Diary of Cyril John Percy Hill, 1917 - Part 2

June 1st to 4th. Successful patrol with
balloon.  No enemy craft seen.
Weather great.

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June 9th Air raid on Brindisi.
Started at 4AM & finished at 6AM
Enemy planes made three attacks
during that time.  Scored no hits on
ships in harbour although Blenheim &
Lowestoft had narrow shaves.  Two
heavy bombs dropped on Italian air
station 14 killed & about 40 wounded.
Three enemy planes brought down.
No women or kiddies hurt.

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June 10th Huge spasm.  Enemy ships
out. Destroyers & light cruisers &
all destroyers on patrol ordered to
concentrate on Brindisi.  Fleet gave
chase. but Austrians got back to
their base before we sighted them.
Another dummy run.

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June 26^th  Ran down to Valona with
despatches and mails for commodore
Found our way through mine fields
and [[?]] nets.  Delivered despatches etc
and joined up with usual patrol
Patrol most uneventful.

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June 19^th Chased out at 4AM.
Destroyers in two divisions consisting
of 12 boats each.  1^st Division
scouting ahead and 2^nd division
forming submarine screen for cruisers
Lowestoft & Gloucester.  Proceeded at
high speed up the Adriatic towards
Gulf of Drin between Cataro & Durazzo
 

both Austrian naval bases. At 10 AM

arrived off Gulf. First Division ran

in towards the land & second

division made stayed outside forming 

protection for cruisers. Big convoy

was expected to be crossing the Gulf

escorted by enemy destroyers. First

Division entered Gulf at full speed

but unfortunately saw no convoy and

escort so consequently did not get

within range of shore batteries (Something

wrong with intelligence department).

First division carried out reconnaissance

along the shores of Gulf keeping out 

of range. Rejoined 2 division &

cruisers after we had had a good

smell round. Got back to Brindisi

about 2 PM. Very interesting stunt

although we never got in touch with 

enemy. Bucked us all up no end.

W After leaving Gulf of Drin one

enemy plane came over us & dropped

a few bombs. French destroyer had

narrow squealin one heavy bomb

missing her stern by about 5 ft.

Otherwise bombs dropped wide.

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June 20th. Sent down to Corfu with

dispatches, mails & passengers. Weather

lovely and sea calm. Entered Corfu

by northern entrance. No less than

four rows of nets to get through and

one line of ruined nets. (They are

certainly taking no risks there) Found

our way through all right and

anchored in Ypso Bay. Got rid of

mails etc. piped hands to bathe...

Water lovely. 3.30 PM Weighed [anchor symbol] and

joined up with patrol before dark.

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June 26th. Escorted "Waymouth" & "Gloucester"

to Valona and then carried on with

usual patrol. Middle watch. To

Atranto & Valona bombed by enemy

planes. Don't know what damage was

done. Heard planes passing overhead

but couldn't see them.

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July 13th Hunted & bombed submarine

with drifters. Hunting from 3.30 PM

till 6.30 with hydrophones. Don't know

whether we sunk her or not.

Things very quiet lately. No stunts since

last air raid. Wonder what Fritz

has got up his sleeve. Someone will

get it in the neck ere long I guess.

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July 28th. Fairly strenuous air raid at

2 AM. No bombs near us. Don't 

know what damage was done as we

left harbour for Patrol at 6.15 AM.

Things very quiet since last air raid.

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July 25th Submarine reported from 

balloon under the surface about 4

miles distant. Proceeded at full speed.

Saw if myself when we got closer, decided

to ram. Turned out to be a school 

of large fish. Scattered fish in all

directions. Sold a pup again.

"Rifleman" dropped 12 depth charges on

real submarine. Spent all afternoon

& evening sweeping for her. Nothing seen.

Don't know whether she was destroyed.

Very nearly [?] fire on Italian Sub

at daylight. No luck to day.

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July 31st. On Patrol. Most uninteresting. Nothing

doing. Weather glorious. Monitors bombarding

Austrian lines, saw bombardment in the

distance. Destroyers not required, our pop

guns no good for that stunt

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August 9th - "Huon" & "Yarra" in 

collision about midnight. Huon's

bow flattened and through trying

to get into Yarra's ward room.

Both ships flooded forward

compartments. Sent down to refit

in disgrace.  Probably take about

two months. During which time

English leave will be granted.

Sooner get no leave & keep ship

whole myself.

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August 20th. Patrolling about 10 miles

from Austrian & Italian lines. Big

bombardment going on all night.

Must have been "some" scrap going

on. Quite interesting watching shells 

bursting. All the same, shouldn't have

cared to be much closer.

