Letter - 13 November 1914 - The Emden runs aground

On 13 November 1914 the following letter was sent by A.G. Adams to his mother (Adah Emilie Sherwood) who was staying at the Orient Hotel, Collins Street, Melbourne. The letter is addressed to her as 'Mater'.

This letter is being posted a little earlier than the due date, 13 November 1914, as it refers to the capture of the Emden on 10 November 1914.

The text of the letter reads:

H.M.A.S. A3   S.S. Orvieto
Nearing Colombo 13-11-14

Dear Mater,

I've sent you a P.C. which ought to have reached you about a week or more ago. We have  been steaming about 10 knots since we left Albany. There are 28 Australian troopers and 10 New Zealanders. We have been lying in three columns with the New Zealanders behind and between the outer lines with the Orvieto leading the centre line.

There is a diagram here showing the arrangement of the leading ships in the convoy.

 We started out with the 'Minotaur', 1st class cruiser, the Sydney & Melbourne, and the 'Ibuki' a Japanese pre Dreadnought battleship. About the 6th 'Minotaur' steamed away scouting. Then on the 9th about 6:30am the Cocos Island signal station sent a message 'S.O.S. strange cruiser entering harbour'. Within ten minutes the Sydney had steamed away at 27 knots. A little after nine she was in action with the 'Emden' and chased the latter due north or straight towards us. You should have seen the Melbourne and 'Ibouki', they both got out on our western flank with smoke just pouring out of their funnels. The 'Ibouki' had to steam right across our bows to get there from her station on the other flank and she looked great with the water coming away from her bows in great waves and the smoke belching from her stacks and forming a background. But as it turned out there was no cause for alarm as the Sydney did the job on her own in 20 minutes and forced the Emden to run ashore to save herself from foundering. We were going to have the prisoners on here and had all arrangements made but the Empress of Asia went and got them from the Sydney. Yesterday the Empress of Asia, a new C.P.R boat passed us doing about 25 knots bound for the Cocos Islands to get the guns off the Emden and to repair the cable station. She is a fine boat 17,500 tons, three funnels and cruiser stern. She mounts 4, six-inch guns I believe.

The New Zealanders and a couple of our boats went ahead today doing 12 knots. They will reach Colombo about 3 hours ahead of us. I don't know how long we will be there - probably about 4 days. I'm writing this in my pyjamas and I'm as hot as the deuce. Nothing much happens on board. We have the same routine every day. I don't know anybody's address so I'm posting everything care of you. Please forward same.

The Hampshire joined us today as escort. She is a sister ship to the 'Monmouth' which was sunk. They have inoculated us twice for enteric and we are to be vaccinated this week. There doesn't seem to be anything else. Regards to all.

Yours lovingly, Athol 

NOTES

A list of the convoy of troops ships which left Albany on 1st November 1914 can be found at: https://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/wa/a/25396510/anzac-flotilla-arrives-in-albany/
Follow the link to: Ships in the original Albany convoy

Cape Leeuwin was the last of the visible coast of Australia many of these troops were to see for many years. For some it was to be the last time they ever saw their homeland.

Athol refers to the capture of the Emden in his letter.
Since 2 August, when war was declared by Germany on Russia, the German ship Emden had been operating on the open sea as a lone wolf raider. On 4 August 1914, she took her first prize the Russian passenger ship Rjasan. During the next three months, Emden, under the command of Captain von Muller, sunk 15 English ships. She also took other prizes including the Greek steamer Pontoporos.

On 9 November, HMAS Melbourne received a signal from the Cocos-Keeling Group (Australian) saying 'enemy warship off island'. The convoy carrying the Australian and New Zealand troops was then about 60 miles from Cocos Keeling. HMAS Sydney reached top speed of 27 knots and headed off to capture the enemy raider and protect the troop ships. Emden had 10 guns of 4.1-inch calibre and Sydney had 6-inch guns allowing her to stay outside Emden's range. The battle lasted nearly two hours with Sydney claiming victory and Emden run aground and badly damaged.