The Fictitious History of Swan of the East, a 1914 PBEM Naval Wargame, Part One

Imagine my surprise browsing a used book store over the holidays and finding this old, long out of print history of the first months of the Great War at Sea in the East.   Imagine further, dear reader, that the events described therein were an exact match for the events of the naval campaign game that myself and eleven wonderful people participated in between June and November 2025!  I stood for many moments in that bookstore, turning those old pages in wonderment.  What strange alternate history timewarp did this volume emerge from, and who was Capt. C.M. Peters?  I could find no record of him in any history, and online sources such as Dreadnought Project yielded nothing.

So, over the next week, I shall be posting the contents of the history of this online game, which for me was the highpoint of my gaming career.   That it was a success is thanks to the creativity and commitment of the players, who seemed to have as much fun as I did.   You can go through back posts of this blog to learn about the mechanics of the game.  MP+

 Introduction

The author acquired first hand knowledge of the events described in this history as a staff officer serving in the Admiralty.   After the war he had the privilege of interviewing many of the participants whose accounts grace these pages.    This book is dedicated to the gallant sailors of all nations who contested the Pacific and Asian sealanes in the fall of 1914.

Captain C.M Peters, Rn (retd)

Part One:  Preparing for War

As both sides in the Pacific prepared for war, there was one man who had a definite plan.    Vice Admiral Maximilian Johannes Maria Hubert Reichsgraf von Spee, commander of the Kaiserliche Marine’s East Asiatic Squadron, spent the last days of peace laying at anchor in the Caroline Islands.  

Besides his flagship the heavy cruiser SMS Scharnhorst, and her sister ship, Gneisnau, his squadron consisted of the light cruiser Nurnberg, as well as the supply ships Titania and Markomania.  In addition, still in port in Tsingtao, Spee’s command included the light cruiser Emden (Kapitan Muller) and the hastily converted armed merchant cruiser, Prinz Eitel Friedrich (Kapitan Thierichens), a passenger ship of the Hamburg Amerika Line.  In Dar es Salaam, Spee also had the light cruiser Konigsberg (Kapitan Loof).

Spee’s orders from Berlin were to “wage a vigorous cruiser warfare” against Allied merchant shipping, while maintaining a fleet in being to threaten Allied naval forces and the vital convoys of colonial troops that would surely be raised and transported.  Spee knew that these orders could be contradictory.   To raid enemy merchant shipping he would have to disperse his ships, while threatening Allied naval forces meant risking damage that could not be repaired so far away from Germany.  He also knew that the recent development of wireless telegraphy equipment was a mixed blessing, for every communication with his squadron carried the risk of detection by superior allied forces.  In his favour, Spee knew that he could count on crack, well trained crews, except for the hastily assembled crew of the Friedrich.   He also knew that his sailors were well trained in night fighting, which would give the Kaiser’s men an edge on several occasions in the campaign to come.

Accordingly, Spee’s orders to his captains, given in sealed envelopes and only to be opened in the event of war, were simple:

• Avoid combat unless absolutely necessary;
• Get to sea at once so you are not blockaded in port;
• Maintain wireless silence unless absolutely necessary; and
• Treat captured merchant crews courteously while sinking their ships.

He assigned his ships to the following areas:

Koenigsberg would operate to the west of Australia and try to pick off merchants on the India/Arabia/Africa routes,  Friedrich would hunt the Pacific trade routes north and northwest of the Carolines, Emden would operate west of the Carolines and prey on the China trade.   

Spee’s own squadron would operate initially in the Carolines, raiding commerce routes while keeping an eye out for exposed allied naval units that could be picked off with minimal risk.

Leutnant Von Lans, who survived the sinking of Scharnhorst, remembered that Von Spee “always appeared calm, confident and encouraging, but one saw glimpses of a fatal resignation in his demeanour, the knowledge that he and many of his shipmates would never return home.”

