26th December	At Abrolhos Rocks off the Brazilian coast. No news of the Dresden or Karlesruhe still at large
1915
6th January	At Port Stanley
15th February	In docks in Malta
6th March	In the Dardanelles. Silencing of Fort 8.

Letter to Reginald dated 6th March 1915 and published in "The Morning Times" of 3rd April 1915

My Dear Dad,

I wish you many happy returns of the day. I hope this letter will arrive more or less on the right date, but of course one can't choose one's own time for letter writing nowadays - one takes one's chance.

We have been having an exciting time lately. After leaving Malta, we went up to the Dardanelles where there are heaps of other ships bombarding the place. We have made a base of a small island just outside the entrance and take turns to bombard.

The other day it was our turn. We went up about 10 miles, past all the forts which have already been silenced, till we came to those which had not. It was our business to silence "No 8" fort, which is on the European side. We opened fire on it, and got the range pretty quickly, and then kept on firing with our 6 inch guns and an occasional shot from our 12 inch, it was not until 1 ½ hours after the start that the fort thought of returning our fire, but when they did so they were pretty accurate. They bought our main topmast down, made a large hole in the Quarterdeck, the shot going through and damaging the Ward Room, a hole was made in our after funnel, besides the damage done by splinters of shell (they had been firing shrapnel) which I found on the Quarterdeck after the action. Anyhow we went on firing till sunset, which was about 6 o'clock, and then we chucked it in having silenced the fort.

Next day we went along the Asiatic coast outside the Dardanelles hunting for hidden field guns and things which might open fire if we attempted to land men or anything. We rooted out several and silenced then with our 6 inch - blew most of them into the air since we were at such close range. Today we were mostly employed in watching where the shots from the big ships went who were firing overland, and correcting their range for them since they could not see- we fired a few desultory shots ourselves.

P.

Letter dated 12th March 1915

A few nights ago we delivered a night attack, the whole ship being pitch dark herself. The mine-sweepers went ahead sweeping for mines, of which they picked up several, while we followed on astern firing at any lights or searchlight we could see on either shore. Some batteries replied to our fire, but nothing hit us.

But it seems that the Turks did more damage to us than we did to them, for although we managed to extinguish one or two of their searchlights, they sank two of our mine-sweepers, one I'm afraid with all hands - in the other all were saved.

We spent all last night patrolling outside the straits and in the morning came across a floating mine. We tried to sink it with rifle fire, but failed, though we hit it often enough. Then we tried a Maxim, which was equally ineffective. A 3-pounder gun was next tried, and after several shots we managed to sink it. Later we saw three more and sank them all.

The Admiral has called for volunteers of officers (including Gunroom officers) for work on the trawlers and mine-sweepers. All the Gunroom of Canopus has volunteered, but so many others have also that I don't suppose we shall get much of a chance.

	15th March Minehunting 18th March Sinking of Irresistible, Ocean and Bouvet 29th March Greek island? 6th April Sailed for Malta with the damaged Inflexible. Tows her by the stern much of the way. 15th April At Skyros Just back from Malta 2nd May Wounded at Anzac Cove. (See photograph)
Gallipoli - HMS River Clyde run aground at V Beach (note the Senegalese troops)

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