AN OUTPOST OF THE NAVY

Evening Star, Issue 16237, 5 October 1916, Page 6

AN OUTPOST OF THE NAVY

TWO YEARS OF WAS. VOYAGE OP H.M.S. PYRAMUS DESCRIBED. A RECORD OF ADVENTURE. [Special to tux ‘ Star.’] CHRISTCHURCH, October 4. Although the men of H.M.S. Pyramus, who have returned to New Zealand on leave, have been instructed not to relate for publication any details of the work done by the warship except those of a general character, a ‘Star’ reporter obtained what might be termed an official account of the commission of H.M.S. Pvramiis from July, 1914, to August, 1916. It stated; The ship was commissioned at Wellington, New Zealand, on July 15, 1914, and carried ct j* h f ! r ordinary duties ns a training ship tin July £9, when we were ordered to proceed to Akaroa to calibrate and prepare for war. Preparations completed, we sailed for Auckland, arriving there a few hours before Tie message came through that war was teetered. At 2 a.m. next day wc- left Auckland, aad, after a few days at sea, received orders to return. On August 18 the shin J ■ -Dwhland in company with the Now Zealand squadron anl two transports canymg Now Zealand troops, and on arrival at Noumea, Now Caledonia, we were jo'ned by tho Auj ralia, Melbourne, and Montcalm, rrom there the whole squadron loft for Eramoa, calling at Suva on die wav, arriving off Apia, Samoa, on August 3&. At 1 p.m. the island surrendered, an cl at S a.m. nex; day was formally declared a British possession hy the French Admiral. —Escorting Transports.— In jho meantime troops and stores were lauaed, after which we returned to Now Zealand en route for Melbourne and Hobart, where we ioined the Now Zealand convoy ■on Septemosr 22, and escorted thorn to A.bany to join up with the first contingent ot ~uetraUan tioops. From thers wo proceeded to Mennagoa, Portuguese West India, touching at 1 remantle, Singapore, Penang, Colombo, and Bombay, and slaved there for some time guarding six Goman and Austrian ships. From there we tqBombay, and on December 31 J. 914, left for Ease Africa, arriving at Slombasa on January 10, IDIS, from which time till tho middle of April wo patrolled the deltas of the Ruflgi River and the Gorman East African coast, searching and capturis? three islands, and entering harbors, destroying German shipping. —Destroying the Kcenigsberg.— We then left for Simoimown to refit and bi June arrived back l q u Do German E.ist African coast and s.arted preparations for ths a; tack on the Hoenigeberg, °ue of tho German raiding cruisers which had been bottled up some time before. The first attack was made on Juiy 6, but as ;ho was not completely destroyed a second attack was made on' July 11, when our object was achieved and 'he Koen-gsbarg totally destroyed. Tho bomfcarament was carried out by two monitors, ana we bed tho honor of bring (ha only big ship io enter the river, our duly being to cover the monitors and bombard the concealed batterien on both banka. —ln tha Persian Gulf.—

Ai ts r vre proceeded to tho Persian UU:t, caking at Aden on ths way. As i-oni as wo arrived we were at it again, and on August- lo took pan in a naval and injitary expedition against a Persian tribe called th"« Tangis ani, who had been attacking the tCiCfrr.ph station and British Ccnem’s at Ispahan end Kerman. The landing war, out with few casualties, although tho oqas against us were very heavy. Tho expedition was very successful, the Tangis- ■ ani viiisge and fort being destroyed and tho tribe well punished. The captain of our ship was inves cd with the D.E.0., and two men were awarded the D.-S.M. for work done in this expedition. Shortly after fliio wo proceeded up tha gulf and captured a lurkisli tort, four field guns, and a great quantity of arms, ammunition, end military stores at a place called A 1 Bida, on tha Arabian coast. —Fighting at Bush re. — Then avo returned to Bushire, and on September 9 n landing party was sent a-ibore to assist in repelling an attack on tho town. The. party consisted of three machino guns and crests and a (section of marines, and, although we suffered heavy casualties, ths enrray were beaten off and badly dofoa-od. Tha genera] officer commanding congratulated the men and thanked them for their invaluable assistance. From this time onward tho ship'was employed patrolling and guarding on tho coast, which wore of vital importance, as they were the ci iy communications with Mesopotamia. Heir, rims to time there were alarms and au-ika" but they are not of sufficient importance to moot i on. The chip paid off at, —— on August £5, 1918, a tier a very oucrossiul and ‘ itoreau'ng experience, having steamed 75,560 sca n,)t* since the outbreak of war. / —General Details.— fio a > the men 5 anecdotes aro con corned, these chiefly refer to the rinlrbu* of the Emdim, some of tho Pyrajius men be* Having that if the Sydney had nrt Gaumed the notorious German raider iha Py. an>mi would have done so. As it happened, tlio Pyramus woo in time to help hurt n&’O/r----man dead. Life around the Persian Quif was at times very trying, and ©specially when operations were necessary on -here Tho great heat and tho piagua of flies and mosquitoes wore condemned in true nautical language. Tha flies were said to have feet like boot protectors, and the mosquitos were guaranteed to bit© through corduroy and even corrugated ironl The temperature was often os high ns -130deg—” eome ” heat. The men expressed their gratitude for the gifts sent out to them, fruit being particularly acceptable. Most of tho puddings however, arrived in poor condition. But tha thougftt uppermost in the men’s minds was : It is good to bo home again.*’