The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1920-04-08
an ENGLISH OFFICER
on sEA AND LAND

Nots~ OF the Battle 81 JntfAho ~ n@t-
or Ed~nrd BAmford. X. NJ v. &.
ID. s. o.. Who vas On Board ". N.
:. Chester During the Battle; Aiso
Note. Of FiVe Days at the Front al
the Battle Of lpres-
The authur Of the following notes,
Major Edward Bamford, r. n, = .
.ephew OF Rev. W. II. Bamford Of
ZION Episcopal Church Of Manchester
Center and saw active service through
.st the late war. Editor.
May 80, 1916.
Having had two nights In succession
doing night firing and torpedo run
ming. we were all looking forward to
a good night in on s0th May, when we
received a signal to raise steam with
all possible dispatch. Shortly after >
q. m. we left Scapa Flow with the
Fleet, and steamed out into the night
AZ full speed on an unknown errand-
II had happened so often before,
with barren results, that everyone was
inclined To regard the whole thing as
a bore.
Having the watch next morn
ur, | discovered from the navigating
as,eer that we were heading for the
Horne Reef of Denmark
The dey MAY 31st) passed of with
out incident until about $3.50 p. m,
.hcn @Action" was sounded OF.
The bugle "Action" SENDS every man
and boy TO his fighting station, and Is
enc Of the most stirring calls.
The gunncry lieutenant being sick,
1 took his place in the Fore top as
principal control officer, and had not
soen there more than few minutes
When the Captain ordered me to pass
70 ali guns sour battle cruisers are
sngaging the enemy 40 miles ahead.
was just Hattering myself that l
should be controlling all the guns IN
sction, when up popped the gunnery
lieutenant, having taken himself on
the sick list, and had TO retire to'the
secondary control position aft.
Tie hands were being sent to tea,
on watch az q time, and the last
watch we're just about finishing about
$50 D. M, when "Action" was again
blared forth.
up tin now the officers and men
hardly realized that a naval battle
.as really 80 hand. but this second
aAction" bugle conveyed to every man
the fact that the enemy were very
closo, and sure enough, few minutes
later an enemy light cruiser appeared
on the starboard bow
The Captain altered cour5e to star.
board, bringing the enemy on our port
hand. At the same time we discov'
cred that there were three enemy
Hght cruisers instead Of only one.
Hardly had our guns been brought
TO the ready, when salvo from tho
enemy feu about 1000 yards over Us
another 200 yards over, and then on'
about 400 yeapds short.
Our guns were now firing but
think our shot fell long way over
TIE next enemy salvo fell just short
one shot may have hit us-and W.
knew that their next salyo was boun'
20 come on board; the suspense wal
most trying.
Ii did come on board killed th'
chaplain and several men.
The other cruisers had now also go
the range and we were plastered wit
shell: the guns crews were being bad
IL punished and we had been hit ol
the waterline badly in two places
when The Captain decided to take tn
ship out Of it
cat the commencement Of the aetioi
We had informed Admiral Hood, com
manding 3 battle cruisers, that W
were engaging the enemy's ligh
srtiiscrs.)
The Captain turned the ship point
70 stnrboard and steamed dircctli
away from the enemy, zig-zagging s.
as 70 shake or the oncmy's fre-b.
this means I consider he saved th
shin. We contiued 10 be hit prctt
severely. snlinters were Gying All owe
tic place, and gll guns crews, with th
exception of the after gun, were Sillet
wounded. burned or stunned
Then came our turn iu the after con
tral p1si.ion--a proicctile pa
throb tha after baikherd killed on
man. took che iegs 81 A. p. Iawies
burst Acr-t the foremost hulSs
ana tie s1l.utcr woundei The rest G
us
Tire explosion q th.z shc.l. or q
sHrter f @ t7 tWo
Is a @ @
wf7 81
ur