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Page 11
TORPEDOING OF THE _TRIUMPH_
The day after the armistice, at fifteen minutes after noon, I was in
my dug-out when one of the men exclaimed that something was wrong with
the _Triumph_. I ran out and was in time to see the fall of the water
sent up by the explosive. It was a beautifully calm day, and the ship
was about a mile and a quarter from us; she had a decided list towards
us, and it was evident that something was radically wrong. With
glasses one could see the men lined up in two ranks as if on parade,
without the least confusion. Then two destroyers went over and put
their noses on each side of the big ship's bows; all hands from the
_Triumph_ marched aboard the destroyers. She was gradually heeling
over, and all movables were slipping into the sea. One of the
destroyers barked three or four shots at something which we took to be
the submarine. In fifteen minutes the _Triumph_ was keel up, the water
spurting from her different vent pipes as it was expelled by the
imprisoned air. She lay thus for seventeen minutes, gradually getting
lower and lower in the water, when quietly her stern rose and she
slipped underneath, not a ripple remaining to show where she had sunk.
I have often read of the vortex caused by a ship sinking, but as far
as I could see there was in this case not the slightest disturbance.
It was pathetic to see this beautiful ship torpedoed and in thirty-two
minutes at the bottom of the sea. I believe the only lives lost were
those of men injured by the explosion. Meanwhile five destroyers came
up from Helles at a terrific speed, the water curling from their bows;
they and all the other destroyers circled round and round the bay, but
the submarine lay low and got off. Her commander certainly did his job
well.
THE DESTROYERS
After the torpedoing of the _Triumph_ here, and the _Majestic_ in the
Straits all the big ships left and went to Mudros, as there was no
sense in leaving vessels costing over a million each to the mercy of
submarines. This gave the destroyers the chance of their lives. Up to
this they had not been allowed to speak, but now they took on much of
the bombardment required. They were constantly nosing about, and the
slightest movement on the part of the Turks brought forth a bang from
one of their guns. If a Turk so much as winked he received a rebuke
from the destroyer. The Naval men all appeared to have an unbounded
admiration for the Australians as soldiers, and boats rarely came
ashore without bringing some fresh bread or meat or other delicacy;
their tobacco, too, was much sought after. It is made up from the
leaf, and rolled up in spun yarn. The flavour is full, and after a
pipe of it--well, you feel that you have had a smoke.
THE INDIAN REGIMENTS
We had a good many Indian regiments in the Army Corps. The mountain
battery occupied a position on "Pluggey's Plateau" in the early stage
of the campaign, and they had a playful way of handing out the
shrapnel to the Turks. It was placed in boiling water to soften the
resin in which the bullets are held. By this means the bullets spread
more readily, much to the joy of the sender and the discomfiture of
Abdul. The Indians were always very solicitous about their wounded.
When one came in to be attended to, he was always followed by two of
his chums bearing, one a water bottle, the other some food, for their
caste prohibits their taking anything directly from our hands. When
medicine had to be administered, the man came in, knelt down, and
opened his mouth, and the medicine was poured into him without the
glass touching his lips. Food was given in the same way. I don't know
how they got on when they were put on the ship. When one was killed,
he was wrapped up in a sheet and his comrades carried him
shoulder-high to their cemetery, for they had a place set apart for
their own dead. They were constantly squatting on their haunches
making a sort of pancake. I tasted one; but it was too fatty and I
spat it out, much to the amusement of the Indians.
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