Item 01: Ellis Ashmead-Bartlett diary, 1915-1917 - Page 73

[Page 73]

there came tremendous shouting from the deck, followed by the rapid firing of guns. Together with everyone else, I rushed on the Quarter deck to discover the cause of the alarm. I then learned that the periscope of a submarine had appeared within three hundred yards of us. Our crew on the "Swiftsure" were all men of first rating, and the men were lying around the 14 pounders, they immediately fired on tfre enemy, who seemed to have been thoroughly scared and promptly disappeared beneath the surface. He certainly lost a great opportunity, for in addition to the "Swiftsure" the "Agememnon" was lying within a few hundred yards and the old "Majestic" a short distance further off. Presumably the submarine came up blind, and was fired on before it had the chance to lay on a target. This evidence of the enemy's presence caused still further consternation, and no one seemed to know what ought to be done. The "Agememnon" immediately weighed anchor and steamed off to Mudros, as she was too valuable a ship to take any chances with, thus leaving only the "Swiftsure" and the "Majestic" off the Cape Helles end. It is a most uncomfortable feeling lying there at anchor knowing that at any moment we might be blown to eternity by our unseen foe.

I went ashore at 10 o'clock as I wished to see Hunter Weston, with whom I had a long talk. He told me that there would be another attack in a few days time, and that once again he was quite confident Achi Baba would be taken. I returned to the "Swiftsure" at 12 o'clock, and then learned that the submarine which had disappeared for a couple of hours, had fired a torpedo at the battleship "Vengeance" which was cruising up and down between Helles and Anzac. The torpedo passed across her bows, fortunately missing. The "Vengeance" then went off to Kepholos and we heard nothing more of the submarine. We all went down to lunch, and were nearly through the meal, when a young signalman