In Tsingtao, the last days of peace were spent in frantic preparation as Emden and Eitel Friedrich took on coal, supplies, and ammunition.   Theo Mundt, the Executive Officer of the Eitel Friedrich, recalled that there was little time to integrate the crew, a mix of sailors from the gunboats Luchs and Tiger, reservists newly arrived from Germany, and civilian volunteers from the Hamburg Amerika crew.   “We did the best we could, and managed to be ready for sea in the same time as Emden, which made us all proud”.  Mundt recalled sitting with Kapitan Max Therichens the night before sailing, and toasting their ship.   As Mundt joked, “I never thought I’d be taking a floating hotel to war”.

And so it was that at night, in the last hours of peace, Emden and Friedrich left Tsingtao and parted company, while Kapitan Max Loof ordered Koenigsberg into the Mozambique Channel on what would be an eventful cruise.

Opposing Von Spee were three Royal Navy admirals and their foreign allies.    Operating out of Simonstown in South Africa, Rear Admiral Sir Herbert Goodenough King-Hall commanded the Cape Squadron.    

A veteran sea dog, King-Hall had first seen action as a midshipman in the Anglo-Egyptian War of 1882.    He knew these waters intimately, but was also painfully aware that his three ships, the protected cruisers HMS Pegasus, HMS Astraea, and HMS Hyacinth, were all built in the late 1800s whereas his likely opponent, Koenigsberg, was much newer.   Also weighing on King-Hall’s mind was the warning from the Admiralty that the German battlecruiser SMS Moltke, sister ship of the Goeben, could be en route to reinforce Von Spee.    

The First Lord of the Admiralty, Winston Churchill, was aware that the Cape Squadron would be no match for Moltke, and ordered the pre-dreadnought battleship HMS Swiftsure, to steam to reinforce.   As King-Hall wrote later, “The First Lord told me that since my ships were slower and inferior to those of the enemy, there was no use in running.   We were to sell our lives dearly in the best traditions of the service”.   With the promise of Swiftsure’s arrival, King-Hall’s squadron steamed north with the intention of blockading Dar Es Salaam.

Meanwhile in Hong Kong, Vice Admiral Martyn Jerram prepared his China Squadron for war.   

Besides his flagship the pre-dreadnought HMS Triumph, Jerram’s squadron included the slow but powerful armoured cruisers HMS Minotaur and HMS Hampshire, while for his eyes and ears her could count on the fast light cruisers HMS Newcastle and HMS Yarmouth.   While powerful in terms of tonnage and guns, Jerram knew that his crews varied in quality.   Only Newcastle had a crew that was trained to a superior standard.   

Attached to the China Squadron was the French armoured cruiser Dupleix, commanded by Captain Louis Juares.    

The relationship between Juares and Jerram began poorly and deteriorated thereafter.  Neither spoke the other’s language, and Juares found Jerram to be typical of his prejudices of the condescending English sea dog.     For his part, Jerram had a low opinion of the French crew, doubting their experience and competence, and relegated Dupleix to the unglamorous task of patrolling the sea lanes while he hunted the Germans.  Commander Edgar St John de Lancey, Jerram’s Intelligence Officer, spoke good French and did his best to mediate between the two, but found the task difficult.  “Both men cordially disliked the other from the start, and I think the Admiral often forgot that the French were part of his command, while Juares grew increasingly bitter and cynical as the weeks went on.  It was an Entente, but never an Entente Cordiale.”

In the last day of peace, Jerram received orders from the Admiralty to raise steam and prepare to sail.   Once hostilities were declared on 2 August, the China Squadron steamed north towards Tsingtao, leaving Dupleix to guard the South China Sea. 

The third member of this Royal Navy triumvirate, Rear Admiral George Edwin Patey, commanded the newly formed Royal Australian Navy’s sole squadron, based in Sydney.   

 Sharp-tongued and hard driving, Patey was an aggressive commander who did not suffer fools gladly.    He flew his flag in the battlecruiser HMAS Australia, paid for by subscription by her namesake colony but with a mostly British crew.   Her guns were more than a match for Spee’s heaviest ships.  Also part of the squadron were the  modern and fast light cruisers, HMAS Sydney with a highly efficient crew, and HMAS Melbourne.  Patey could also call on the older armoured cruiser HMAS Encounter.

