The Elk Mountain pilot., 1919-04-03

and maybe you think We are not fight
ing the German people. but only the
kaiser and his hunkeys. .
Well, nobody had better tell me that.
Because I have been there. and I have
seen this. And I know.
CHAPTER X.
80 He'll at oailipoll.
After was discharged from the hos
pital. I was ordered to report to my
ship at Brest for sea duty.
The boys aboard the Cassard gave
me q hearty welcome. especially MUIR
ray, who had come back after two
weeks in the trenches Ut Dimude. I
was glad to rec them, too, for aftse all.
they were garbies. and always fsel
more at home with them than with SOL
dierA Then. it was pretty rough stun
at Dtxmude, and altar resting up at
the hospital. was keen on going to
80 again.
The Cassard was In dry dock for re-
pairs after her last voyage to the Dar-
danelles - convoy to the troopahip
Duplex. Everything was being rushsd
to gst her out ~ soon a. possible. and
crsws were wofking day and night
There were othsr ships thsrs too-su-
perdreadnaushts, and drsadnaushts.
and battlsships. and armorsd cruisers.
al being overhauled. :,
We received and placed guns Of
newer design. filed the magazines with
the highest explosives known to naval
use. and genefally made ready for Q
hard Job. Our magazines were nlled
with shells for our big II and 1l-inch
guns. A 14inch shell can tsar Q hole
through the heaviest armof plate at
12O00 yards, and will do more damage
than you would think.
When We had coaled and had got
our stores aboard, Ne dressed for &C
ti0n-oe rather. undressed. The decks
were clear; hatch covers bolted and
davits folded down; furniture, chests.
tables. chairs were sent ashore. and In
Aammabls gear. like our rope ham,
mocks, went ovefboard. You could
mot 1lnd q single wooden chair or table
In he ward room.
When the ship u cleared for action.
q shell bursting inside cannot dnd
much to sst aflre. and II one bursts on
deck. there 70 nothing to burn but the
wooden deck. and that Il covered with
steel plata.
Finally, We had roll call-all men
present. Then We set sail for the
Dardanelfss ~ escort to the Dupleix.
which had on board territorial and
provincial French troops Gascons,
Parisians. Normans. Indo- Chinese.
Spahis, Turcos- Kinds. When We
messed, We had to squat down On the
stsel mess deck and eat from metal
plates. .
There had beon q notice posted b.
fore We left thnt tie zsppelins had b.
gun go raids. and We kept q live 90
out for them. The nswi proved to. be
q fake, though, and We did not see .
sinsls cigar while We were out.
We made the trip to the Dardansllsa
without sighting an enemy craft, keep
ing In close touch with The Duplex
and buy every minute preparing for
action. rt ~.
I was made gun captain and givsn
charge Of the starboard bow turrst,
mounting two 1l-incA guns. had my
men at gun practice daily. and By tie
time We neared the Dafdanellss, after
avs days, they were In pretty fair
shape.
Il was about q. m. when We drew
near Cape Hsllds and took stations
for actioo. The Duplex was In front
Of NJ. Ths batteries On ths cape
opened up on u, and In q few min
utes later those at Kun Kaleh Joined
IN.
A. the Duplex made for "vs beach
and pRpared to land her troops, We
swung broad.ids On, rakiao their bat
tsries - ~ did %, and received q
shell, which entered throsgh q gun
port in the after turrst and exploded.
Soms bags Of powder stored there
(wAsre they should never have been)
were fred and The root Of the turrst
was Just lHted on. Il landed on deck,
Tilted mp against the side Of the tur-
ret
On deck the rain Of drs was simply
tsrrinc. stsel Asw In al directions,
Il was Amaah, crash, elam-bang all
he time. and I Do not mind saying I
nsvsr thought We would come out
Of t.
eome Of tie haavy aEmoe plate up
forward was shot away and a1tsr that
he old Oassard looked more Ike .
monitor than anything e2ee - ~. A.