May 25th
Woke up in our new “bivvy” this morning. It is very nice up here now, overlooking Imbros. From my bed I see the Swiftsure fire a shot into the water. I get up at once, and looking through my glasses, see her fire another, this time between the Agamemnon, which is moored close by, and herself. Torpedo destroyer comes dashing up, and immediately makes big circles round the two ships. A tiny little pinnace slips out with only four sailors on it, and rushes round and round the Swiftsure like a little pup defending its mother. A bugle sounds several times, and men in white swarm out from all kinds of places and stand to stations on the decks.
A submarine has been sighted right among our shipping; it had darted like an evil fish between the Swiftsure and the Agamemnon, and the Swiftsure had kept it off.
At one o’clock news arrives that H.M.S. Triumph has been torpedoed off the Australian landing at Gabe Tepe, and it is a terrible shock to us all, coming as it has so soon after the sinking of the Goliath. A good many lives were saved—nearly all the crew. No doubt it was hit by the same submarine that attempted to finish off the Swiftsure and Agamemnon this morning. We are all naturally anxious at further developments.
A Turkish battery is shelling the aerodrome on the east side of “W” Beach. Some very good practice is made and one machine is damaged.
This afternoon the same thing starts, and one shell pitches into the sea. If they move their gun five degrees right, they have the range of our “bivvy” nicely.