Patey had a difficult relationship with Churchill, as the First Lord had given him conflicting orders.   On the one hand, he was tasked with steaming to Dar Es Salaam to reinforce King-Hall’s venerable ships and guard against any breakthrough by the German bogeyman Moltke.    However, he also knew that he was responsible for protecting the Australian trade routes and the troop convoys that would inevitably be sent from Australia and New Zealand once the war came.    Patey also knew that the enemy base in Rabaul, German New Guinea, could be a haven for Von Spee.  Small wonder then that he was known for his waspish temper.

Patey’s solution to this fraught situation was to divide his squadron.  Australia and Sydney would steam west and assist King Hall, while Melbourne and Encounter would steam north and blockade Rabaul.

Finally, we should mention the allied naval forces that played a significant contribution to the campaign.   

Coming from the frigid waters around Vladivastock was Commodore Admiral Sergei Ivanov, with his flag in Askold.   With her distinctive five funnels, Askold was well known in the Pacific.  A German design, and quite fast, she was plagued with smaller than normal coal bunkers.    Ivanov’s squadron included the older protected cruiser Jentchug,  Her captain, Baron I. A. Cherkasov, was socially superior to Ivanov but far less competent, which made for a difficult relationship. Ivanov also had the challenge of managing crews that were still infected by the mutinous spirit of the 1905-06 rebellion.   A veteran of the Russo-Japanese war, and a former junior naval attaché to Britain, Ivanov had excellent English and was a conscientious commander who strove to motivate and improve his crew.

Finally, the Imperial Japanese Navy contributed the fast light cruiser Chikuma, a close copy of an English design, the first Japanese warship to be equipped with steam turbines. 

Her captain, Hiroshi Tatsuo, had commanded a torpedo boat in the war with Russia and had been decorated for sinking a Russian cruiser.  One can imagine that he had no love for the Russians, which was potentially awkward as he and Ivanov were both attached to Jerram’s China Squadron.   

As it turned out, both the Russian and Japanese contributions were highly effective, and deserved as much credit for the final victory in the Pacific as did the Royal Navy.

With our list of dramatis personae complete, we can now turn to the first moves of the naval war in the east.

To Be Continued

The Singapore Sling - Final Edition

Our naval defence correspondent "Neptune" offers another column from his vantage point at the Empire Lounge, Raffles Hotel (reflecting state of play in our PBEM campaign at the conclusion of the game.)

VON SPEE SUNK, PRESUMED DEAD

The Royal Navy has confirmed as fact the Imperial Japanese Navy's claim to have sunk the German light cruiser Nurnberg.    The battle occurred in the late evening of November 14, when the IJN cruiser Chikuma (Captain Tatsuo) encountered the German ship and challenged her by lantern.  After a moment without satisfactory response, Chikuma opened fire and in a short ensuing fight, sank the lighter ship.   Nurnberg sank with guns blazing, but did not land a hit on her opponent.

A handful of survivors were rescued from the dark waters, and they confirmed that Admiral Von Spee was on Nurnberg but was not among those rescued.  One German sailor confirmed that the Admiral helped him escape the bridge as the ship heeled over and the deck canted, but an inrush of waters pulled Von Spee down and he presumably perished with most of his crew.

Von Spee was a gallant opponent and deserved the utmost respect for his chivalrous conduct.    

EMDEN ESCAPES!!!

News of Von Spee's demise was soured by news that the piratical scourge of the seas, the SMS Emden, has escaped the Royal Navy's dragnet and is presumably on her way to South American waters.   News of her escape comes following the seizure of the port of Rabaul by an Australian expeditionary force, which was led into the harbour escorted by the French cruisers Dupleix and Montcalm.   Once Captain Juares of the Dupleix found someone sufficiently high ranking to offer surrender, it was determined that Emden has set sail some days previous.

