Gallipoli Diary

Tuesday Apr 13/15

Tuesday Apr 13/15

Went
back on our course & sighted
the tug & barges at 6 am. Steamed
alongside & 2 officers of ship
& 3 Lascars dropped down ropes
into the tug & got a new line
aboard. A heavy sea was
running & the boats were now
astern with the men on board.

This was between the islands
off Asia Minor & skipper intended
getting to leeward of land to
make things fast & take off
the men. But the cable parted
& he decided to rescue the men
& abandon the tug. We manned
2 lifeboats but it would have
been hazardous to launch
them & the Itonus steamed
alongside & the men had to
scramble up ropes dropped to
them. The chief officer – the last to come off was thrown
against the ships' side and
stunned but was hauled aboard.

Meantime the barges had
broken adrift and the steam
launch was carried on to the
port propeller of the ship &
stove in. She sank in about
3 minutes & we continued on
our course having lost about
200 miles owing this trouble.
The lost boats were valued at
about £ 2000 & being for use
of the troops we did not want
to lose them. However with
the sea on & the gale that was
blowing it was very dangerous
to attempt to save them and
we were pleased to see the
officers & men safely on board
again. During time Itonus
was “hove to” she rolled very
much in the trough of the sea
the instruments registering over
30° of a list several times.

Many men were naturally
sick, but I came through
without any trouble of that
sort. Afternoon sea went
down & by nightfall we
were making good way in
calm weather.