AUSTRALIAN FLEET

Grey River Argus, 7 October 1914, Page 2

AUSTRALIAN FLEET

INTERESTING SIDELIGHTS-. Some interesting sidelights on the operations of the Australian Fleet in the neighbourhood of German New Guinea were given to an Auckland Star reporter by Captain Mills, of the British Imperial Oil Company's steamer Phsa, which acted for a month (August 6 to September 6) as oil supply ship to the men-of-war. The oil was used for the most part by the destroyers Yarra, Paramatta r and Warrego, and the cruisers Sydney and Melbourne, but some was supplied to the battle-cruiser Australia. Before the Physa left, two of the company's biggest steamers, with about. 10,000 tons of oil on board, arrived on the scene. She herself had supplied the warships with about 1000 tons. Captain Miles spoke in the highest terms of the untiring energy of the men aboard the "destroyers, "All the time we were in those waters," he said, "it was blowing hard — strong south-east monsoon, with a heavy sea — practically a continuous gale. The destroyers were at work in all weathers. While : n the harbour the men were, almost always busy at something, coaling other ships, bossing gangs of natives, and so on, and on top of this, boats were generally out scouting all night, tearing along at never less than vj knots, shipping huge seas every minute. Yet the men were always cheerful and ready for work of any kind. No one could help admiring them." Referring to the capture of Rabaul, otherwise Simpsonhafen, Captain Miles said that when the British first visited the town they demanded that the Germans should disclose the where abouts of their wireless plant. To this demand the officials made a determined refusal, and in consequence the Post and Government offices which were contained in one building, were blown up with guncotton. At tliat time, it appeared, the warships could not sparer the men fo a garrison, and consequently the place had to be abandoned for the time.