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[Page 9]
[Following on from Page 7]
us three cheers on account of the daring attack we were about to make, while the Band of Austrailia played God Save the King, Advance Austrailia, Rule Britannia which made every man feel like a prince of steel wire. At 9 P.M. the Sydney and destroyers in complete darkness arrive at Rabaul and the destroyers recognoitre the Harbour but came out again reporting no ships inside, we than steamed at 18 knots through the different passages to Talali another harbour, but a thing that seemed very strange was that every Strait we went through in the darkness so there was a light or a fire lit up giving warning that we were coming. At Simpson Haven there was no signs of Ships so we came Back to Rabaul.
12th Aug.
On arrival at Rabaul the Warrego was sent in with orders for the Governer of Rabaul to Surrender and cease using Wireless messages, or the Town would be Bombarded, There was a party under arms and a flag of Truce sent on shore to find the Wireless station but it appeared to be away in land. We then proceeded to Vaudiville [?] a town further along the coast were we had suspicions and made for the post office and cut the Telegraph and Telephone Wires and dismantled the Instruments which we took on board, and stopped all communication. The Austrailia remained at one entrance and Encounter at the other, during the time the Encounter was patrolling the Southern Entrance a Steamer came in sight, Encounter challenged her and by all appearances It was the S.S."Zanibise" charted by the Germans, a prize crew was placed onboard from the Austrailia and sent to Thursday Island as a prize of War, under guard of the [Fate?]
13th.
The Squadron proceeded to the North Solomon Islands which belong to Germany and the Sydney reconoited the different Islands in Bougainville Straits and just close enough to Touobia Hafen to look inside to see if there was any ship inside belonging to the Germans while the Flagship waited 15 to 20 miles
[Continued on Page 8]