Letter from Niels Peter Henry Nielsen to his family, 1914

HMAS Sydney
Colombo

16th November 1914

Australian Coat of Arms
H.M.A.S. Sydney

Dear Mum & all,
Just a line to let you know
I am still alive & kicking in spite of the
"Emden".  I have nothing to write about except
our scrap with the "Emden".  We got a wireless
message from Cocos Island about 7 o'clock on the
9th inst saying that there was a German warship
lying there with a collier.  We were about 50 or
60 miles away from here and we altered course
and made for Cocos at full speed.  We came up
with the "Emden" about 9.30 a.m. and she let go a
shot at us at 11,000 yards.  We let go a ranging shot
immediately after and then both ships went at it
hammer & tongs.  We were superior to them in
every way.  Our shots told far more than
theirs as we were only slightly damaged and
our shots carried away her bridge foremast
3 funnels in quick succession.
Early in the fight the Emden caught fire after
the mainmast end continued to burn throughout.
One of their shots wrecked our rangefinder and
 

killed the man who was working it.  The action
lasted one hour 36 minutes.  The Emden got an awful
doing and the captain beached her on S. Keeling Island
He still continued to fire for a short time after he was aground
but we  soon silenced her
We left her then and went after the collier which was
clearing out when they saw the Emden was getting dished
up.  We soon caught her and put a shot across
her bows.  We sent a party aboard and brought
off the Germen prize crew and some Chinamen
who were doing the  fi stoking.  The collier was the
"Buresk" which the German's had captured 6 weeks
before full of Welsh coal.  We put 4 shots into
her and sunk her.  We then went back to the Emden.
She was still flying the German flag and when signalled
would not reply so we put another broadside into
her and she fired another couple of shots.  However
they did not want any more as they pulled the flag
down.  Before we had sighted the Emden she had
landed 35 men and 2 officers at Cocos Island to
destroy the wireless station and cut the cables.
It was late in the afternoon when the Emden hauled
down her flag and we went out to sea and cruised
about outside till morning.  We landed an armed
party at Cocos and found out that the German
landing party had cleared out in a schooner they
commandeered.  We then went back to the Emden to see
what we could do for the wounded. We were there all the
remainder of that day fetching off German wounded and
prisoners. There were about [[80?]] saved out of a crew of
over 400.                                                                    
PR05198
 

3
H.M.A.S. Sydney

We The Emden is a perfect wreck.  From the
mainmast to stern she is just a shell there being
only the deck and bott hull left, all the rest
being burnt out. Her 3 funnels are lying over on
top of one another. Her foremast is down and her
bridge blown away. The starboard side of her
deck is full of great holes and is torn up
everywhere and there are holes in the side you
could walk through.
The prisoners told us that one of our shells
killed 60 men and another blew burst under
a gun and blew the gun and guns crew right
over the side. Of the upper deck hands there are
only 15 left while and only one uninjured. 
The rest are mainly engine room ratings.
Prince Franz Joseph(?) of Hohenzollern was aboard the
Emden and is now also a prisoner. He and the
captain were uninjured.
We fired one torpedo but she missed. During the
action we made the best speed the "Sydney" ever did.
We got just on 30 Knots out of her. Pretty good going.
That is about as fast as Hans shoves his old
locos along.
When we had finished with the Emden's wounded we came
on to Colombo arriving here last Sunday.  We go on to
 

4
Malta from here, The Melbourne and Sydney having 
been ordered there.  Lord only knows when we will
get back to Australia.
You can show this letter to Jack Conroy and
Harry Kenter.  It will save me writing to them.
You know how I love writing letters.
I haven't got any  ll letters at all yet.  Have
you written?
Remember me to all and sundry and
write soon.
Hoping you are all O.K. as yours truly is
I will close.

I remain
Yours affectionately
Chook
Address
H. Nielsen
Stoker
10 Mess.
H.M.A.S. Sydney
Malta
 

AN EMDEN ECHO

By Niels Peter Henry Nielsen (Chook)

Writing home from the H.M.A.S. Sydney, from Colombo on November 16, 1914,
Mr H. Nielsen, who was a stoker on the cruiser Sydney. Mr Nielsen stated;
Just a line to let you know that I am still alive and kicking in spite of the Emden.
I have nothing to write about except our scrap with the Emden. We got a wireless
message from Cocos Island about 7 o'clock on the morning of the 9th instant, saying
that there was a German warship lying there with a collier. We were about 50 or 60
miles away from there and we altered course and made for Cocos at full speed.

We came up with the Emden about 9.10 a.m. and she let go a salvo at us at about
11,000 yards. We let go a ranging shot immediately after, and then both ships went at
it hammer and tongs.
We were superior to them in every way. Our shots told far more than theirs, as we
were only slightly damaged and our shots carried away her bridge, foremast and
funnels in quick succession. Early in the fight the Emden caught fire after the
mainmast had been demolished and continued to burn throughout. One of their shots
wrecked our rangefinder and killed the man who was working it, (A. B. Hoy).

The action lasted one hour 36 minutes. The Emden got an awful doing and the
captain beached her on S. Keeling Island. (This was involuntary). He still continued
to fire for a short time after he was aground, but we soon silenced her. We left her
then and went after the collier, which was clearing out when they saw the Emden was
getting dished up. We soon caught her and put a shot across her bows. We sent a
party aboard and brought off the German prize crew and some chinamen who were
doing the stoking. The collier was the Buresk, which the Germans had captured six
weeks before full of Welsh coal. We put four shots into her and sank her. We then
went back to the Emden. She was still flying the German flag and when signalled
would not reply, so we put another broadside into her and fired another couple of
shots. However they did not want anymore, as they pulled the flag down.

Before we had sighted the Emden she had landed 35 men and two officers at Cocos
Island to destroy the wireless station and cut the cables. It was late in the afternoon
when the Emden hauled down her flag and we went out to sea and cruised about till
morning. We landed an armed party at Cocos and found that the German landing
party had cleared out in a schooner (Ayesha) they had commandeered. We then went
 

back to the Emden to see what we could do for the wounded. We were there all the
remainder of the day fetching off German wounded and prisoners.

The Emden is a perfect wreck. From the mainmast to stern she is just a shell, there
being only the deck and the hull left. All the rest was burnt out. Her three funnels are
lying over on top of one another. Her foremast is down and her bridge blown away.
The starboard side of her deck is full of great holes and is torn up everywhere and
there are holes in the side you could walk through. The prisoners told us that one of
our shells killed 60 men and another burst under a gun and blew the gun and gun's
crew right over the side.

Of the upper deck hands there are only 15 left and only one uninjured. The rest are
mainly engine room ratings. Prince Franz Joseph (?) of Hohenzollern was aboard the
Emden and was now also a prisoner. He and the captain were uninjured.
We fired one torpedo, but she missed. During the action we made the best speed the
Sydney ever did. We got just on 30 knots out of her. Pretty good going!

When we had finished with the Emden we came on to Colombo, arriving here last
Sunday. We go on to Malta from here, the Melbourne and Sydney having been
ordered there.