Item ADM 137/7/5 - Page 208: telegram from Captain in Charge, Sydney to Admiralty 14th August 1914 –proceeding to...

Page 208: telegram from Captain in Charge, Sydney to Admiralty 14th August 1914 –proceeding to Port Moresby to coal. [HMAS] Australia could leave Port Moresby 17th [August] arriving Samoa 27th August. Page 212: telegram from Senior Naval Officer Auckland to Admiralty 15th August 1914 –expedition started from Wellington. I will meet it with three cruisers tomorrow afternoon in Bay of Plenty. Commander Ward appointed to [HMNZS] Psyche and Lieutenant Commander Porter in command temporarily of [HMS] Torch. [HMS] Torch remains at Auckland as depot ship and to drill reserves. Page 214: telegram from Commonwealth Naval Board, Melbourne to Admiralty 15th August 1914 –not advisable for Australian expedition to start for New Guinea without escort of [HMAS] Australia until Scharnhorst [German cruiser] and Gneisenau[German cruiser] are located. [HMAS] Melbourne and [HMAS] Sydney should accompany [HMAS] Australia to Samoa. Expedition ready to leave for Thursday Island immediately and Australian Fleet is at Port Moresby. Suggest saving time by [HMAS] Australia escorting New Guinea expedition first and Samoa expedition afterwards. Page 215: telegram from Commonwealth Naval Board to Admiralty 15th August 1914 –Montcalm [French cruiser] arrived Suva. Page 215b: telegram from Manila to Admiralty 15th August 1914 –two German ships Tsintau and Locksun preparing to sail destination unknown. Page 218: telegram from Senior Naval Officer Thursday Island to Admiralty 15th August 1914-Rear Admiral Commanding Australia wires –could meet expedition off Suva 24th August. Page 219: telegram from Admiralty to Senior Naval Officer New Zealand 15th August 1914 –expedition must proceed to Noumea to meet [HMAS] Australia then proceed to Samoa getting in touch with Montcalm [French cruiser] now at Suva en route. Page 221: telegram from Admiralty to Commonwealth [Naval Board], Melbourne 15th August 1914 –Samoa Expedition having started must be covered first. Propose [HMAS] Melbourne and [HMAS] Sydney escort New Guinea Expedition inside Barrier Reef and meet [HMAS] Australia and Montcalm [French cruiser] at suitable base. Page 222: telegram from Governor of Fiji to Secretary of State for the Colonies 13th August 1914 –Commander of local forces suggests that an expeditionary force armed and equipped should be organised in Fiji Islands and sent to Samoan Islands to capture German colonial possessions if transports can be provided. Page 223: telegram from Admiralty to Colonial Office 14th August 1914 –offer declined but armed force should be utilised for local defence. Page 228: telegram from Rear Admiral, Australia.Port Moresby to Admiralty 16th August 1914 –[HMAS] Australia arrived. Page 229: telegram from Governor of Fiji to the Secretary of State for the Colonies 16th August 1914 –please inform French Admiral that expedition will arrive Fiji 20th August in two transports escorted by three small cruisers en route for Samoa. [HMAS] Australia expected at Fiji 20th August.She and Montcalm [French cruiser] required to guard expedition against Gneisenau [German cruiser] and Scharnhorst [German cruiser]. Page 231: telegram from French Admiralty to Admiralty 16th August 1914 –two German colliers leaving Manila very soon and believed to be bound for New Guinea to replenish German cruiser. Liner Princess Alice possibly armed as auxiliary cruiser also believed to have left Manila probably for New Guinea. Page 233: telegram from Freemantle to Admiralty 16th August 1914 –[HMAS] Pioneer arrived Freemantle 15th August. Page 234: telegram from Melbourne [Naval Board] to Admiralty and referred to Vice Admiral Sir Henry Jackson 16th August 1914 –have informed Rear Admiral Commanding Australia that five hundred men now leaving Thursday Island for Port Moresby by [SS] Kanowna. Berrima [transport] with expedition will leave Sydney for Thursday Island 19th August 1914. Page 237: telegram from Freemantle, Western Australia [to Admiralty] 16th August 1914 –German steamer Neumunster seized 8 miles to the west of Rottnest Island and taken to Freemantle [? by [HMAS] Pioneer. Page 239: telegram from Reporting Officer, Manila to Admiralty 16th August 1914 –German ship Tsintau sailed 9 p.m. ostensibly for Celebes. Locksun ready to sail. German ship Hoerdeals loading coal. Page 240: telegram from Britannia, Thursday Island [Rear Admiral Commanding, Australia] to Admiralty 16th August 1914 –has directed [HMAS]Sydney and destroyers to attempt to destroy wireless station at Herbertshole [Herbertshohe] (New Britain). Page 241: telegram to Commodore, Hong Kong 16th August 1914 –has Yap wireless station been destroyed. China squadron should promptly deal with Yap and Anguar [German wireless station]. Page 242: telegram from I.O. Singapore to Admiralty 16th August 1914 –Recorder, Eastern Extension cable laying ship leaving today to repair Java Port Darwin cable. Page 243: telegram from Rear Admiral Commanding Australia, Thursday Island to Admiralty 16th August 1914 –proposes [HMAS] Sydney and destroyers attack Frederick William Harbour, [New] Guinea. Page 244: telegram from Rear Admiral Commanding [HMAS] Australia Thursday Island 16th August 1914-have cancelled attack on New Britain. [HMS] Encounter and [HMAS] Sydney will convoy Australian expedition meeting them off Sandy Cove 21st August. [HMAS] Melbourne will accompany [HMAS] Australia to convoy New Zealand expedition. Page 250: telegram from C-in-C China, Hong Kong to Admiralty 17th August 1914 –position of Scharnhorst[German cruiser,Gneisenau [German cruiser], Emden [German light cruiser] and Nurnberg [German light cruiser] unknown but Marshall Islands likely. Protection of trade routes being arranged with ships including [HMS] Minotaur and Dupleix [French cruiser]. Probable objective of German squadron is Pacific coast of America. Yap wireless station destroyed and one German collier captured. [HMS] Newcastle to leave Yokohama for Vancouver Island and [HMS] Hampshire ready to follow from Hong Kong if Japan declares war. Page 251: telegram from Manila to Admiralty 17th August 1914 –German ship Locksun sailed 16th August ostensibly for Menado in Celebes. Page 254: telegram from Thursday Island to Admiralty 17th August 1914-[HMAS] Australia sailed from [for] Noumea. Page 255: telegram from Commander in Chief,China, Hong Kong 17th August 1914-propose leaving Anguar for present as the distance is too great. Should Yap-Shanghai cable be cut? Reply –concur about Anguar. Yap-Shanghai cable not to be cut.Staff note: [HMS] Fantome left Freemantle for Sydney 14th August 1914. [HMS] Sealark on her way to Suva to assist in local defence. Page 263: telegram from Britannia, Thursday Island to Admiralty 17th August 1914 –[HMAS] Melbourne sailed for Rossell Island. Page 265: telegram from Naval Board of Administration, Melbourne to Admiralty 17th August 1914- Scharnhorst [German cruiser] last message spoken to Apia 11th August. Anguar evidently taken place of Yap and is sending cable messages to Nauru.

The National Archives >> Records of the Admiralty, Naval Forces, Royal Marines, Coastguard, and related bodies >> Records of the Navy Board and the Board of Admiralty >> Admiralty: Historical Section: Records used for Official History, First World War >> Australasia Telegrams, part 1, 27 July-29 September 1914. (Described at item level).

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https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C10744432

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