Todd war diary, 3 August 1914-29 February 1916 / Arthur Todd - Page 237
Primary tabs
Transcription
[Page 237]
After a short struggle between duty and inclination, Captain Silver ordered the Sydney off at full speed to investigate, and thus unhappily lost the opportunity for which he had served thirty years. The Melbourne's loss was our gain, but the fates probably have something yet in store for her. Cocos had sent this signal addressed to all British men-o'-war all round the ocean, merely on the off chance of someone picking it up; for they had no means of knowing that a large convoy and escort were only fifty miles away. No answering signals were made, as the enemy would certainly not have waited; but the Sydney raised full steam and set off as fast as her 25,000 horse power would take her. The Emden, for it afterwards proved to be she, had got quite close in to Cocos without creating suspicion; for it was known that British warships might be expected in those waters, and the Emden, flying no ensign - a usual thing with men-o'-war at sea in war time - came in with four funnels and even at a short distance looked, to one who was not an expert, like one of our own town class light cruisers. When she got closer in, however, her fourth funnel was observed to totter and wave in the wind, and it finally fell down: a thing which it is not the habit of funnels to do. Suspicion was aroused, and the signals were sent out. The Cocos Islanders told us afterwards that they had been expecting a visit from the Emden or one of her consorts for sometime, as the station was an important link in the chain of Empire communication, and they had made their preparations accordingly. Of that more presently.