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August 22nd. Just arrived in harbour &

let fires die out. Sudden flap,

[?] steam immediately for full

speed. All Destroyer captains

repair on board "Blenheim" for

orders. Stood by all night and 

nothing happened. Austrian fleet

came out to have a look round

and then ran back to Cattaro as

usual without getting in touch with

our destroyers.

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Aug 26th. One of our seaplanes down near

Durazzo after a raid. The whole 

advanced destroyer patrol sent up to search

at full speed. Searched all the afternoon &

evening without success. Am afraid plane 

sunk and pilot & observer drowned. No sign

 of any enemy craft although they must have

seen us in Durazzo.

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August 27th. Several Hun planes passed over

patrol during night. One had to come 

down with engine trouble & was promptly

collared by "Rifleman". Pilot & Observer taken

prisoner. "Rifleman" tried to tow plane into 

Valena but smashed it up & only succeeded

in getting body there. Wings & tail lost.

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Sep 10th. Big advance expected on

Albanian front which would threaten 

Valona. Destroyers on patrol told off

to screen five transports with a 

division of troops behind for "Valona".

All transports arrived safely. No enemy

craft sighted by destroyers.

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Sept 24th. Nothing much doing as far 

as patrol is concerned. Usual air

raids, usual strafing going on

on Albanian front. Usual submarine

hunting and bombing. Submarines

getting a rotten time on barrage.

Spent two hours up in balloon at 

900 ft. Quite pleasant, weather lovely.

Thinking of joining balloon section

(I don't think).

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Sept 27th. Arrived in and told to sail

at 1 PM for Leghorn for docking &

short refit. Couldn't get stores etc.

finished in time so sailing put off till

next day.

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Sept 28th. Left Brondini at noon.

Rotten weather passing Straits of Otranto

Passed through Straits of Messina

during morning watch on 29th. Weather

glorious. Messina looked just the

same as ever. Passed quite close to

Stromboli who was very quiet with

only think streak of smoke hanging 

around water. At 4.40 PM received

wireless message cancelling orders &

telling us to return to Taranto.

Turned round and headed once more

for Messina. Haven't a notion what 

we are being recalled for. Passed

through straits at midnight.

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Sep 30th. Arrived at Taranto 2 PM.

Went ashore & saw Transport Officer.

Was told to sail & 4.20 and escort

"Agamemmon" to Patras. Met Captain

of "Agamemmon" (rather bottled). Left

Taranto at 5PM. Speed of convoy

11 K^s.

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Oct 2nd. Arrived Pireaus and were told

to refit & dock. "Agamemmon" proceeded

to Salonika. No sign of Fritz on

passage. Greeks very friendly.

From Oct 2nd to 20th docking at

Pireaus & having a short refit.

Things very peaceful & no one to 

worry us. Granted as much leave

as possible. Heard that Durrazo

had been taken by the B.A.F. on

Oct 2nd. Rotten luck just missing it.

Made up for it by having a good

time in Athens.

Oct 20th. Full speed trial. Several

minor defects discovered. Steeing

engine & capstan engine out of

order. Proceeded back to Pireaus

and nearly ran a breakwater through

helm jambing.

Oct 21st. Defects made good.

Left for Mudres at 8.30 PM

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Oct 22nd. Weather beastly. Strong

northerly gale. Starts to smash

things up to had to reduce

speed and arrived in Mudres at

3 PM, six hours late.

Completed with oil on arrival,

went alongside Blenheim and took

in ammunition and were chased

out again to the Dardinelles Patrol

and joined up with Yarra & Torrens.

Weather still beastly.

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Oct 25th. Escorted S.S. "Harfoerly" to

Demotheus Cove on Bulgarian Coast.

No Bulgars in sight. Two six inch

guns and plenty of barbed wire

abandoned. Six 9.30 PM proceeded

towards Dardinelles.

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Oct 26th. Missed floating mine by 

a whisker at dawn. Joined up

with patrol. Employed in covering

the landing of troops at Dedigatch

No opposition as yet.

Oct 30th. Troops all landed safely.

No opposition. Returned to Mudres.

Oct 29th. Patrolling under Turkish Batteries

all night. Expecting "Gobern". Night very

dark. Turks evidently didn't know we

were there. (Suvla Bay). General Townsend

and Turkish Delegates aboard Flagship.

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Oct 31st Armistice with Turks. Patrols still

kept in Dardinelles. Place absolutely stiff

with mines. Sand four while returning 

to Mudres.

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Nov 1st to Nov 7th. At anchor at Mudres,

boiler cleaning and making ship

look pretty, managed to give ship

a coat of pain which was badly

needed.

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Nov 7th. Left Mudres for Salonika

and arrived at 8 AM Nov 8th. Taking 

dispatches and passengers on duty.

