Mexico Missouri message., 1918-10-31
CHAPTER X.
Hell At GallipoIi.

He'll at GaIlipoIi.
After was discharged from the hos
pital, was ordered to report to my
ship at Brest for sea duty.
The boys aboard the Cassard gave
me hearty welcome, especially Muir
ray, who had come back after two
weeks in the trenches at Dixmude. /
was glad TO see them, too, for after all,
they were garbies, and / always feel
more at home with them than with sol
| diers. Then, 1t was pretty rough stuff
at Dixmude, and after resting up at
! the hospital, i was keen on going to
| sea again.
The Cassard was in dry dock for re-
pairs after her last voyage to the Oar
danelles as convoy to the troopship'
Duplex. Everything was being rushed
to get her out as soon as possible, and
crews were working day and night.
There were other ships there tOo-su
perdreadnaughts, and dreadnaughts,
and battleships, and armored cruisers,
all being overhauled.
We received and placed guns of
newer design, filled 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 IL and 14-inch
guns. A 14-inch shell can tear a hole
through the heaviest armor plate at
10000 yards, and will do more damage
than you would think.
When we had coaled and had got
our stores aboard, we dressed for ac-
tiOn--Or rather, undressed. The decks
were clear; hatch covers bolted and
davits folded down; furniture, chests,
tables, chairs were sent ashore, and in
fiammable gear, like our rope ham,
mocks, went overheard. You could
not find single wooden chair or table
in the ward room.
When the ship is cleared for action,
a shell bursting inside cannot find
much to set afire, and if one bursts on
deck, there is nothing to burn but the
wooden deck, and that is covered with
steel plate.
Finally, we had roll caIl-all men
present. Then we set sail for the
Dardanelles as escort to the Duplex,
which had on board territorial and
provincial French troops-Gascons,
Parisians, Normans, Indo-Chinese,
Spahls, Turcos-all kinds. When we
messed, we had to squat down on the
steel mess deck and eat from metal
plates.
There had been q notice posted be-
fore we left that the Zeppelins had be-
gun sea raids, and we kept live eye
out for them. The news proved to be
a fake, though, and we did not see g
single cigar while we were out.
We made the trip to the Dardanelles
without sighting an enemy craft, keep
ing in close touch with the Duplex
and busy every minute preparing FOL
action.
l was made gun captain and giver
charge Of the starbOard bow turret
mounting two 14-ineh guns. had m!
men at gun practice daily, and by tn,
time we neared the Dardanelles, afte
five days, they were in pretty fai
shape.
1t was about 3 a. m. when we drew
near Cape Helles and took station
for action. The Duplex was in from
of us. The batteries on the cap
opened up on us, and in few min
utes later those at Kun Kaleh joine,
In.
AS the Duplex made for "V" beac
and prepared to land her troops, W
swung broadslde on, raking their bal
d terles as we did so, and received
o shell, which entered through n gu
4. port in the after turret and exploded
Some bags Of powder stored ther
" (where they should never have been
It were fired and the roof Of the turrt
}: was just lifted off. 1t landed on decl
v tilted up against the side of the tu
lr ret.
Is On deck the rain of fire was slmpl
IS terrific. Steel few in all direction
Is 1t was smash, crash, slam-bang q
" the time, and do not mind saying
never thought we would come ol
re OF II.
d Some of the heavy arInor plate I
n forward was shot away and after thl
sr the old Cassard looked more like
{. monitor than anything else to me. 4