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Threads in Time
It is May 1826 and Alexander Hare and John Clunies-Ross are the first settlers on the Keeling-Cocos Islands. The Islands lie around 12 degrees South of the Equator and in Longitude some 96-97 degrees East, enjoying splendid isolation in the Indian Ocean. They had been named about 20 years earlier by the British hydrographer, James Horsburgh. One of the islands still bears his name and the channel between Horsburgh and neighbouring Direction Island is called Port Refuge.
It is half a century later and on the other side of the World Eleanor Susan Vaughan presents her husband John with their first children. The twins, Maud and John, are born early in the morning of 24 September 1877 at 19 St John's Street, Portsea, Hampshire. The Sea is in the blood of young John; his father is a Royal Navy Seaman, his grandfather a Master Mariner and his great grandfather a sailor with the Ordnance Board and the War Department.
Back on the Cocos Islands it is 1886 and George Clunies-Ross is Governor. In recognition of which, HM Queen Victoria grants all of the Islands to the Clunies-Ross family in perpetuity.
It is 1896 and young John Vaughan is so eager to get in to the Royal Navy that he lies about his age and joins up as a Stoker 2nd Class. A year on and he is made up to Stoker while serving on HMS Ramilles.
It is the start of the 20th Century and in 1901 the Telegraph Cable is laid between Durban and Adelaide and Perth. In order to erect a Cable Station, The Australasia & China Telegraph Company lease from the Clunies-Ross family land on Direction Island.
At the St Nazaire Ship Yard, under the 1901 Programme the Arquebus Class Destroyer Mousquet is launched on 7 August 1902 and her sister ship the Pistolet is launched on 29 May 1903.
It is August 1903 and in the Nevski Ship Yard the Russian Izumrud Class Cruiser, Jemtchug (Zhemchug) is launched. She is completed just in time for the Russo-Japanese War which starts on 8 February 1904. For the Russian Navy the War is to last just over a year until, for them, the disastrous Battle of Tsushima on 14 and 15 May 1905. During the cover of night the Jemtchug and the Cruisers Oleg and Aurora make a desperate escape from the battle and proceed to the neutral port of Manilla. The size of Russia's defeat is shown by the figures of some 18 ships lost, over 5000 sailors killed and over 6000 captured. The Japanese losses are 3 destroyers and under 700 sailors killed.
By this time John Vaughan has been made up to Leading Stoker 2nd Class and is on Victory II alongside his future brother-in-law, Henry Haselgrove. July 1, 1906 and John is made up to Stoker Petty Officer II, he later joins the Battleship HMS Prince of Wales and 1 October, 1906 he is made up to Stoker PO. Nearly a year passes and 20 September 1907 John gains his Stokehold Certificate while still on Prince of Wales.
May 26, 1908 and at the Kaiserliche Werft, Danzig the Dresden Class Light Cruiser, SMS Emden is launched. She has a length overall of some 388 feet and her main armament comprises ten 4.1 inch guns. She is commissioned on 10 July 1909. Over the same period, as part of the Russian Volunteer Fleet, the auxiliary cruiser Ryazan is built at the Ferdinand Schichau Shipyard, Elbing.
It is 1910 and the Edwardian era comes to end when George V takes the throne on the death of his father.
February 1911 and at the Govan shipyard of the London & Glasgow Engineering Company work starts on a Chatham Class Light Cruiser. Four Hundred and Fifty-six Feet and Ten Inches length overall with her main armament of eight 6-inch guns, she is to become HMAS Sydney.
Later in the year and King George approves the Memorandum which brings the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) into being. Over the next Eighteen months there is a need to help the fledgling RAN and the RN looks for Officers and skilled Other Ranks to volunteer to go “on loan” to the RAN; March 8, 1913 and John Vaughan signs up to a 3 year “RAN Agreement” as a Stoker Petty Officer. It is 26 June 1913 and HMAS Sydney is commissioned at Portsmouth. The next day and John Vaughan joins the crew as a Stoker Petty Officer.
Whether John got to know before he sailed is unsure, but on 16 July, Maud, John’s twin died. She had remarried in 1909 after being widowed in 1908.
July 25, 1913 and HMAS Sydney departs Plymouth under the command of Captain John Collings Taswell Glossop, RN; she is Australia bound. She arrives at Albany on 19 September and on 4 October enters Sydney Harbour.
