Item 10: General William Holmes diary, 23 August 1914-22 February 1915 - Page 80
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[Page 80]
"Australia" at sea,
8th September 1914.
OPERATION ORDER NO. 3:
OCCUPATION OF RABAUL AND HERBERTSHOHE, NEW BRITAIN:
INTENTIONS:
(1) Having been ordered to seize and occupy Rabaul and Herbertshohe with the objective of establishing a base for the Fleet, it is my intention to proceed to New Britain with all available ships and auxilaries, arriving there on September 11th.
(2) FORCE AVAILABLE:
(a) "Australia"
"Sydney"
"Encounter"
"Warrego"
"Yarra"
"Parramatta"
"Protestor"
"Submarine A.E.1
do A.E.2
(b) Transport: "Berrima"
Troops 1500
Guns 4 - 4.7
(c) Auxiliaries: -
"Waihora" - Collier
"Koolonga" - Collier
"Aorangi" - Supply Ship.
"Murex" - Oil Fuel Ship.
"Upolu" - Submarine Depot ship.
Note - Collier "Whangape", "Melbourne" and Grantala" are expected to arrive about 12th or 13th September.
(3) ENEMY SHIPS:
It is posible that "Scharnhorst", Gneisenau", "Planet" and "Komet" may be in the vicinity of New Britain.
(4) CRUISING ORDER:
(a) BY DAY - On the signal L T being made, the Fleet will take of Cruising Order in two divisions as follows:-
| 1st Division | 2nd Division | |||
| "Australia" | "Encounter" | |||
| "Sydney" | one mile. | "Aorangi" | ||
| "Berrima" | "Murex" | |||
| 4 cables apart | "Warrego | "Waihora" | 4 cables apart | |
| "Parramatta" | Koolonga" | |||
| "Yarra | "A.E.1" | |||
| "A.E.2" |
"Protector", "Upolu" will follow independently.
(b) BY NIGHT - On signal L U being made, the divisions will open to 6 miles apart, course being altered as in following paragraph.
"Warrego" and "Yarra" will take station 2 miles ahead of "Australia". Destroyers are to be careful not to close inside 2 miles.
(c) - INSTRUCTIONS FOR TAKING UP NIGHT CRUISING ORDER FROM DAY CRUISING ORDER AND VICE VERSA - The signal L U will be made at 4-0 p.m. daily. "Australia" and "Encounter will then alter course 1 point outwards, resuming the original course, when 6 miles apart, without signal.
(1)