THE YPRES TIMES
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there is nowhere to put them and they are too valuable to throw over
board. Who cares? The frequent alarms of submarines (and they are
frequent) cause less excitement each day; we were in a bit of a funk of
them at first, but we are too slow to run away! Anyway, the shoal water
makes it extremely difficult for them to work in and our shallow draft is
an advantagethey keep us on the watch pretty well, though, and the
vigil becomes a bit wearing; the knowledge, though, that we are materially
assisting the Army's left flank compensates for all risks. One blighter
appears regularly every morning and is known as Hilda why,-I don't
know; one is apt to get submarines on the brain, and we have been known
to turn the ship round and charge a seagull having its morning bath, which
in the distance looked as if it might have been a periscopewe take no
risks
A MONITOR ALONGSIDE AT DUNKIRK.
The Belgians, hard pressed as they were, appealed each day for more fire and
more fire, but ammunition became the difficulty200 rounds each ship per day
could a supply at this rate be kept up? All possible support was given to our
gallant allies, even to the landing of marines and machine guns from the monitors.
The landing party had a bad time and were cut up before they even got their guns
in positionthe officer in charge (Lieut. E. S. Wise, R.N.) being killed and a large
percentage of the party being either killed or wounded.
Slype, Lovie, Banbury Farm, Levinge were all bombarded in their turn; shells
burst everywherehouses were set ablaze, columns of ammunition went sky high
and even German generals (General von Tripp and his entire staff) were reported to
have been killed by a shell from the monitors.