Australia Goes to War
July 1914 and already the lights are going out over Europe: the scene is set for the War to end all Wars. Early evening on 1st August and Germany declares war on Russia. August 3, Germany declares war on France. Thousands of miles away and of the 3800 permanent personnel in the RAN, 850 are “on loan” from the Royal Navy. The 850 includes John Vaughan on board HMAS Sydney at Townville. In company with the destroyers HMAS Warrego and Yarra, the Sydney heads North to join the Pacific Squadron under Admiral Patey. August 4 and Great Britain declares war on Germany. The same day near Japanese territorial waters, SMS Emden chases down her first prize. Emden has spotted smoke on the horizon and closing on it orders her prey to heave to. The vessel turns out to be the Russian auxiliary cruiser, Ryazan on her way to Vladivostok. She is making a desperate attempt to reach Japanese waters and has no intention of stopping, but then Emden opens fire, first with blanks and then two live rounds across the bows. The Ryazan heaves to and a prize crew is put on board. Thus begins the Emden’s metamorphosis from “Swan of the East” to sea wolf.
The Ryazan is a prize indeed, not only the first for the Emden, but also the first for Germany and with ready made embrasures she is easily converted into an Armed Merchant Raider. Taken to Tsingtao she takes on board the guns and name of the old German cruiser, the Cormoran. She then starts a fruitless search for prey which will end on December 14, 1914 when she runs low of supplies and fuel and pitches up on Guam. She is interned there until America enters the War in 1917, her crew then scuttle her, taking 7 of them to the bottom with her.
It is August 7, 1914 and Admiral Patey issues the RAN’s first Operation Order, which targets German shipping and the territory of German New Guinea. The intention is to sink the Cruisers Scharnhorst, Gneisenau and Nurnberg and perhaps the yacht Komet and the survey ship Planet too. In addition, to attack Simpsonhafen and Matupi. In particular, Sydney, in charge of the destroyers, is to “proceed to Simpsonhafen at 20 knots” and at 9pm should send in the destroyers to attack any men-of-war found there. However, the chickens have flown the coop, for the next day Emden has a rendezvous off Pagan Island with Admiral von Spee and the German Asiatic Squadron. After discussion Captain Muller convinces the Admiral that Emden should play a lone hand in the Indian Ocean. Admiral von Spee departs with the rest of the Squadron on their journey to their own destiny.
It is August 14 and Emden departs for the Indian Ocean. The Komet, the “Governor’s yacht” for German New Guinea, arrives at Rabaul only to leave immediately for the safety of a secret anchorage, known to its crew as Komethafen.
Knowing the importance of Telegraph and WT stations to the war effort, August 18 and the Admiralty sends a telegram with orders to seize and occupy Rabaul and Maura Yap.
It is September and the month sees successes for both the Sydney and the Emden. September 11 and Sydney takes part in the capture of Rabaul. During the same time and over the coming weeks the Emden captures 17 ships, all but two are British. Most of the British ships are sent to the bottom, either by demolition charges, or as target practice for Emden’s gun crews. The success of this lone cruiser and its ability to evade the combined efforts of Britain and her allies starts the Love/Hate relationship with the British Press. On one hand there is annoyance over such seemingly heavy losses and the apparent ease with which the Emden cocks a snoot at the Royal Navy and on the other, admiration for the dashing and gentlemanly Captain von Muller and his crew.
As a ruse de guerre von Muller has a dummy fourth funnel added to the Emden and when flying the White Ensign she has more than a passing resemblance to HMS Yarmouth. Nervous captains of British merchantmen must have felt a degree of comfort and security to see her steam towards them, until her true colours were seen as the ensign of the Kaiser’s Navy and a shot across the bows was swiftly followed by the signal to “Heave to at once”.
It is the night of September 22 and in the city of Madras its citizens are awoken by the sound of gunfire. The targets are the vital fuel oil tanks of the Burmah/ Anglo Persian Oil Company and the guns are the 4.1 inch guns of the Emden. She fires off nearly 150 shells at the tanks before she disappears like a ghost into the night. She leaves behind blazing oil tanks and a panic stricken city. It is another dent in British morale.
Four days later and it is the turn of the Sydney as she destroys the WT Station on Angeur/Peleu Island.
As September turns into October plans are being made for the first ANZAC troop convoy to leave Australia and on October 6 Sydney and HMAS Melbourne are ordered to return to Australia to form part of the warship escort for the convoy.
The Allied Forces continue their advances through the German territories including Yap, where on October 7 the crew of the German Survey Vessel Planet scuttle her, rather than let her fall into enemy hands.
