Item ADM 137/7/9 - Page 402: telegram from R.A.C. Australia to Admiralty 1st September 1914 –HMAS Melbourne will be...

Page 402: telegram from R.A.C. Australia to Admiralty 1st September 1914 –HMAS Melbourne will be detailed to destroy Nauru. Page 403: telegram from Ministry of Defence New Zealand to War Office 31st August 1914 –expeditionary force ready to embark. Where should they concentrate and when leave? Telegram from Admiralty to War Office –they should assemble Wellington about 20th September 1914; escort will convoy them to Port Adelaide to join Australian force. From Port Adelaide all ships will proceed via Fremantle, Colombo and Red Sea. Transports should fly red ensign. Page 405: telegram from R.A.C. Australian Squadron to Admiralty 1st September 1914 – owing to lack of ships convoy of troops to Aden cannot be done simultaneously with occupation of Anguar, Yap and Nauru. Suggest China fleet join up and sweep Caroline and Marshall Islands. Page 406: telegram from Commonwealth Naval Board Melbourne to Admiralty September 1st 1914 –[HMAS] Australia and Melbourne leave Suva 4th September. [HMAS] Melbourne proceeding to Nauru to destroy wireless station en route to Simonstown. [HMAS] Australia to meet [HMAS] Sydney and [HMS] Encounter destroyers, submarines and fleet auxiliaries for attack on Simpsonhafen. Page 408: telegram from Senior Naval OfficerNew Zealand to Admiralty 1st September 1914 – necessary to revictual expedition in seven weeks. Suggest to Governor of New Zealand that a fast armed merchant ship without escort most suitable method. Shortage of rice at Apia may cause trouble with Chinese coolies. [HMNZS] Pyramus wll endeavour to obtain some at Suva to be sent to Apia. Page 409: Remarks on proposals of R.A. Australia signed H B Jackson [Admiral Sir Henry Jackson] 1st September 1914 relating to New Guinea expedition and need for escorts. Page 410: telegram from Admiralty to R.A. Australia 1st September 1914 –[HMAS] Sydney and Melbourne must be at Sydney ready to escort troops to Aden by 22-9-14. [HMAS] Melbourne dealing with Nauru en route. Further details can be arranged after seizure of Simpsonhafen. Page 411: telegram from Honolulu to Admiralty 1st September 1914 –[German light cruiser] Nurnberg arrived 6 30am. Page 414: telegram from Rear Admiral HMAS Australia at Suva to Admiralty 2nd September 1914 –[HMAS] Australia, Melbourne and [French cruiser] Montcalm arrived. Page 415: telegram from R.A. Commanding Australian Squadron via Suva to Admiralty 2nd September 1914 –French admiral leaves Suva in Montcalm for Noumea to await orders. Page 419: telegram from Newcastle, Esquimault to Admiralty 2nd September 1914 –Japanese consul informs me that [German light cruiser] Nurnberg left Honolulu at 9 30pm 1st September having taken in 750 tons of coal. Have informed [Japanese cruiser] Idzumo and Hong Kong Intelligence Centre for transmission if possible to Commander in Chief China. From British Consul, Honolulu to Admiralty –I hear privately that [German light cruiser] Leipzig was outside ready to receive part of this coal and that they were to proceed in a southerly direction. Page 421: telegram from R.A.C.Australian Squadron Suva to Admiralty 3rd September 1914 –[HMS] Pyramus and transport Monoway arrived. Page 422: telegram from Commander in Chief China to Admiralty 3rd September 1914 –proceeding to search Sumatra, Java and adjoining seas with [HMS] Minotaur, Hampshire and Yarmouth followed shortly by [Japanese cruisers] Ibuki and Chikuma. [French cruiser] Dupleix making good defects at Singapore and will join [French torpedo vessel] D’Iberville and French destroyers to patrol Western approach to Malacca Straits. [HMS] Cadmus, Clio and five destroyers based on Sandakan will work to North and East of Borneo. Armed mercantile cruisers Himalaya and Empress of Japan patrol between Hong Kong and Singapore, Empress of Asia and Empress of Russia from North end of Phillipines down east coast to intercept German supplies from Manila. It seems possible that [German cruisers] Scharnhorst and Gneisenau may have gone east. Page 425: telegram from Admiralty to R.A. [HMAS] Australia,Suva 3rd September 1914-[German light cruisers] Nurnberg and Leipzig left Honolulu for South 2-9-14. Warn Samoa and Fanning Island. Has W/T at Apia been seized and can we use it? How many troops required to occupy Samoa. Page 426: telegram from Governor of New Zealand to Secretary of State for the Colonies 3rd September 1914 –the Maoris in New Zealand are most anxious to volunteer for war service. Page 428: telegram from Governor General of Australia to Secretary of State for the Colonies 3rd September 1914 –Commonwealth Government is arranging for despatch in November of another infantry brigade and a light horse brigade, total 6,383 with 2,386 horses and 181 vehicles. These are in addition to the first expeditionary force of 20,000 with reinforcements from time to time. Page 433: telegram from R.A.C. [HMAS] Australia to Admiralty 3rd September 1914 - [HMAS] Australia and Melbourne sailed from Suva. Page 434: telegram from R.A.C. Australian Squadron, Suva to Admiralty 3rd September 1914 –Fanning Island warned and Samoa will be warned tonight. Wireless station at Apia seized but out of action but New Zealand military wireless station is now working. Number of troops occupying Samoa 1383 R.A.C. Australian squadron two fifteen pound and two six pound guns. Page 435: list of transports conveying Australian expedition with ports of embarkation. Page 439: telegram from Captain-in-Charge Sydney to Admiralty 5th September 1914- Fantome sailed for Port Moresby (New Guinea) 10am. Page 441: telegram from R.A. Commanding Australian Squadron via Suva to Admiralty 5th September 1914 –submit Anguar and Nauru should not be occupied but that their wireless stations should be destroyed. German Pacific Islands very short of food and occupying them will entail feeding the population as well as garrison. Yap Island being larger and having submarine cable might be occupied. Pages 442-444: handwritten list of German wireless stations in Pacific with comments re their significance and occupation. Page 444b: telegram from H.B. Jackson [Admiral Sir Henry Jackson] to Secretary of State for Colonies 6th Sepember 1914 –Admiralty agrees that occupation of Nauru and Anguar is not necessary. Page 445: telegram from [HMS] Sealark, Suva to Admiralty 5th September 1914-[HMS] Pyramus sailed today for Auckland. Page 451: telegram from Commonwealth Naval Board to Admiralty 7th September 1914 –relating to German secret code book and key Handelschiffsverkehrsbuch for use between German merchant ships and warships in possession of Australians with explanation of codes. Page 453: telegram from R.A.C. Australian Squadron, Brisbane to Admiralty 7th September 1914 –[French cruiser] Montcalm not ready to leave Noumea until September 10th. Have requested him to proceed to Simpsonhafen. Page 453b: telegram from Kingsmill, Esquimalt to Admiralty 7th September 1914 –Germans have captured Fanning Island. Page 454: History Section Precis, 7th September 1914. i: suggest G.N.Z. [Governor New Zealand] be informed Samoa should communicate with Suva and allied vessels and intercept any signals, (paper M 01762/14).

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).

• English

This description was automatically translated with the help of www.DeepL.com. Translation errors are possible. Please note that the document itself has not been translated.

https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C10744436

{{data source}} The National Archives Discovery

• English

• Latin