Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1918-11-07

we drew nearer the shore they began
using shrapnel on Us and In no time
at all our tunnels were shot full Of
holes and q sieve wal watertght COM
pared to them.
Naturally We were not just taking
all this punishment without any come.
back. Our guns were ut It fast and
from the way tho IRE slackened in
certain places VI knew We were max
ing 1t effective. Ny guns did for two
enemy pieces that I know of. and per-
haps several others.
The French garbies were q good
deal more excited In action than I
thought they would be. They were
lodging around below decks. trying
to miss the shrapnel that came
aboard. shouting. swearing, singing
but fighting hard, at that. They stood
the gaff just rs well rs any other
garbles would, only In their own
sweet way-wh!ch is noisy enough,
believe me.
One Of our seamen was hit 100
times by fragments of shrapnel, so
you a see what they were up
against In the lodging line. A gun
turret in action Is not exactly the
best place on earth for a nervous
man nor n who likes his comfort.
There Is an awful lot Of heat and
noise and smell and work, all the
time in a fighting gun turret. But
during an engagement I would rather
be in q gun turret every time than
between decks. At that, II anything
does happen In a turret-it is good
night sure for all, and no rain checks
needed.
One of our junior lieutenants was
struck by a fragment Of shell es he
was at his station behind the wheel
house and a piece Of his skull was
driven into his brain. He vas car
ried into my gun turret, but he
would not let them take him to sick
bay to have his wound dressed. There
he sat. asking every now and then
how the fight was going and then sort
Of doing OF for a while.
After half an hour Of action we put
about and started away. still firing.
As a parting slap on the back the
Turks tore of one Of our blg-gun tur-
rets, and then away we went, back to
Brest with a casualty list Of only is.
We did not have much trouble guess
Ing that 1t was dry dock for Us again.
We got back to Brest after a quiet
voyage, patching ourselves up where
we could on the way, and again there
was the rush work, day and night,
to get into shape and do 1t over again.
They turned US out In u days and
back we went to the Turks and their
Hun assistants.
We were lucky getting inshore, only
receiving a nasty smash astern. when
the Turks got our range and landed
two peaches before we got out We
nearly tore u rudder of getting
away. But We had to come back right
away, because we had carried quite
a number Of heavy guns from Brest
and were given the Job Of running
them ashore. It was day and night
work and q great Job for fun, because.
while you never knew when you
would get 1t, you had good reason to
feel you would get lammed by a cute
little shell or q dainty bit Of shrap-
mel before the job was over.
Aboard ship It was deck work, of
course, and 1t was not much better
there than ashore with the guns, be-
cause the enemy trenches were near
The shore and they amused them.
selves trying to pick Us of whenever
we showed on deck. ] guess we were
q regular shooting gallery for them,
and some Of our men thought they
did not need oil the practice they
were getting. for quite q few Of US
acted as bulls eyes.
But we did not mind the bullets 60
much. They make q clean wound OF
put you away entirely; shrapnel
tears you up and can play all kinds
Of tricks with various parts Of your
body without killing you. As fol
shells-well. mincemeat 10 the word,
The Narrows were thick with mines
and there had been great deal Of
damage done there. 90 after q while
the British detailed their Yarmouth
trawlers to 80 in and sweep up. They
had to 60 up unprotected, Of course
and they started Of one night oil
serene.
Everything went well until they
!, turned at the Narrows and started
back. Then. before you could tell It
I've or six searchlights were playing
on one Of the trawlers and SHELF
, were splashing the water oil over her
Both banks were simply banging ava,
:. point blink at them and I nevsl
thought they would get back.
They did get back, though. bu'
some Of them had hardly enough met
left to work ship. But that ID Tx,
! the Limeys. They will get back from
anywhere while there II one mai
|. alive.
. A chap aboard one Of the trawler
said q shell went through the wheel
house between the quartermaster "a,
, hlmaeiP and al thA n salA was