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[Page 81]
"About 11.15 a.m. a request was received from the shore for a Medical Officer to be sent from this ship to attend to a wounded German, and soon afterwards I received information that Capt. Pockley and A.B. Williams had been seriously wounded and were being sent back to the Ship. I then determined to put on Shore at Herbertshohe four Companies of Infantry under Lieut. Col. Watson to co-operate in the attack. It was necessary to land this latter force in boats which naturally occupied some time. In the meanwhile the Naval forced had pushed on in the direction of the Wireless Station.
The force they had to meet consisted of German Reservists and the Native Armed Constabulary, all led by German Officers. The arms carried by the Natives were all up to date German weapons.
The line of attack was, owing to the very heavy timber on either side, practically confined to the road, across which, at several points, trenches had been placed, and a good deal of trouble was caused the attacking force by Natives posted high up in cocoanut trees, armed with rifles. As it did not appear that the operation would be successful before dark, instructions were given to Commander Beresford and Lt. Col. Watson to retire to the beach before dark, and I arranged with the Admiral that on the following morning, if the resistance still contained, the Fleet would shell with Schrapnel the high ridge between Kaba Kaul and Herbertshohe at daylight and that immediately thereafter the attack should be resumed with vigour, and the places carried. However at nightfall, the Wireless Station was surrendered to the force attacking from the Kaba Kaul side. I may state that this force was also accompanied by Capt. Travers, my Intelligence Officer, who was present at the surrender. It was found that the Wireless Station was complete and well equipped and working almost up to the last moment, but prior to the surrender, the iron supports of the towers had been