New Zealand

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVII, Issue 7, 8 May 1915, Page 7

New Zealand

H.M.B. PHILOPfIEL'S PART. A VOYACE OF 30,000 MILES. ACTIONS AGAINST TURKS. Pee Peess Association. j Interesting details of the operations of the New Zealand cruiser Philomel j since the outbreak of hostilities are contained in a diary posted to an Auckland resident by one of those on board the vessel. The diary show*, . incidentally the vessel did »ot take part in the Suez Canal engagement, I but encountered the Turks near Alex- ■ andretta, in the angle formed by Asia Minor and Syria. j The Philomel was in Wellington . when the news of the outbreak of war was received, and on August sth she moved out into the stream and clear- | ed for action. The writer states the reserves were called up, and on August G extra coal and provisions were taken on board and volunteers joined J the ship. On August 8 the Philomel left Wellington with the collier Wai- | roa and reached Auckland early on August 11. Continuing, the diarygives details of the voyage of two New Zealand troopships, the Philomel, the Psyche, and the Pyramus to Samoa, the Australia, and the Melbourne, and the French battleship Montcalm being picked up at Noumea. Incidentally, the writer states that the day following the departure from Noumea the Melbourne searched a ship and found her full of coal and bound for San Francisco. After events proved that her cargo was for Germans. Continuing, the diary describes the departure of the cruiser from Wellington on October 10 with the main Expeditionary Force, and states the Philomel left the main body at Albany, proceeding thence to Freemantie and Singapore and picking up two French troopships at the latter port. The vessel left Singapore on November 16, called in at Colombo on November 23, and eventually reached Aden on December 5. On December 9 the French troopships were turned over to another cruiser, while the Philomel went on to Mocha, an Asiatian seaport, to deal with natives who had fired on a boat and wounded three marines. The town was bombarded and three scows in the harbor were damaged. The diary continues: Feb. 4: Arrived Cyprus and relieved another British cruiser. Feb. 5: Arrived Alexandretta, a Turkish seaport on the angle betkeen Asia Minor and Syria, and cruised along the coast and started shelling the Turkish trenches with lyddite and shrapnel and blew a blockhouse to pieces by good shooting. Feb. 6: Cruised around and sighted a bignal tower, and that also was soon in pieces. Sighted Turkish troops on the hills, but they waited only for two rounds of shrapnel. Feb 7: Found some more trenches. Cleared them up and shelled the lines of communication, railway ,and telegraph lines. Blazed away at the Turks again, doing some good shooting. Feb. 8: Discovered the enemy in a fortress at Jonah's Castle. Lowered a sea boat to ascertain what a camel and mule caravan was carrying. The leading Turks at once ran into the hills and left all the gear. On our men going to search they were met by a hot fire from Turkish troops entrenched only a few yards away. One man went along and searched the pack mules under a hot fire. One mule was shot, and, railing against a post, offered some | protection. The party returned on ' board at dark. All the time the party was on shore we on board were pumping 4.Tin. shells into the Turks, doing terrible damage, for we were only 130 yards off. One shrapnel shell fell in the middle of a group of about a dozen, and, needless to say, there were not many pieces left to collect. The party returned with one killed, William Stanbury. Four of the party were wounded, and one, Moreton, missing. A volunteer party went ashore to find the last man. The first attempt being unsuccessful, the party returned. A second attempt was successful, and they returned at 2.30 a.m., Moreton being badly wounded. One of the wounded men, Wm. Edward Knowles, died in the early hours ot Feb. 9. Fel). 10: Moreton died while the action was on. We had' a spy ashore. Feb. 11: Armed boat's crew went ashore to fetch the spy, but were unable to find him. 'Fel). 12: Sent for the spy again and got him. Feb. 13, 14, 15: Having a well-earn-ed rest. Feb. 16: Relieved by another cruiser, and we left for Port Said on .March 1. We left Port Said for guard duty, returning a fortnight later. Wo ■ had covered 30,000 miles or near it 'since we left Auckland. That alone will take a lot of beating by any ship in the Navy, so you will see you New j Zealandets have something to talk iabout after all. T often heard remarks in Auckland, "Oh, what a small ship," but she is as capable as a good many more ships of a later claas.