DARING DESTROYERS.
SCOUTING IN ADRIATIC. AUSTRALIAN UNIT'S WORKj London, Dee. 30. The Australians did not disappear from the Mediterranean when Anzau was evacuated, says the special commissioner of the Sydney Sun in a cable message from Gallipoli. Whilst the, Light Horse were hitting the Turk in Palestine, Australian destroyers were racing about the Adriatic and Aegean, and sometimes under the enemy's very nose at the Dardanelles. It ia a fine story of dirty and nasty work well done. The longest period was spent in the great anti-sub-marine barrage
Our six destroyers had the most wretched part of the business, but were consoled by the thought that they were protecting Australian troops which were being transported from Egypt to Italy. This barrage was one of the wonders of the war, being designed to keep the submarines penned up in the Adriatic. It did not work well for some time, but was just becoming perfect when peace arrived.
It consisted of four definite lines of obstacles across the Straits of Otranto Inside was a series of overlapping patrol beats by destroyers. These boats were clearly marked on the chart, and were given numbers and letters On this patrol the Australians were engaged. It was mostly cold, dreary, miserable and cheerless work. Three days and nights, racing back and forth over a trackless beat, ever on the alert, and then back to port for two days' relief.
Lively incidents \vc-m abundant, for tlie Germans were always enterprising when there was a chance o: overwhelmin;; a lonely destroyer. When a torpedo intended for {lie Wavrcgo struck the Oriann, the former was abie to demonstrate her gratitude by rescuing the crew and towing the wreck into port. Attacking expeditions and "long rims to the Aegean relieved the monotony. All six Australians sometimes raced on a cutting-out expedition full steam ahead in dark and dirty weather The second lino of the barrage consisted of submarine cruisers to catch the submarines which dived under the first line. The third was a submerged net, 40 miles Ion?, and charged with mines. Then there was a host of drifters, trawler!!, and cruisers It was of gigantic proportion", but the quality of the game in the enclosure was good. At one time the inner patrol was known aa "the morning sacrifice," so audacious was the enemy, hut the plucky seamen did i their duty, winning many honors in hopeless fights. Tht Australians had the best ginnery record in (lie Mediterranean. They have .had a lot of the worst jobs, though (tiiey cannot -Iks called happy, because they arc homesick and want Australian control You find among these young companies the same typical clean-cut look and the came resourcefulness, self-
reliance, and independence r.3 in the Zi\my. As they double about thcii little craft completing their orders, these State-school boys oeem to carry a sparkle in the eye which says, "Can they beat that?" The transport Emperor, parrying 2000 Russian prisoners liomavard hound, passed through the Straits to-day Bolshevism on board was very bad," and -a l'lot to>.murder GO v, ho cr.me from tlie Caucasus nearly .succeeded Life is unsafe any where here, and it's so cheap at Constantinople • that it is no's nice to ro out after dark
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Taranaki Daily News, 15 January 1919, Page 8
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538DARING DESTROYERS. Taranaki Daily News, 15 January 1919, Page 8
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