The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1918-12-12

On our sixth trip 1 saw H. nj. s.
Goliath get 1t. She was struck three
times b. torpedoes and then shelled.
The men were floundering around in
the water, with ,shrapnel cutting the
waves all around them. Only a hun
dred odd Of her crew were saved.
One day, off Cape Helles, during
our seventh trick ut the Dardanelles,
we sighted sub periscope just about
dinner time. The Prince George and a
destroyer sighted the sub at the same
time. and the Prince George let go
two rounds before the periscope dis
appeared, but did not hit the mark.
Transports, battleships and cruisers
were thick around there, all at anchor,
and 1t was a great place for sub
to be.
In no time at all the destroyers
breezed out with their tails in the
air, throwing smoke screen around
the larger ships. They hunted high
and low, all over the spot where she
had been sighted and all around 1t,
thinking to ram it or bring it to the
surface, so we could take crack at
it. All the rest of the fleet-battle-
ships and ranspOrts-weighed anchor
at once and steamed ahead at full
speed.
1t was great sight. Any new ship
coming up would have thought the
British and French navies had gone
crazy. We did not have any fixed
course, but were steaming as fast as
we could in circles and half circles,
and dashing madly from port to star
board. We were not going to allow
that sub to get straight shot at us,
but we almost rammed ourselves
doing it. 1t was a case of chase-tail
for every. ship in the feet.
But the sub did not show itself
again that day, and we anchored
again. That night, while the destroy
ers were around the ships, we slipped
our cables and patrolled the coast
along the Australian position at Gaba
Tepe, but we did not anchor.
The following day the Albion went
ashore in the fog, south of Gaba Tepe,
and as soon as the fog lifted the Turks
let loose and gave it to her hot. A
Turkish ship came up and, with any
kind of gunnery, could have raked her
fore and aft, but the Turks must
have been pretty shy of gun sense,
for they only got In one hit before
they We're driven off by Fl. NJ. s. Cam
opus, which has made such a fine
record in this war.
Then the Campus pulled in close to
the Albion, got wire hawser aboard,
and attempted to tow her out under
heavy fire, but as soon as she started
pulling, the cable snapped. The crew
Of the Albion were ordered aft and
jumped up on the quarter deck to
try and shift the bow off the bank.
At the same time the fore turret and
the fore six-inch guns opened up a
hot fire on the Turkish positions to
lighter the ship and shift her by the
conclusions of the. guns. For long
time they could not bulge her. Then
the Campus !. got another hawser
aboard and, with guns going and the
crew jumping and the Campus pulling,
the old Albion finally slid off and both
ships backed into deep water with
little harm done to either. Then they
returned to their old anchorages.
At Cape Helles every one was wide
awake. We were all on the lookout
for subs and you could not find one
man mapping. Anything at all passed
for periscope Tins, barrels, spars.
Dead horses generally float in the
water with one foot sticking up, and
we gave the alarm many a time when
it was only some old nag on his way to
Davy's locker.
On the Cassard the Old Man posted
reward Of 80 francs for the first man
who sighted periscope. This was a
good idea, but believe me he would
have had trouble making the award,
for every man on the ship would be
sure to see it at the same time. Each
man felt sure he would be the man to
get the reward. The 14-pounders were
loaded and ready for action on Sec
ond's notice. But the reward was
never claimed.
During our eighth trick off Cape
Helles ] was amidships in the galley
when heard our two 14-pounders 60
off almost at the same time. Every
body ran for his station. Going up
the main deck to my turret man told
me it was sub on the port bow, but
only caught glimpse Of the little
whirlpool where her periscope sub
merged. do not know why she did
not let loose torpedo at us. The
officers said she was trying to make
the entrance to the Dardanelles and
came up blind among our ships and
was scared off by our guns, but
thought we had just escaped by the
skin of our teeth. Later on our de-
stroyers claimed to have sighted her
off Gaba Tepe.
At noon we were at mess when one
Of the boys yelled, "She's hit" and we
all rushed on deck. There was the
| British ship, Triumph. torpedoed and
listing away over to starboard. She
was ready to turn over in few min
utes. One battleship Is not supposed
| to 60 to the assistance Of another one
that has been torpedoed, because the
chances are the sub Is still in the
neighborhood laying for the second
ship with another torpedo. But one
| of the British trawlers went to the
assistance Of the Triumph to pick up
| the crew.
We could see the crew jumping into
i the wafer Then We hrepznd Orrf