Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1918-12-16
MARsaAlLToWN BOY ON DE
STROYER WHICH WINS SEW
ENTEEN STARS.
EXCITING TIMES IN
NORTH SEA MINE FIELDS
v. S. S. Shawmut, to Which 6oardman
is Assigned, Engages in Greatest
Mine Laying Expedition in History
Operations on So Vast a Scale as to
Stasser Allies.

| TO have seen service with warshlp
! that captured or destroyed seventeen
| German submarines has been the
unique experience OF Elderkin -
/ Boardman, OF this city. Boardman 5
/ experience in chasing u-boats, laying
mines and patrolling British waters
( has been as repiete with exciting and
/ hazardous incluents as that OF any
man who laid in shell hole on the
/ battle front. Young Boardman. son
/ Of Mr. and Mrs. &. II. +. Boardman'
/ is attached 20 the L. ). ;. Shawmut
mine layer and submarine destroyer.
which has a complement OF 500 OIL
GERS and men,
Boardman is in receipt OF letter
from his son, dated Nov. p, the hrst
uncensored communication he has re-
ceived since this ship left for active
service overseas in June, 1918, in
, which the sailor tells of his eX-
periences. Elderkin writes as fol-
lows:
We arrived over here June %, 1918.
After a days run along the rocky
coast of Scotland we pulled thru three
sets of gates into d small harbor. and
dropped the hook. The town OF
Cromarty lies at the mouth Of tins
harbor Moray Firth, which is bay
Of the North sea, on the east coast OF
Scotland, at the extreme north and
south of the Orkney Islands.
Conduct Great Mining Operations.
We went on our first mining eX-
petition three weeks later, carry $40
mines, each containing 800 pounds OF
T. n. T. We were conveyed by ten
English desroyers. couple of dirig-
ibles and some United States naval
planes. There were nine mine lay
ers and this was the largest mine lay
| ing expedition ever attempted. The
English navy was amazed at such
tremendous project. In all, the mine
| layers carried 5000 mines. We laid
the mines from the three mile limit Of
| Norway. on a westerly course to the
! Orkney Islands. After we had pushed
off all the mines we dropped marker
| buoys. and then on the next trip we
would go out to these buoys and start
planting mines from these west.
Danger From Exploding Mines.
Terrible weather conditions pre-
vailed in the North sea- and it was on
| the first trip the fog was so thick we
| could not see anything. We could
| hear plenty tho because many OF the
| mines went of as soon as the salt wa
! ter melted away the last safety pre-
| caution.
The destroyers beat it for home on
this first expedition and we were left
to our own resources. Twice during
that night we almost collided with
| ships but got away clean.
| I'VE made thirteen mine laying trips
and all contained exciting incidents,
returning each time TO Inverness,
where naval base eighteen is located.
After one trip we went down to New
castle Tyne, in England, and went
into dry dock for repairs and some big
feeds. After one week there we came
| back to Invergorden and it certainly
seemed dead.
Fourteen Stars Tell Story.
well, without giving details. we
have fourteen big stars painted on the
head Of our pilot. representing fourteen
German submarines destroyed or cap
tured, credited to the Shawrnut.
The survey ship came in yesterda,
and I understood we are going to have
seventeen stars on our Thanksgiving
nenu-sone Thanksgiving party.
! ~ am we'll and happy and hope <
be out Of service in two months, re
Turning to marlborough, then perhap!
to France, taking the southerly rout'
to the Azores. then Bermuda, Hamp
ton Roads, to Boston. our hope port
unless we shove off for the United
| States direct.