his and will be at your disposal. He is the Senior
Naval Officer here in my absence.

"Believe me, Sir,
"Yours sincerely,
(_Sd._) "R. Wemyss."

Copy of Telegram enclosed:--

"_From_ V.A.E.M.S.
"_To_ S.N.O. Mudros.
"_Date, 18th March, 1915._

"Negative demonstration at Gaba Tepe, 19th. Will you come to Tenedos and
see me to-morrow. We have had disastrous day owing either to floating
mines or torpedoes from shore tubes fired at long range. H.M.S.
_Irresistible_ and _Bouvet_ sunk. H.M.S. _Ocean_ still afloat, but
probably lost. H.M.S. _Inflexible_ damaged by mine. _Gaulois_ badly
damaged by gunfire. Other ships all right, and we had much the best of
the Ports."

_20th March, 1915._ _H.M.S. "Franconia." Mudros Harbour._ Stormy
weather, and even here, inside Mudros harbour, touch with the shore is
cut off.

After I was asleep last night, an answer came in from K., straight,
strong and to the point. He says, "You know my view that the Dardanelles
passage must be forced, and that if large military operations on the
Gallipoli Peninsula by your troops are necessary to clear the way, those
operations must be undertaken after careful consideration of the local
defences and must be carried through."

Very well: all hinges on the Admiral.

_21st March, 1915._ _H.M.S. "Franconia."_ A talk with Admiral Wemyss and
General d'Amade. Wemyss is clear that the Navy must not admit a check
and must get to work again as quickly as they can. Wemyss is Senior
Naval Officer at the Dardanelles and is much liked by everyone. He has
put his seniority in his pocket and is under his junior--fighting first,
rank afterwards!

A letter from de Robeck, dated "Q.E. the 19th," has only just come to
hand:--

"Our men were splendid and thank heaven our loss of life was quite
small, though the French lost over 100 men when _Bouvet_ struck a mine.

"How our ships struck mines in an area that was reported clear and swept
the previous night I do not know, unless they were floating mines
started from the Narrows!

"I was sad to lose ships and my heart aches when one thinks of it; one
must do what one is told and take risks or otherwise we cannot win. We
are all getting ready for another 'go' and not in the least beaten or
downhearted. The big forts were silenced for a long time and everything
was going well, until _Bouvet_ struck a mine. It is hard to say what
amount of d