Todd war diary, 3 August 1914-29 February 1916 / Arthur Todd - Page 117
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[Page 117]
ammunition. The Huns put up the feeble bluff about Chilean neutrality but when they saw Captain Luce meant business they bolted for the beach and were subsequently interned in Chili [Chile].
Technically perhaps the Glasgows action in firing on a ship in neutral waters was wrong but in a sparsely inhabited island lying far off the mainland of a weak Naval power there could be no guarantee that the Dresden if spared would have been effectively interned. So she was blown up. Otherwise we should have had to keep a relay of ships constantly watching her or run the risk of her getting supplies and taking once again to the trade routes.
The British Government of course apologised to Chili for the outrage and the local people were compensated beyond their most avaricious dreams.
The Liverpool was an interesting ship in that from her we got the first authentic account of the mystery of the Audacious.
For months we had seen rumours and hints in the English press - often but thinly veiled - that this dreadhnought had been mined and sunk (but her name still appeared in the Navy List).
For good reasons the Admiralty were not disposed at once to publish the loss. We had even seen accounts by eyewitnesses in the American papers and alleged photographs of the ship going down.
It appears that the battle fleet was cruising and the Audacious got out of line and struck a floating mine. She was badly holed but every hope was entertained of getting her in. Her crew were got off and a huge White Star liner took her in tow the Liverpool standing by. However there was a second explosion perhaps caused by a fire in the magazine and the big ship went down. This second explosion killed one man on the forecastle of the Liverpool. He was hit by a fragment of steel and was the only life lost as a result of the disaster.
It was unfortunate that amongst the passengers