This news will doubtless come as an embarrassment to the Royal Navy, as it had more than sufficient forces in the vicinity of Rabaul, but for reasons that are still unclear, no ship was assigned to blockade the harbour.   Such an elementary precaution would no doubt have at the very least have alerted our ships to Emden's presence, and might even have sunk or damaged her.  Your correspondent, wise to the ways of Whitehall, suspects that difficult questions will most definitely be asked in the Commons.

CREW RESCUED

If there is a silver lining to the dark cloud of Emden's escape, it is that a British merchant's crew has been freed from captivity at Rabaul by French naval marines.  The SS Matheran was the first victim of hostilities, and was captured by the SS Nurnberg days after the war was declared.   She was sailed to Rabaul by a German prize crew, her wireless removed and set up to serve a German observation post on a volcanic summit, and her crew then languished for many many weeks.   As Captain Mackison remarked, "It weren't all bad, we were treated decent, and had the run of the beaches, the German beer was decent, and the girls were friendly and ... come to think of it, it were quite grand, really.  Can we go back?"

CAPTAIN RELIEVED

Captain Robin Danvers of the armoured cruiser HMS Duke of Edinburgh has been relieved of command and is facing a board of inquiry after his ship was damaged in an encounter with a German warship, believed to the Emden, in the Philippine Sea in October.  Questions have been asked as to why Captain Danvers turned away from the fight after losing a boiler room and some power after an initial German hit.    Even with his speed impaired, his ship should have been more than a match for the Emden.

TRADE RESTORED

All through November, there have been no attacks on our merchant shipping, and all routes have been returning to normal levels of commerce.   If the German war aim was to cripple our commerce, then their efforts have been a singular failure.  The Royal Navy can now say, with the help of its gallant allies, that the pirates have been met on the high seas and vanquished.    While our losses were not insubstantial, particuarly the fine modern battlecruiser HMS Australia, the crack German East Asiatic Squadron will never return home and its sole survivor, the vaunted Emden, will surely be run to ground in South American waters by Admiral Craddock's squadron.

To all the brave parties in this struggle, Neptune raises a glass.

Referee's note:  

This last dispatch of the Singapore Sling marks the end of our PBEM campaign, which began in June.    The game ended on the 19th turn as the last German player asked if he could exit the board.  I agreed, on the grounds that 20 to 1 odds weren't much fun and gave the Allies 1/2 the VP value of Emden, reflecting the fact that she was at least driven out of theatre and is now someone else's problem.

The game ended in mid November, 1914, as a Minor Allied Victory, with a score of 82.5 to the German navy's 67.  Our game replicated the limits of the German raider effort in the Pacific, in that despite doing some damage, the sheer number of Allied warships and the constant worries of the German players about finding coal ultimately worked against a German victory.   In another post, I'll offer an overview of the game and some final comments.    Thanks for reading these posts - I hope you enjoyed reading them as much as I enjoyed writing them!  Michael

The Singapore Sling: Issues 12-14; News from Our PBEM Campaign

Our naval defence correspondent "Neptune" offers another column from his vantage point at the Empire Lounge, Raffles Hotel (reflecting state of play in our PBEM campaign after fourteen turns, with much information concealed for the purposes of OPSEC - ref).

AN INTERVIEW WITH THE FIRST  LORD OF THE ADMIRALTY (with thanks to the FSL player for the excellent answers)

 Good day Mr Churchill and thank you for taking the time to speak to our readers, who are very interested in the progress of the war.    How would you say the war is going as of October 1914?

The war is going splendidly and we would soon drive the boche out of France and out of the war. The Royal Navy is the key to victory and we will keep our army supplied, the Germans blockaded and food in the mouths of every citizen of the British isles. And for what it's worth, Admiral Fisher and I are busy coming up with all kinds of plans that are guaranteed to shorten the war even more, if it lasts long enough for us to implement it. 

