Todd war diary, 3 August 1914-29 February 1916 / Arthur Todd - Page 234
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[Page 234]
till daybreak in spite of the tremendous seas, and in the early mist the Leipzig came up and torpedoed the helpless ship and left her crew to drown. This story may or may not be true, but in the light of later doings of the German Navy it at any rate sounds possible. The Australia a short while afterwards passed over the very spot where Craddock and his men had died; she hove to, sounded the Last Post, and fired a salute. A few weeks earlier, and what a different story there would be to tell!
The defeat at Coronel cast a great gloom over the ship. Navy lists were got out, and very many had to mourn the loss of old messmates. This news gave the first definite indication of von Spee's whereabouts for some time, and with the knowledge that the only two big German ships south of the Line were well away on the far side of the Pacific, the necessity for the Minotaur's presence decreased. She was forthwith ordered to Capetown, there to muster with two other ships of her class and lie in wait in case the Germans crossed towards South Africa. Captain Silver of the Melbourne now became Senior Naval Officer, and his ship took station ahead. The Sydney still guarded the flank, and the Ibouki dropped a little astern. It is curious how chance plays tricks. Had the Minotaur not left us on the seventh she would have been senior ship, and the Melbourne would infallibly have been ordered to investigate the famous signal which came two days later, "Strange warship off Cocos island"; for in no circumstances must the Senior Officer