It is October 11 and the Komet is captured at Komethafen by a small force carried on a hastily armed steam pinnace, the Nusa; a prize taken by the Australians at Kavieng. The story will have it that the Komet was taken so completely by surprise that its captain is halfway through his morning shave when the Komet is boarded.
Early in the morning of 28 October, all is quiet in Penang Harbour, but that is about to change. On board the Russian Cruiser, Jemtchug, with its Captain ashore, the lookouts notice what appears to be the British Cruiser Yarmouth, with its four funnels and flying the White Ensign. To their amazement the Ensign disappears, to be replaced by the Battle Ensign of the Kaiser’s Navy. It is the Emden and she opens fire with devastating effect. On the Jemtchug confusion reigns, shells are in the wrong place to be of any use to those surviving guns which are in a position to retaliate. Her gun crews do get off a few ill- aimed shots, but they go wildly adrift. Emden comes retraces her course and again opens fire with guns and torpedoes. More explosions signal the end for the survivor of Tsushima and she sinks to the bottom of the harbour. Captain von Muller orders the Emden back to the open sea. Some of the Allied warships try to react, but they are too late. The only ship sea-ready is the French Destroyer Mousquet and the plucky vessel goes after the Emden like a terrier. What follows is short, brutal and very one-sided, for within ten minutes the Mousquet shares the fate of the unfortunate Jemtchug. Emden stops briefly to pick up survivors and is on her way again, but she is not in the clear yet. In the area is the Mousquet’s sister ship, the Pistolet. She is drawn by the sound of gunfire and gives chase. The weather comes to the aid of Emden and, in the light of the fate of her sister, to the Pistolet too. Contact is lost in the continuing squalls. Later on and out on the high seas once more, the crew of Emden give military burials to those French sailors who had died on board.
HMAS Sydney and SMS Emden; a fateful encounter
It is 1 November and the first ANZAC Convoy leaves Albany en route for the Middle East and Europe. It is escorted by Sydney, HMAS Melbourne, HMS Minatour and the Japanese Cruiser Ibuki. They are unaware that half a world away Admiral von Spee and his squadron have a fateful encounter with the British Cruisers HMS Good Hope, HMS Monmouth and HMS Glasgow and the armed merchant Cruiser Otranto. The result is the devastating loss of the Good Hope and the Monmouth.
Meanwhile Captain von Muller makes a change to his tactics and to his luck. He is proceeding towards the Cocos Islands intent on the destruction of the Cable Relay and WT Station. What he does not realise is that the ANZAC Convoy will be just 50 miles away from the Islands at the same time. The Emden sees the raid as an opportunity to recoal and at 6.20 am on November 9 she signals her collier, the Buresk, to rendezvous in Port Refuge. The signals are picked up by both the Cocos WT Station and several transports in the convoy. It is 6.30 am and the Cocos WT Station signals “Foreign warship approaching”. The Emden puts ashore some 43 officers and men and they quickly set about demolishing the Station and attacking the cables. Seven o’clock and Sydney is ordered to make full speed to investigate.
The lookouts on the Emden see the smoke from the Sydney and may well think that it is the Buresk. However, it is soon obvious that it is an enemy warship. The Emden signals the raiding party to return to ship, first by searchlight and then with her siren. Time is running out and Captain von Muller has no choice but to weigh anchor and go to meet the threat. He has no wish to be caught on the equivalent of a lee shore. It is 9.15 am and his tactics are to get in first and try to cripple his opponent. At 9.40 am the Emden opens fire at extreme range and with incredible rapidity. The results on Sydney are some 15 hits, with 3 ratings killed and a number of others wounded. One of the wounded will later die of his wounds. Captain Glossop regroups his crew and it is the turn of the Sydney to open fire with her 6-inch guns. Her first salvoes are straddling shots which bracket the Emden. She then scores 2 hits on Emden’s stern. The shots slice into deep into the German and the ensuing explosions turn the stern section into an inferno.
The Sydney breaks away as the battle continues and having made sea room is able to use her superior speed and firepower to continue to inflict terrible damage on the Emden. To add to the fire aft, Emden loses her foremost funnel and foremast along with its fire control station. The accuracy of the Australian’s fire is such that Emden then loses her second funnel and finally her third funnel. The ship is virtually reduced to scrap and in order to save what is left of his crew Captain von Muller orders the Emden to be beached on North Keeling Island. It is 11.20 am and Emden is fast on the shore.