Most of the action appears to be in the Pacific, where the Germans are very active.   Can you confirm if their commander, Admiral Von Spee, is still alive?

While I'm not able to confirm if Von Spee is alive, I can assure you if he is it will not be for long. He can run but he cannot hide, and we will find him and send him and his crew of pirates to the bottom of the sea.

The Royal Navy seems to be having a hard time hunting down the Germans.   Since the war began, you’ve lost a modern battle cruiser and two old cruisers, and had a battleship and a modern light cruiser badly damaged.   Do these losses concern you?

Having a hard time finding the Germans? My dear sir, I know exactly where the majority of Germans are, they are in the cages we put them in before we send them back to Britain to perform useful things like farm work to compensate for our own menfolk being off to the wars. There's also a great many on their ships still manning their action stations at the bottom of the Pacific, that's where the Germans are sir, and don't you forget it!

War sir, is not a game, losses will occur, the biggest difference between the Royal Navy and the Kaiser's ragtag collection of pirates, is that we have the ships to cover our losses, and they are at present negligible, while the Kaiser has nothing to replace what he's already lost and will lose in the very near future.

What would you say to merchants and passengers afraid to travel by sea in the Pacific?

I would say they are more likely to drown in their own bathtubs than anywhere in the Pacific where the Royal Navy is present. All the members of the fairer sex can rest assured the Royal Navy will be their steadfast escort and will chaperone them to their destinations and see them deposited on shore safely and with all their frilly and lacy belongings. 

As for any men who would be afraid to travel in the Pacific, well sir, just let me state that any man who is so uninformed as to fear for his life in traveling to Asia, well a man like this should just as well stay home, because his presence in Asia will simply serve to lower the continent's average level of intelligence and serve no positive purpose in service of any company unfortunate enough to have hired him.

Do you have anything else to say to our readers. sir?

All Americans should have no fear to travel to anywhere in the British Empire. The Royal Navy has secured the sea lanes and have made travel during this German instigated war as safe as it was in previous times of peace. So feel free to visit Asia, visit the United Kingdom, there is no danger from any German influence and the King's subjects are always happy to meet and do business with our American cousins. Traveling the oceans is and will continue to be, child's play, I guarantee it.

STARTLING NEWS FROM MANILA

News has reached us of the recent arrival in Manila of the Norwegian merchant ship Gudrun, carring a motley and much welcomed collection or passengers.  The passengers are recently released captives of the famed German pirate ship, Emden, and formed the crews of the SS Clan MacTavish, SS Garlandstone, SS Manxman, and the Russian merchantman Grigory Stenkov.   The captives also included three imprisoned Royal Navy officers, including Commander the Right Hon. Geoffrey Sykes-Willoughby.   

Faithful readers will recall that in September, HMS Sydney nearly captured the Emden, and rescued the passengers and crew of SS St Osmund.   One of those rescued was Mr Midshipman Jukes, who dived off the Emden and swam to safety.  His three RN companions are now also at liberty.   Commander Sykes-Willoughby told the Sling's correspondent that the crew of the Emden treated them with impeccable courtesy, and treated them to a concert and variety show before embarking them in the Gudrun.   

A Brownie camera photograph taken by one of Gudrun's crew shows members of the Emden, and RN MIdshipman Jameson as the young lady (centre), after their highly successful variety show.

As Sykes-Willoughby observed, "Dashed fine fellows, those Germans, and a pity we shall sink them and kill the lot.  Pity, they are such good singers".  The Captain of the Gudrun was last seen heading for the German Consulate to redeem a promissory note for delayed cargo and for the replacement of the ship's wireless set, destroyed before she was allowed to depart the Emden.

WITH ADMIRAL KING HALL AT DAR ES SALAAM

The Sling has obtained a copy of Admiral King Hall's dispatch describing thrilling and successful operations to capture the German base at Dar Es Salaam.  Along with Tsingtao, now in Japanese hands, this news means that surviving German raiders have no refuge in the Pacific save the Port of Rabaul, which is closely watched by the Royal Navy and its allies.

