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[Page 13]
Aug 11. First "dog". great scene. Sydney & 3 destroyers forge ahd. to make night raid on Rabaul, capital of all German territory hereabouts. Great hopes of meeting German fleet. Cheered ship Band played "Advance Australia Fair" and Rule Britan God Save the King. Not a sound. Drawn blank.
Aug 12. We all go in. More vigorous search cannot find W/T Station
Encounter, sighting smoke, signalled. 3 G. cruisers. Cleared for action. Only a merchant ship, Zambesi, chartered by Gy. to carry W/T gear. Prize crew under Lt. Garcia. Sent her to Sydney
Melbourne captured collier & coaled from her at Rossel I. Lagoon
Left Rabaul with Sydney
Aug 13. W Searched W. Bougainville, Shortland Islands. No sign of enemy. Proceeded W. to Port Moresby with Encounter
Aug 16 Sunday Arrived Pt. Moresby. Coaled & oiled at once. Stanforth Smith & Miss Beatrice Grimshaw, the novelist, shinned up Jacobs ladder to come aboard. Niggers. Great interest. Saw houses built on piles in the sea
Aug 17. Left for Noumea. Nothing interesting on the way.
Aug 20 Joined up with Melbourne.
Aug 21 arrived Noumea. Here were French flagship "Montcalm" (Amiral Huguet), Pyramus, Psyche, Philomel, with 1400 N.Z. troops for Samoa. Must have been glad to see us come in. Coaled of course. Departure delayed by Monowai, transport touch'g the only available mudspot delayed us 24 hours.
French people came off in crowds Shouting Viva (anything) and "Keep the Flag flying"
Aug 23 left for Suva in follg. order by day Psyche 3 miles ahead Australia, Melbourne, Psyche Pyramus, troopships Philomel, Melbourne, Montcalm, Australia Different order at night.