The Dermott news., 1918-11-07

using shrapnel on us and in no time
at all our tunnels were shot full of
holes and sieve was watertlght conf
pared TO them.
Naturally we were not just taking
all this punishment without any come
back. Our guns were at 1t fast and
from the way the fire slackened in
certain places we knew we We're max
ing II effective. Ny guns did for two
enemy pieces that | know of, and per-
haps several others.
The French gnrhics were good
deal more excited in action than l
thought they would be. They We're
lodging around below decks, trying
TO miss the shrapncl that came
aboard. shouting, swearing. singing
but fighting hard. at that. They stood
the saf just as we'll rs any other
garhies would, only in their own
sweet way-Which is noisy enough,
believe me.
one Of our scamen was hit $50
times by fragments of shrapnel. 50
YOU can see what they We're UP
against in the lodging line. 4 gun
best place on earth for nervous
man nor one who likes his comfort.
There Is an awful lot Of heat and
noise and smell and work. all the
time in fighting gun turret. But
during an engagement l would rather
-, thur
between decks. At that, II anything
does happen In n turret-it is good
night sure for all, and no rain checks
needed.
one of our junior lioutenauts was
struck by fragment OF shell ps he
was ut his station behind the wheel
house and n piece of his skull was
driven into his brain. He was car
red into my gun turret, but he
would not let them take him 10 sick
bay 10 have his wound dressed. There
he SIT. asking every now and then
how the fight was going and then sort
Of doing ef for Il while.
After half an hour Of action we put
about and started away, still firing.
As parting slap on the back the
Turks tore eff one OF cur big gun tur
refs. and then away we went, back To
Erest With Il casualty list Of only L.
We did not have much trouble guess
ing That 1t WIS dry dock for us again
We got back To Brest after n quiet
voyage. patching ourselves up whore
We could on the way, and again there
was the rush work. day and night
10 get into shape and do ii over again.
They turned us out in l. days and
back We went to the Turks and their
Hun assistants.
We were lucky getting inshore, only
receiving Il nasty smash asteru. when
the Turks got our range and landed
two peaches before We got out We
nearly tore our rudder of getting
away. But we had to come back right
away. because we had carried quite
number Of heavy guns from Brest
and were given the job Of running
them ashore. II was day and night
work and n great job for fun. because,
white you never knew when you
would get IT, YOU had good reason 10
feed you would get lammed 10y a cute
little shell or dainty bit of shrap-
mel before the Job was over.
Aboard shin il W.. deck work OF
course and II WAS NOT much better
thrre tlan ashar, With the guns he
cause IN, enemy trenches were near
tla shore and they amused them.
selves tryiql, ~ ntalz rs OF whenever
WV Shaved ON 4rrz | ru,ss WE were
u REGULAR ebaat,ur Gallery fer them.
ond som, sf .oir mon tboa,bf they
ana NOT mood all fine practice they
were ectfia@. for quite few of us
.rtsa as bulls eyes.
Enf we d#J not mind the buIlefs 50
much Thu mako a clean wagnJ car
uut vou aoav entirely. shropnel
tours Won M md can play all kinds
of tricks With various parts Of your
body without killing YOU. As for
.l,1Is-y,,t ,riu,.p,.ot Is tho word