My lords,

Pursuant to your orders, I have the honour submit the following account of recent operations conducted under my direction along the coast of German East Africa, specifically in the vicinity of Dar Es Salaam.

At first light on the morning of the 28th ultimo, HMS Ocean commenced a deliberate bombardment of suspected enemy coastal emplacements.  The firing was sustained for a period exceeding one hour, during which time no return fire was observed.  Upon cessation of the barrage, HMS Pelorus advanced inshore, leading a flotilla of ship’s boats, each bearing a detachment of troops for the purpose of landing and seizing the place.

The landing force comprised elements of the East Surrey Regiment and sepoys of the Rajputana contingent, under the command of Brigadier Lawrence.  I cannot sufficiently praise the energy and enthusiasm of this officer, whose conduct deserves my highest approbation.  The disembarkation proceeded without incident, and within a few hours the town was secured.  No resistance was encountered, and the gun crews of the Pelorus, though eager, were afforded no opportunity to engage.  The landing parties reported that the German garrison had largely absconded prior to our arrival.  Only a handful of invalids and medical personnel remained, who were taken into custody without difficulty.

Concurrently, our patrols in the Mozambique Channel received intelligence from native fishermen indicating that a German warship was observed proceeding up the Rufiji River.  It is now confirmed that the vessel in question is the Königsberg, which, faced with the overwhelming strength of the Royal Navy, has been withdrawn from active operations to lend support to German land forces.  While this removes the immediate threat posed by that vessel, it has necessitated the continued presence of one of His Majesty’s ships in the Channel to prevent any resurgence until such time as it can be finally destroyed, to which I shall attend with appropriate force.

I cannot conclude this letter without drawing their lordships’ attention to the conduct, discipline, and courage of the sailors under my command, during this operation.  The co-operation of the Army contingent has been nothing short of exemplary.

I have the honour to remain, 

Your obedient servant, 

Rear Admiral Sir Herbert Goodenough King-Hall

NEWS OF THE KONIGSBERG

SMS Konigsberg Visiting Singapore Before the War

As Admiral King Hall's dispatch indicates, another of the Kaiser's pirates has been vanquished.   While it appears clear now that she was able to destroy two of His Majesty's cruisers, HMS Pegasus and Astraea, off Madagascar, something damage in that fight must have forced the German captain to take refuge up the Rufiji River.   Forces under Admiral King Hall have now blockaded her and will see that she poses no further threat to our shipping.  As Commander Peters of the Admiralty observed, "Another of the Kaiser's pieces has been removed from the board".  

Your humble correspondent Neptune welcomes all tips and information, especially when accompanied by a drink offer.  He can be found most days at the Empire Lounge, at his usual table for the 4pm Happy Hour.  Ask Fernando the barman to point him out to you.

Canadian Wargamer Podcast Episode 32 Is Out

James and I were joined in the studio by our old friend and hobby guru Don Perrin.  We had an enjoyable and wide-ranging chat on hobby wargaming finds itself in the flux (James prefers the word "churn" of political, economic and technological change that we find ourselves in.

The Singapore Sling, Vols 10-11: News From Our PBEM Campaign

Our naval defence correspondent "Neptune" offers another column from his vantage point at the Empire Lounge, Raffles Hotel (reflecting state of play in our PBEM campaign after eleven turns, with much information concealed for the purposes of OPSEC - ref).

PIRATES CAPTURED!!

Brilliant news from the Marshall Islands, where the Russian squadron under Vice Admiral Ivanov has captured the German raider Prinz Eitel Friedrich.  

The Prinz Eitel Friedrich in happier days.

Readers familiar with these waters will remember the luxuriously appointed Friedrich as a regular caller in Pacific ports in her service with Norddeutscher Lloyd.  However, it appears that as the beastly Hun was drawing up his plans for war long before 1914, she was built with hardened deck points for gun positons and ammunition hoists.   While eluding the Royal Navy's dragnet for over a month and racking up many kills in the northern Pacific, she was vigorously chased by the Russian squadron, which caught her plundering and sinking the merchant SS Pontic before escaping into a squall.