Thick fog on arrival.

Went ashore driving afternoon and

had a look round. Not much

of a place. All allied natives seem

to be [?]. Never saw so 

many different uniforms.

Weighed at 10PM after embarking

one General, one R.N. captain and

dispatches for Mudres. Made

a boss shot at the submarine nets

and carried them away, luckily 

without fouling propellers.

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Nov 9th Arrived Mudres at 8 AM

Oiled & anchored 9.30PM. Chanel

out again with dispatches for

Salonika again.

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Nov 10th. Arrived Salonika and

anchored. Played football against

H.M.S. St George and got badly

beaten 7 to nil. 10PM Embarked

passengers consisting of one Russian

Naval Captain, one staff army officer

five flying officers, 200 bags mail 

30000 rounds of rifle ammunition.

Ship crowded out.

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Nov 11th. Arrived Mudres 9AM

after a rotten passage. All

passengers sick including the 

Russian. Jolly glad to get rid

of them. Completed with oil and

anchored.

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Nov 12th. 3.30 AM Weighed & proceeded

out of harbour waiting to join up with

Squadron. 7.0 Squadron formed up.

Consisting of Superb, Lord Nelson, Temardrd,

& Agamemnon. five light cruisers and

twelve destroyers. French, Italian & 

Greek fleets farming astern. Proceeded

towards Dardinelles ^^8.30 Floating mine

passed close to Superb. Parramatta

sunk it just ahead of French

flagship & received the thanks of

the French Admiral: 12.45

Entered Dardinelles in single line

ahead. Hunter Australian ensigns

while passing through.

Cruising in Sea of Marmora all night

Weather beastly.

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Nov 13th. 8.30AM Allied Squadron

anchored off Constantinople. Sultan

aboard Superb crawling on his 

tummy to Admiral. Noon Fleet 

weighed and anchored in Gulf of

Irmid at 4PM. Very interesting 

stunt.

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Nov 13th to 20. Lying at anchor at

Irmid doing nothing except usual

routine & drills. No leave granted.

Weather beastly. But not much wind.

Very well sheltered.

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Nov 21st. Left Irmid and proceeded

about 40 miles up coast to Tuzla

and then embarked four prisoners of

war. ONe seaman from E15 and

3 Gurkas, Seaman had been 3 1/2 years

a prisoner and was just recovering

from pneumonia. Took them down 

to hospital ship at Irmid.

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Nov 22nd. Ran up to Constantinople with

an officers leave party from the fleet.

Arrived about 10AM & left again at

4PM. and arrived back in Irmid

at about 7. Not very taken with

Constant : Prices terrible, streets

dirty and inhabitants half starved.

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Nov 24th. Left anchorage at Irmid with

fleet and proceeded to Constantinople.

Anchored at 2 PM. Leave to officers.

Motor boat broke down with officers coming

back & drifted out to sea. "Sikh" send 

to find her. Motor boat brought back at

2 AM. Officers very fed up.

Nov 25th. Weighed at 8AM & proceeded 

up the Bosporus with the fleet.

Passed "Goeben" flying Turkish flag.

Bosporus very interesting. 10AM Entered

Black sea & formed up screening

battle ships. Two passengers on board

One RN VR Lieut and interpreter and

the president of the Crimean republic

Salre Bay. Weather beastly with 

NE gale & high sea. Salre Bay very

sick.

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Nov 26th 10AM. Under the lee of Crimean

Peninsular. 10AM Passed Balaklava.

Noon: Fleet consisting of "Superb", "Temesaive"

"Shermisker". Two French battleships "Democratic" 

& "Justice". Italian battleship "Roma"

& cruiser Agordat. T.B.D "Shark"

"Parthean" "Tilbury" "Swan" "Parramatta"

"Rifleman" "De Hartier" "Serasc" & "Panther"

entered Savastople. Huge crowds on

shore cheering like blazes. Harbour

full of boats. No leave granted.

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Nov 27th to Dec 14th. Based at 

Savastopol, running the mails between

there & Constant. Carrying provisions,

dispatches & passengers. Bolsheviks

making a nuisance of themselves everywhere.

Marines landed at railway station 

and landing parties from ships

standing by all ^^each night. Searchlights

sweeping town continually. No

organized attack on our people, but

occasional sniping. All Russian

Black Sea fleet taken over by us & 

French. German crews booted out

and sent to Odessa to walk home

overland. French division arrived

to take charge of town and also

some British troops expected.

Hope that will relieve destroyers

from Black Sea. Many distinguished

passengers carried between Sevastopol

& Constant. Have not seen much of 

my own cabin in consequence.

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