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Early in 1918 the Australian Flotilla was reinforced by the arrival in twos and threes of the 5th (R.N.) Flotilla under the leadership of Captain George Cheytwood T.N. H.M.S. "Blenheim" which latter now took over the parent ship of the combined R.A.N. and R.N. Destroyer force.
Owing to the smallness of our force previous to the arrival of the English T.B. D's we had no time for continuing the training of our crews in the many details so necessary to the fighting efficiency of a Destroyer. Some of these drills can be carried out in the harbour, and these we did, but you can't fire guns or run torpedoes in the narrow confines of such a harbour as Brindisi. With the arrival of the English ships all this was altered, and the entire flotilla one by one as they returned from patrol were put through a systematic course of training in such subjects as gun practice, torpedo running, gunnery control and fighting organisation.
Every morning at 8.0. a.m. would see a division of T.B.D's - one of them towing a target if intent on gunnery - bound out of harbour for the swept channel where they would put in the best part of the day under the eye of the indefatigable Captain Cheytwood blazing away at the target, sometimes an individual ship firing, other all ships firing together. During these "stunts" the strictest attention was paid to detail, umpires (gunnery Lieutenants) and a large party of gunnery ratings took note of every round fired. The distance over or short of the target was duly recorded, the rate of fire, the quickness with which fire was opened in receiving the order, the manner in which the guns were brought to bear by the Captain, the spotting corrections of the gunnery control Officer and the method of passing the same to the guns are just a few of the items which make or mar the efficiency of a fighting ship. Sometimes, we would, on reading one of these reports remark, "Good Lord, did we do that?" or "Did I give that order?" etc., etc., yet however bad the Report we were never dis-couraged, simply determined to rectify our mistakes and make a better show of it the next time. Captain Cheytwood treated us as