Sioux County pioneer. (Fort Yates, Sioux County, N.D.) 1914-1929, 1918-11-07
CHAPTER X.
Hell at oaIIIpoII.

Hell at oalllpoll.
After I was discharged from the hos
pital. I was ordered to report to ny
ship at Brest for sea duty.
The boys aboard the Cassard gave
me a hearty welcome. especially Muir.
ray, who had come back after two
weeks in the trenches at Dixmude. I
was glad to see them, too. for after all,
they were garbies, and I always feel
more at home with them than with SOL
diers. Then, It 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 battleshfps, and armored cruisers,
all being overhauled.
We received and placed guns Of
newer design, filed the magazines with
the highest explosives known to naval
use. and generally made ready for a
hard Job. Our magazines were filed
with shells for our big IL and 14-inch
guns. A 14-inch shell can tear hole
through the heaviest armor plate at
1900 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
davits folded down; furniture, chests,
tables. chairs were sent ashore, and in
flammable 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 aflre, 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 call-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-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 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
single cigar while we were out.
We made the trip to the Dardanelles
without sighting an enemy craft, keen.
ing In close touch with the Duplex,
and busy every minute preparing for
action.
I was made gun captain and given
charge Of the starboard bow turret,
mounting two 14-inch guns. had my
men at gun practice daily, and by the
time we neared the Dardanelles, after
five days, they were in pretty fair
shape.
It was about 8 a. m. when we drew
near Cape Helles and took stations
for action. The Duplex was in front
Of us. The batteries on the cape
opened up on us, and In q few min
utes later those at Kun Kaleh Joined
in.
As the Duplex made for "v' beach
and prepared to land her troops, we
swung broadslde on, raking their bat
teries as we did so, and received q
shell, which entered through a gun
port in the after turret and exploded.
Some bags Of powder stored there
(where they should never have been)
were fired and the roof Of the turret
was Just lifted of. It landed on deck,
tilted up against the side Of the tur.
ret.
On deck the rain Of fire was simply
terrific. Steel few in all directions.
It was smash, crash. slam-bang all
the time, and I do not mind saying
never thought we would come out
Of It: u
Some Of the heavy armor plate up
forward was shot away and after that
the old Cassard looked more like a
vnovekn, AS.nn .vu<y,sn~ alec a. - a.