Item 03 : General William Holmes Papers regarding capitulation, September-October 1914 - Page 131
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[Page 131]
[Report by Lt. Comdr. Jackson]
H.M.A.S. "Komet"
At Sea
Monday 12th October 1914
Sir,
I beg to submit to you this my report on the capture of "Komet"; undamaged, and with wireless intact:-
Acting on your orders and information received I proceeded in "Nusa" to "Talassea", a district on N. coast of Neu-Pommern 170 miles S.W b W from Rabaul; and anchored on the evening of Sat: 10th Oct: under the lee of a small island off "Talassea". This island has a native village on it, & some of the natives on board "Nusa" had relations in the village, which at once put matters on a good footing.
"Nusa" approached this island with great caution, keeping close in to the Neu Pommern coast & feeling her way among the offlying reefs thus making use of a line of approach which would never be guarded against by the Komet" should she be where we expected.
Owing to the dense haze our approach was entirely unobserved by "Komet" (as will be seen later), & from very perfect native information obtained on the island we were able to lie all night with guns trained on spot where "Komet" must emerge should she leave her anchorage before morning.
It was impossible to attack on Saturday evening owing to