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Show sion, hauled a gun of the soixante-qulnz soixante-qulnz type . up on the firing line near Bathlemont, and sent a shell screaming in the general direction of the German lines. It was America's Ameri-ca's first hostile shot in France. But the bullet that Corporal Chockie sent ricochetting across tha bow of the German launch at the isolated naval station in the Pacific on April 6, was America's first shot in the World War. U. S.'s FIRST SHOT IN WORLD WAR FIRED AT GUAM Twenty years ago this month America's first shot in the World War was fired in the faraway Island Is-land of Guam on the very day that President Wilson signed the war resolution, according to a release by. Postmaster M. L. James. This shot was not heard around the world, but there are official records re-cords to corroborate the incident. The news that America entered the war was promptly flashed by cable to Guam on April 6, 1917. The German warship Cormoran was Interned there and orders from the Navy Department directed authorities authori-ties at Guam to demand her surrender. sur-render. Thereupon, the Governor's aide left in a barge to enforce the official offi-cial order and take possession of the German vessel anchored in the harbor. He was followed closely by another small boat, commanded by Lieutenant W. A.. Hall, of the Navy, with a crew of fifteen U. S. Marines. On its daily errand of getting supplies ashore, a German launch from the Comoran, with a cutter' in tow, was heading across the bay, and Lieutenant Hall decided to demand de-mand its surrender. He ordered Corporal Michael Chockie, of the Marines, to fire a rifle shot across its bow. The first shot apparently was not understood, but when more shots were fired the enemy craft hove to and surrendered. Meanwhile the Comoran had been boarded and her, captain informed of the surrender order. The Americans Am-ericans scarcely had time to leave the vessel before it was blown up by its own crew. For the next half hour boats in the harbor were busily busi-ly engaged in picking up survivors. More than six months later, on October 23, the men of Battery C, Sixth Field Artillery, First Divl- |
