Todd war diary, 3 August 1914-29 February 1916 / Arthur Todd - Page 232
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[Page 232]
Japanese armoured cruiser, and our own Pioneer which afterwards rendered distinguished service in German East Africa and in the operations connected with the destruction of the Königsberg. After a few hours' tumbling in the rough sea, the Pioneer declared her innings closed and returned to port with engine defects. The Ibouki now took the Melbourne's place on the flank, and the Melbourne dropped astern to prevent straggling. We could always tell where the Jap was, even when we could not see her. She was using some atrocity which may pass for coal in the land where it was hewn but gave the ship the appearance of a factory on fire. After a few days the convoy settled down for the long trek to Colombo, its speed of course being that of the slowest ship, the Southern, whose maximum was nine and a quarter knots - down hill. This ship was often the occasion of sarcastic signals made by the Captain of the Minotaur. One day his patience quite gave out, and he signalled "I propose in Colombo to consign the Southern to that obscurity from which she should never have emerged". With this, and other pleasantries addressed to Captains of ships who let their charges get out of station, the days went by, and except that occasionally a soldier fell overboard there was no excitement.
On the seventh of November news reached us by wireless of the destruction of Admiral Craddock's squadron at Coronel and the total loss of the ship's companies in the Good Hope and Monmouth. We afterwards had the tale from the lips of the officers of the Glasgow, the only ship that got away after the action, and we met her in South American waters many