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[Page 132]
owing to failing light & tortuous channel among reefs. At 5.45 A.M. on Sunday Oct: 11th "Nusa" weighed & proceeded towards "Komet's" anchorage, approaching in perfect silence, engines at "Half Speed" & with white flag at the fore. The Native Chief from the small island was on the Fore Bridge with me & was of great assistance, as the reefs were barely visible at that early hour; also from his information we were able to keep "Nusa's" guns trained on "Komet" through trees, she herself being as yet screened from view.
As "Komet's" masts appeared over the trees was obtained the exact range thanks to Lieut: Marsden's (Machine Gun Section) Rangefinder & we at once increased to "Full Speed" & came right on to her completely surprising the crew. (Captain of "Komet" not dressed, & shaving himself !) Lt: Colonel Paton then proceeded on board "Komet" in a skiff with a White Flag, Mr Whiteman with him as interpreter & the "Komet" surrendered.
"Komet carries one machine Gun (firing 1 lb shells) which can fire at the rate of 35 - 40 shells a minute, a large number of rifles for the Native crew & small arms for the Officers; but thanks to the dense haze of Sat: evening & Nusa's inshore approach, "Komet" was absolutely unprepared & had no other course but to surrender. "Nusa's" plan of attack was carefully considered by Colonel Paton & myself on Sat: evening & was decided on for following reasons:- (1) Should "Nusa" have kept off at 4000 yds: [400?] & shelled "Komet" it would have caused unnecessary damage & loss of life, also Nusa's"