Todd war diary, 3 August 1914-29 February 1916 / Arthur Todd - Page 89
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[Page 89]
and we envied her her torn hull and a six weeks spell in Rio.
On March the sixth the Sydney now proudly flying the Admiral's flag at the fore left the Abrolhos and accompanied by the Edinburgh Castle and a fleet of colliers began to sweep South in search of the enemy. The formation was the same as before and with our colliers spread out as bait over miles of ocean we had a good chance of catching our quarry. but the Huns have spies everywhere and probably long since it had gone forth that a British squadron had foregathered at Abrolhos and was now at sea. After several days cruise Southward without sighting anything we heard by wireless that the Dresden had been sighted and chased by the Kent off Valparaiso This meant thast the area but had disappeared into the darkness steering west.
This meant the Dresden was still in the Pacific and as the Sydney was the only ship in Southern waters capable of catching the Hun with any ease we hoped and prayed that we were off to the Horn and round to the other side. Once into the Pacific the chance of Home for a refit became possible and for days we lived upon the prospect. But it was not to be, for the fleet soon turned north again leaving the Dresden to other hands.
Tho so much at sea and away from bases one still continued to get news of the outside world for all along the coast