Iles war diary, 1914-1919 / G. H. Iles - Page 200
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[Page 200]
H.M.S. "Hoste" two destroyers collided owing to the heavy weather and both vessels went to the bottom only 30 men being saved,- what really happened was the two ships collided, the overtaking ship [Negro] struck the ship ahead [Hoste] near by the depth charge causing the charge to explode with such terrific force that the bow of one was blown off whilst the stern of the other met a similar fate following upon which both vessels foundered, only the few being saved as mentioned out of a probable total of 160 to 170 souls.
[Hoste was disabled with steering failure and being escorted back to Scapa Flow. 50 perished on Negro and 4 on Hoste]
Dec 22nd After passing thru a very rough night, we, (the "Melbourne" and her destroyer) found at dawn that we were heading for Aberdeen a good distance north of our true bearing and our wireless aerial missing, - we steamed about until eventually we picked up "Sydney" and "Southampton" and their two destroyers – there was a large oiltank steamer near by steaming South and just as we had all joined company it was observed that a hostile submarine was in the vicinity and so the whole of our squadron of 8 ships steamed in circles around the oil steamer as she