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[Page 71]

ing the night and collected as many of the Turkish rifles they could find, so that when the latter came out on the following day they were bitterly disappointed at recovering so few. During the day not a shot was fired, and the armistice was prolonged until about 5 o'clock as the work had not been completed. Of course both the Staffs seized the opportunity to have a good look at the others lines, with a view to the future operations.

Monday May 24th
I was aroused up early this morning by sounds of excitement from the deck, and on going up above found that the battleship "Albian" had run ashore in the night in a fog off Gaba Tepe and was being furiously bombarded by the Turkish guns. She remained in this position from 4 o'clock in the morning until 10 a.m. fully exposed to the Turkish fire, and was hit over a hundred times, but fortunately the Turks could not bring to bear any gun of large calibre, and the shells from the field guns did very little damage to her thick armour. The "Canopus'. went to her assistance, got a cable aboard and tried to tow her off, but it immediately snapped. However later, two fresh cables were got in position ,and the whole of the crew were made to come aft, and stamp on the decks, so as to lighten her bows, which were stuck on this sand bank, At the same time the "Albian" opened up terrific bombardment of the Turkish positions, with her forward 12-inch guns and 6-inch, not for the purpose of doing the enemy any particular harm, but to lighten her by getting rid of some of her ammunition and also in the hope that the concussion would shake her bows off. This plan in the end proved successful, and both vessels got clear with a loss I think of 4 killed and several wounded. Poor Admiral de Roebeck is having a worrying time. He has

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