"AL 830 pin, we were disturbed at breakfast by machine-gun fire from' the shore, which was sending bullets spattering all around the Tsingtah." explained—Lieutenant Crichton. "We then proceeded up Wuhu to find out what was happening. We started to weigh anchor, fand just then shells from shore bat teries began to whistle over the ship. Ik seemed that the only thing to do was to continue on our way, and draw away the fire from the British shipping concentration, and make our identity known to the Japanese.
"Two seamen, working under shellfire, lay flat' on their stomachs, and Vhoisted' the anchor, with shells' fall-
Ing thick and fast all around us. We steamed up towards Wuhu, under fire all the time, but we made no reply. At first, we were being fred at from a distance of (we miles, but. fas We drew closer shells were being Pumped at the ship from point blank Fange of about 400 yards. The only reason' why the Japanese stopped firing was that they could not depress their guns any lower, so close were we to the shore.
MINS. Bee Fired On "At 9.10 we berthed off the Bund at Wuhu, and the guns were still pointed at us after we had tied up. The Miliary Attache and Captain 'O'Donnell then went ashore snd interviewed the Japanese commander. Al 9.20, H.MS. Bee have in sight, fand she' was fired at until represen tations were made by the British off cors un shore. The Bee berthed alonside the Ladybird, while Rear-Admiral Holt. went ashore and_interviewed Colonel Hashimoto, Inthe course of the firing, the Ladybird was hit six times. "The officers' bath Foam Was wrecked, as was the forward six-inch gun, shrapnel wounded Petty Oficer Smallwood, and Captain 'O'Donnell, who was on the bridge with the commander of the Ladybird. was injured in the right hand, In spite of the wounds, he took the wheel when the quartermaster, Matthews, was wounded, and had te below, "Another shell exploded inside the stoker's mess at the afler end of! the ship, and killed Sick Berth Aliendant T. N. Lonergan. Ten other men who were in the mess at' the time had miraculous escapes, the mess room being com pletely wrecked. The third shell hit the port sie forward, wrecked the and made a and me. We had fo continue pumping all the way from Wuhit to keep the ship from 'The "North-China Daily News" reporter visited the stokers' mess and saw, amid the wreckage," the spot where the British sailor was sitting when he was killed. "He was 13 fine sportsman," said one of his comrades, "and always put on the [brightest'act in our concert parties."
MMessns, Lloyd Triestino advise that several letters addressed (0 both Foreigners and Chinese are lying at their effec awaiting claimants, on December 17 to greet the iybird, her ensign at halt mast. August. with Magecovered coffins ita: Yottom right, Mr, Norman
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.