The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1918-04-24
SAILORS DESERT
 BATTERY CRYING TITS THE TANKS"
(Continued from Page 1.)

In one second it seemed as if every battery in the neighborhood had con centrated it's fire on the cruiser. How she was able to get ahead none of those watching her understood. Great IT inch shells and others of smaller calibre flew around her like hail. She apparently was hit by some of the smaller ones, but she plunged ahead and was seen to turn the corner of the mole and gain the inside of the harbor. The German fire apparently was def1ected from her vital parts by the intervening structure of the mole and most Of the damage done was above the water line.
 Disregarding all that had happen ed, the cruiser went up to the mole and landed large party of blue jackets and marines. The German de- | lenders conceived the idea that their assailants were Americans and, ac- cording to some of the survivors, this cry was heard:
 Its the Americans! It's the Yan- kees!''
 Some of the Germans bolted en masses from the nearest batteries, 1 These were destroyed one by one, while others in the landing party dealt with the sheds and munition stores with flame throwers.
 Apparently under cover of the op- eration, continues the account the concrete laden cruisers. with which it was intended to block the channels,
 made their way through the harbor, accompanied, as far as it can be ascer- tained, by only one submarine. As they approached the entrance they anchored, swung around on the cables ' and according to the testimony of one the observers, were sunk within 23 minutes.
 One of the destroyers or submarines exploded a charge at the gates of the lock of the Bruges canal and they are
 believed to have been destroyed. Meanwhile four dectroyers entered the harbor and cruised around, mak- ing observations, but were unable to take part in the battle.
 When the attacking ship and it's
 landing party had completed their
 work the sailors and marines were taken aboard again despite the dam |
 then began to make it's way out of
 the harbor.
 One of the 17-inch shells out of the
 hundreds of various sizes fired at the
 cruiser got well home in her upper works. Her steering gear was injur-
 ed and she signalled an escort ship to
 show her the way out, but before help arrived she had found her way out and had taken her place under her own steam behind the lines of pro- tecting cruisers.
 One man who watched the opera ton from an escorting ship said: 'FWhen we saw the damage she had suffered it seemed scarcely possible that she was able to keep af1oat. The men below must have worked like ; Trojans for she was throwing flames 10 feet high from her tunnels and she made the fastest time she probably
 ever accomplished"
 The narrator described the com
 bined noise of the German gunffre ' and the explosions on the mole as a
 'tenfold Hell" He added:
 We were only fuRr or five hund ed yards away from fhe point of the
 mole, but were afraid to fire a shot
 lest we reveal our exact whereabouts
 to the enemy. Apparently he nearly judged it, for he threw any number
 of shells around us. At moderate estimate between 5000 and 4,o0O shells , were fired at the attacking squad P ron"
 F The German destroyer which wa:
 sunk was rammesd amidships and tor
 pedoed. Those who returned to the f IKenush coast also say boarders < rushed on the German destroyers an- 3 chored in the harbor, taking them l. completely by surprise. Some of the 3 Germans hurried up the hatchways 1n 7 their night clothes, but before they l could reach the decks the British : sailors knocked them on the head B with clubs and rifles and sent them r tumbling down the hatchways.