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[Page 34]
destroyers who first attacked Rabaul and at the second attack it was the destroyers who landed their crews attacked and forced the surrender of the German troops defending the approach to the M/T Station. In all the actions - save perhaps one - which took place in the North Sea and neighbourhood the destroyers bore the brunt. Witness the battle of Jutland and ask those who were there what the T.B.D's did.
Destroyers landed the troops at Gallipoli and brought them off again when that place was evacuated, it was the destroyers which enabled General Allenby to make much prodigious advances on the Palestine coast, they were the police who made safe the ferrying of millions of soldiers between England and France, who convoyed our merchantmen and troopships and rushed to the rescue of the same when hard hit by Fritz. One could write a book nay a dozen on the doings of these virile little craft during the war but at least the incident I am about to relate one would never expect to find within the pages of such books.
"Here Number One, What d'you think of this?" The T.B.D. in question was lying in Singapore and the skipper had just returned on board from an interview with the C-in-C. Number One entered the Skipper's cabin and cast his eye over the document handed him by that officer.
Roughly it was to this effect -
Commanding Officer,
H.M.A.S.
"Being in all respects ready for sea and to engage the enemy you will proceed to -- and there use your utmost endeavours to intercept the Dutch S.S. "Van Hoorn", which is scheduled to leave -- May 18th, 11.0 a.m. Travelling by this vessell I have every reason to believe is a woman calling herself Vrow but whose real name is Fraulein --. She is described as being of attractive appearance, height about 5 ft. 4 in. figure slim, fair hair and complexion, blue eyes, nose very slightly retrousse, favours silk garments of a rather extravagant style (!) speaks English, French, Dutch and German