Diary of Cyril Strahan Parry - Part 12

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I lay across the previous one, while

the third funnel was blown into the

sea. Another shot struck her just
behind the bridge & the Foremast ( on
which was situated the Main fire control
top ) fell into the sea, thus destroying
her wireless & throwing the crew of the

control top into the sea. The Butt of this
mast remained hanging over the side
like a boom. Meanwhile the Sydney
had been receiving her share of

punishment. The Endens first shot sailed

over between the mast & fell into the 

sea a little beyond, the next fell shor,
& then forming a Bracket as the Sydney

had done, her third Salvo was succesful
It struck a deck house in which were
stationed three Seaman & a P.G.

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the shot did not do any damage other

than cutting a grove in the Armour

plating. Another shot struck this
structure immediately afterwards, the
shell bursting under the floor, & the

result being that all 4 men were
wounded ( one eventually dying ) As there
was no medical aid available at this spot
the men made their way down into the

ship by rolling & being to weak to climb
down the gangways they toppled themselves
over, at this point the P.G. ( though

wounded himself ) carried them down
one by one to the Sick Bay. Another

shot entered the Fire Control Station
& passed over the shoulder of the Gunnery
Lieutenant ( that it knocked his hat to me

side ) a shot off the leg of a seaman

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who was standing behind him, the

poor fellow never gain regained

consciousness.  A fire started on the 

Sydneys deck owing to some cordite being

there, this was burning fiercely but the

seamen threw it into the sea getting
themselves badely burned in doing so.

A Guns crew on the deck fared rather

badly from the result of [[?]] of the Emdens

shells. This shell ( which was thought to be

a ''shrapnel'' although not used in the
British Navy may be used in the

German) burst over their heads & only
two of them were wounded & 2 being

killed, thus the gun was out of action

& later when an extra crew was

sent over from the other side the gun

was found to be undamaged, except

 

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that it was pitted all over & the deck all

round was pitted also. After this no

material damage was done by the Emden

although the shells conntinued to drop in

hundreds all round her & sending

showers of spray all over her, which

caused the range finders to be continually

drying their lenses. One shell which

struck the Sydney in an unarmoured 

spot bust the steel but strange to say

did not enter, & fell into te sea. A stokeer 

who was off duty saw the point of the

shell enter the steel & made a very 

hurried exit, then stopped & laughed at

himself, when he remembered that if the

shell were coming in there would have

been very little of him left to have

known anything about it.
 

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The Emden was now turning Westward

& the smoke that should have gone up 
the funnels was pouring out of the three

holes in the deck, & was causing great
inconvenience to the gunners on her

deck. She was also travelling very

slowely & it was afterwards found that

her steering gear was shot away, & she

had to stear with her [[?screws]], thus

reducing her pace. All the afterport of

the ship was well alight & at one time the

ship was totally obscured by her own

smoke. The boys on the Sydney

commenced cheering & crying out

''She's gone-She's gone''. But she afterwards

appeared & commenced firing again,

although not so rapidly, The Emden

then turned & sailed East & then North,

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the Sydney all the while following her

& keeping her distance. The first & only

torpedo used during the fight was then

fired by the Sydney, & although the

direction & course of the torpedo was

excellent & it passed over the spot it

was calculated the ship to be, it passed

on without any damage. By this time

the Emden was only firing one gun, (& that

was very slowly) owing to all the others being

out of action & the ammunition hoists

unworkable, so that the shells had to be 

carried by hand. At this point the

Emden headed for the North Keeling Isl

& later the Sydney signalled ''Enemy

beaching herself to save from Sinking''

& later on ''Emden beached & done for''

After having completed her work the so far
 

 

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Sydney went in search of the Collier

& very soon overtook her. She was

cruising round in a very peculiar

manner & was apparently attempting to

ram the Sydney. A Boat crew was

put aboard her & she was found to be

in a sinking condition owing to the

Kingston. Valves having been taken out

& as they were broken up could not be

replaced. All her crew were then taken

off & after her Boats had been taken off

& tied to the Sydney's stern she was

sent to the bottom by two shots.

Togher with 2000 tons of coal. She

was a British ship that had been

captured by the Emden 7 weeks

previously by name ''

 

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The Sydney then sailed back to Nth Keeling

Is. & on the way 4 German sailors were

seen swimming in the water so a boat

was cut adrift for them to scramble into

it was now half past four in the

afternoon & they had been in the water

6 hours without anything to hold them

up & in shark infested waters too.
When the ''Emden'' was reached her

flag was still flying & after signalling

to her for some time in the International

Code to take it down, she fired two
more Broadsides into her. A German 

Sailor then voluntered to take it down

& as the deck was too hot to walk on
he swam along the side & then

climbed up the mast & took down

the flag that had been wired to

the mast.
 

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The crew & wounded were huddled

together on the forecastle & as there

was a strong heavy swell breaking round

her they could not be relieved so the
Sydney sailed away towards Direction

Island, Picking up another sailor from

the sea on the way. Early next morning

she returned & found the Germans

inpitiful plight. They had no food or
Water & all the hospital supplies were

destroyed, during the night after a

great deal of trouble the worst of the

wounded Germans (20) were taken
ashore, in the journey ashote the

Doctor broke his leg & was thus

helpless., as there was no water on the

Island he got down to the sea &

drank salt water & died in the night

 

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Another sailor who was badly wounded

in the chest, had stuffed his shirt into

the wound & tied the whole lot in

place with a piece of rope. The Sydney

commenced to take off the men from the

Forecastle & then those from the Shore

& by 10.30 had them all aboard,  & then

went back to Direction Island. Here

they learned that when the Germans

landed they commenced to cut the

Cables & destroy the W.L. Station. The
operators had climbed onto the roof of

the W.L. Station to see the fight, after

they had been there some little time

the Germans evidently thought

they had seen enough so they

locked them inside & then

commenced to gather enough all the

provisions they could find.
 

 

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(three months supply) & placed them

in a small Schooner that was in the
Harbour & later while the Sydney

was chasing the Emden they escaped.
and we very soon over the horizon.
The Prisioners were transfered to

the Emperess of Russia. who bought

them to Colombo where they were

transfered to the "Gruritu'' & the

''Geelong''. During the engagement the

Sydney fired 650 shells & the Emden

1580. The Germans at first thought

they were attacked by a cruiser with

4'' guns, when they found she had

6'' they thought it was the
''Yarmouth''. & it was not until

after the ''Sydney'' had returned after
 

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sinking the collier that they knew

who she was at all.

The casualties were:-

''Sydney"   3   killed

                     1   Died of wounds
                    4   Seriously injured
                    4   Badly
                    4   Slightly          (16)

Emden    132   killed
                   53   Injured
                 140   Prisioners     (325)

The Sydney eventually came on

to Colombo with no visable marks

about her, while the Emden lies

on the beach almost.
 

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unrecognisable as a ship at all.

Her Bow is high out of water
owing to the stern sinking,

and she is just a mass of bent

and twisted iron.