While all of this has been going on, the Buresk arrives at Port Refuge and is sighted on and off by Sydney during the battle. As the Emden, although still fast, is flying her Battle Ensign the Sydney gives her two further broadsides before setting off after the Buresk. It is 12.10 and the Sydney puts a shot across the bows of the Buresk and orders her to stop. But it is too late, the German Prize Crew have opened the sea-cocks and damaged them beyond repair. After taking off the crew and setting up tows for the Buresk’s boats, Sydney opens fire and sinks the Buresk. Sydney now starts her return to the Emden and on the way allows the towed boats to begin picking up survivors from the Emden. Off North Keeling Island Sydney signals Emden “Will you surrender?”, Emden replies in Morse “What signal? No signal books.”. Once again Sydney signals the question, but this time in Morse, followed by “Have you received my signal?”. This time there is no answer. Several of the captured German officers intimate that the lack of a reply is due to the fact that their Captain would never surrender. After some soul searching, Captain Glossop gives the order to open fire. It is 4.30 pm and after 5 minutes the Emden strikes her colours. and raises a white flag.
I doubt whether John Vaughan saw much if anything of the battle, but as a steadying hand it is worth noting that Captain Glossop will say in his despatch to the Admiralty “I have great pleasure in stating that the behaviour of the ship’s company was excellent in every way, and with such a large proportion of young hands and people under training it is all the more gratifying. The engines worked magnificently, and higher results than trials were obtained…..”.
With the main battle over the Sydney breaks off in order to proceed to Direction Island and assess the damage to the WT and Cable Station. With night falling Sydney has little choice but to hold off from Direction until morning.
The German landing party on Direction Island have seen what must be the destruction of their ship and decide that they have to fend for themselves. At 6 pm, after having commandeered the Clunies-Ross’s yacht Ayesha, the landing party leaves Cocos Islands on what will be an epic voyage across the Indian Ocean to Africa, across Arabia and ending in Turkey the following June. They will then have the honour of informing the German Admiral Souchon “The Landing Party of the SMS Emden, 5 Officers, 7 Petty Officers and 30 ratings reporting”
On the Cocos Islands it is 10 November and after a party from Sydney have assessed the damage at the Station, the Sydney returns to the Emden. The damage to the ship is devastating enough, but below decks it is a shambles, the dead number about 120 officers and men. The rest of the day until nightfall is spent transferring the wounded to the Sydney and turning her into what in Captain Glossop’s own words is “a hospital ship of a most painful description”. The work continues from first light the following morning and at 10.35 am on November 11 the Sydney leaves the Cocos Islands and proceeds to Colombo. As well as the German prisoners, the Sydney also carries 6429 Mexican Silver 8 Real Pieces- the fabled Pieces of Eight so beloved by Pirates- taken from the wreck.
In North America
The Sydney arrives in Colombo and Captain Glossop sends his Despatch to the Admiralty on November 15. When the news breaks in London “The Times” writes “We rejoice that the cruiser Emden has been destroyed at last, but we salute Captain von Muller as a brave and chivalrous foe. We trust his life is saved, for if he came to London he would receive a generous welcome. Our maritime race know how to admire a daring and resourceful seaman, and there are few episodes of modern naval history more remarkable than the meteoric career of the little Emden....................... Had all his (von Muller) countrymen fought as he had done, the German Nation would not be execrated in the world today. We are glad to know that the distinction of disposing of the Emden has fallen to the King’s Australian Navy ....”
With little respite Sydney is ordered from Colombo to Malta. It is December 3 and Sydney arrives in Malta. Once again Sydney is on the move as she is ordered to Bermuda as part of the North America and West Indies Stations.
The year is drawing to a close and time is running out for Admiral von Spee. It is December8 and in what is to become the Battle of the Falklands, the Scharnhorst, and Gneisenau are sunk by HMS Invincible and Inflexible. the Leipzig is sunk by HMS Glasgow and Cornwall and HMS Kent sinks the Nurnburg. The only German ship to escape is the SMS Dresden. However, her escape will be short lived as she is sunk in the following March.
It is 1915 and the year is spent on patrol. Sydney and her sister ship HMAS Melbourne cover an area stretching from Halifax, Nova Scotia to the Caribbean. The year waxes and wanes and it is 1916.
It is March 3, 1916 and John Vaughan signs his second RAN Agreement which will take him through to 1919 and 3 more years of war.
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