rue Story of a. Bombardment Eyewitness to in the Gorges As Told by An Alfred Batson (Gonetnded from Beyond some grey figurse on the long beach we saw what appeared to be hundreds of heads peering at us from behind the rocks.
Then we made out a crowd on the opposite side and it is safe to say that for the next half hour we saw soldiers on both sides and there must have been thousands of them. They were everywhere and the country was admirably. suited to their us, for it was all rocky Jong the bank behind which they could find shelter.
We were just abaft the first group standing up at 11.20 and a strange thing happened.
'As casually as you Gould wish the loticers who nad been watch lifted whistles to their lips, blew on them, and dropped down behind the rocks at their feet, 'Then all Hades' broke loose.
They let go at us from both sides and from. the constant rat-a-tat-tat we knew they were well supplied with machine guns. They gave everything they had and it was plenty. And we returned it with interest, Just imagine what was on the Captain's mind. He was responsible for the ship, "he not only had to contend with the swirling rapids but hho had to keep as well out from the shore as possible and at the same time the greatest danger was that we might hit a rock.
This was about mileas 47 and we were congratulating ourselves on our good luck when we heard a sound that just about finished everything. My heart just seemed to stop and the exultant cries of the scrappy guards ceased, while looks wonderment came over their faces.
Tt was a dull and ominous boom.
We plainly heard a "swish" past our bow, we heard the booming rever-derating among the hills, and then we heard the shell explode on the opposite bank. We saw largo masses of earth and rock' tumble down and we had the feeling that were being fired on with a field piece. It only needed one good hit to write "finis" to the Chi Ping and everyone ea on at ory the Capt gave a cry. Trashed the poor chap had been struck in the gee no rece our whistle to signify that we would not fire unless they did and for a few breathless minutes there was an eerielike hush over everything. As though everyone knew the next moment would bring an explosion and all were waiting for it.
Tt was a scene you'd see ina cinema. The ship coming up on the current, straight for the two rocks and the crowds of crouching soldiers waiting for it. That unconeert officer standing up over everything fand on the ship a dozen fingers trembling on a dozen triggers.
'Then as the Chi Ping was just abreast of the soldiers, several them fired. Simultaneously came the whistle of the lieutenant with the ery "Lay it into them' and the Chi Ping seemed to vibrate clear through to her keel when the guns went off and the action started.
Twas even using two pistols and every loop hole we had was showing gun of some sort, The Thompsons. and the guns raked: them unmercifully and. the riot shot-gun_ wrought havoc among them. They were 80 close we couldn't miss them and the carnage for that hi Quarter second was awful.
But don't think we got away—we didn't, The honours were by no means all on our side and when the whole crowd fired with their rifles and machine guns as one man, the concentration was awful. We heard the bullets striking against shields like rain against a window and we heard the wrenching of wood down below and aft along the cabins, One guard lowered his head insert a now clip in his gun and a bullet came crashing into the wood If we did we were finished, and we were finished if we were hit with bullets in any vital place. {t was not a happy situation to be in. Here we were a little group of foreigners with thousands of soldiers arrayed against us, and we had to run nutlet that was fully three miles Tong. Any moment we might hear the' rending and crashing of steel from underneath and have our bottom ripped off and any minute a bullet might reach the bollers and then we were as good as dead. have never spent such an un-Jcomfortable time in my life.
We wore just a hundred yards out from the shore on each side so you can imaging that they had a target they couldn't. mis.
The guard was doing magnificent work firing at the bobbing heads behind the rocks and one, bolder than the rest, not content with the protection of the armour plating up Forward, went aft and single handed took onthe entire rear.
He had found that once we were spot, the soldiers there came.
from behind the rocks and there tore aps them in with a Thompson gun that rattled away faster than any typewriter you ever heard, His name was Terry an he was a. nervy boy. He was down behind a wooden box which contained vegetables and he had the whole stern to himself. But he didn't stay there long.
They soon discovered hi 'a moment they let the bri while they concentrated on merely picked himself and his gun up and came tearing along the deck to the bridge and you could hear the bullets singing through the air behind him. He had guts that cha Another chap named Waters is! certainly worthy of mention. He was using a Lewis gun just abaft the bridge when a bullet suddenly crashed through the gas tank not a foot from his face and put completely out of commission. had the closest escape a man could have from death but all he did wi swear because his gun was finished, then ie busied himself with reload: ing the cartridge drums.
So far none of us had been hit and we wore thankful. In two Ices bullets came through the bullet proof" steel shields and there was considerable wreckage below, "But we were still sailing and so far we had escaped the dangers of the. river.
Finally the three miles were covered and we went out on deck! and took stock of what had happened, The firing had stopped and we were safe. Would Ichang never come?
Three bullets had entered the bridge. "There was much damage in the woodwork "of the cabins and considerable glass. shot away. Captain Opperman war almost ferrous wreck, as well he might have been, and the quartermaster standing there behind the whee!
is face a chalky" white and weaving a blank expression of almost petrified fear. But he stood at his post and we knew that if there was ing up coolly watching us Jone man they wanted to get it was Just a moment's confusion at that wheel, just a turn for a few seconds in the wrong direction, and we were ost. He was brave A typical Gorse N the rock tone foot in the i completely cover this hide it from view, yet make it a considerable peril to navigation.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.