As the Duplex made for ~" bcacl,
ana prepared TO land her troops. we
swung broadsldc on. rakIng their bat.
tcrlcs us We did so. md received a
shell. which entered through a gun
port In the after turrct and exploded.
Some bags OF powder stored there
(wherc they should never hnvc bccn)
were fred and the roof OF the turrct
was Just lifted or. II landed on deck,
Tilted up against tho sidc Of the tur-
ret.
On deck tho rnin OF frc wns simply
terrific. Steel flcw In all directions.
It was smash. crash. slnn.bnnE oil
tho time. and I do not mind saying
never thought We would come out
OF II.
Some Of the heavy ar1nor plate up
forward was shot away and after thai
the old Casaard looked more liAs 4
uaoAls than snytAias siss 70 ~. ~