Admiral Ivanov's flagship, the Askold.

Undeterred, the Russian Admiral, tracking his prey like one of his country's Borzois,  brought his quarry to bay in the Marshall Islands, sailing out of the early morning sun to surprise the Germans and catch them flatfooted.   A brief exchange of salvoes followed, and at this point, according to Admiral Ivanov, the German captain acted with remarkable chivalry.   His ship flooding, and many prisoners below decks threatened with drowning, Captain Theriechens struck his flag and offered his surrender, thus assuredly saving the lives of his charges.

With the flooding stabilized, the Russians were able to free the German's prisoners, a surprising mix of Japanese, French, and British sailors from five different ships.   All are now en route to Vladivastock eventual repatriation.   We hope that the German crew of the Friedrich have some warm weather clothing in their dufflebags for their Siberian vacation!

THE HERO OF THE MACASSAR STRAIT

The Sling has recently reported on a fierce night battle in the Macassar Strait in the Dutch East Indies which led to the sinking of the German heavy cruiser Scharnhorst.  Now that the survivors of that battle have arrived in Hong Kong, stories are emerging of the incredible valour displayed in that fight.    Hearts were heavy as cruiser HMS Yarmouth was towed into port, her decks awash, and only hours after she berthed and the last crew taken off, the poor ship sank at her moorings. Refloating and repair will certainly take months.

Wounded sailors being taken off their ship.

Stretcher crews were busy evacuating the many wounded of HMS Triumph, where casualties were particularly bad among the Royal Marine crew of her aft turret.   However, one wounded sailor was notably missing.   It appears that Admiral Jerram refused to return to port, and transferred his flag to the cruiser Newcastle, despite the fact that when Triumph's bridge was hit, he suffered serious shrapnel and splinter wounds to one leg and had to be carried aboard his new ship while wrapped in a blanket.   Jerram is quoted as saying, "Hospital be damned, the medicos can fix me once I've fixed the Hun!"

MORE WORRISOME NEWS OF MISSING SHIPS

Admiralty sources admit that allied merchant ships continue to go missing on the high seas.   The latest ships to be unaccounted for are the SS Garlandstone (British), the Gudrun (Norwegian), the Grigory Stenkov (Russian) and the SS Manxman (British), all last known to be in the Philippine Sea.    It is peculiar that Gudrun was targeted, as the Germans have not molested neutral shipping thus far.  Of these four, the Garlandstone is known to have sent a short SOS message, indicating that she was under attack by a German raider.    The hunt for the Kaiser's Pirates continues!

A WORRISOME AND MYSTERIOUS BROADCAST

Our friend the American correspondent Herbert J Forrester III of the New York Post reports that a recent wireless signal in plain Morse shocked recipients from the coast of East Africa to Suez, Celyon and West India.   The message purported to be from the Captain of the German cruiser Koenigsberg and gave an account of a nighttime battle in which two protected (light) cruisers of the Royal Navy, HMS Astraea and HMS Pegasus, were sunk.   The signal also reported that survivors of the Pegasus were rescued, and gave an exact locaton where more might be rescued.   Opinions are strongly divided as to the veracity of this signal.   Some believe that it is an elaborate ruse de guerre, and others that the message is genuine and sent out of a sense of chivalry.   Your correspondent, Neptune, knows both these ships, and while they could have been expected to fight in the best traditions of the Royal Navy, they were both long in the tooth.     Commander M Peters, RN, a naval analyst attached to the First Sea Lord's staff, says that the report is being looked into and all possibilities are being considered.  If true, this will be a galling defeat for the Royal Navy.

Your humble correspondent Neptune welcomes all tips and information, especially when accompanied by a drink offer.  He can be found most days at the Empire Lounge, at his usual table for the 4pm Happy Hour.  Ask Fernando the barman to point him out to you.