2 Months in the Life of an Empress
Without a doubt the most interesting, worthwhile and exciting two months for the Empresses (the ships Empress of Asia, the Empress of Russia and the Empress of Japan) were June and July 1915.
HMS Empress of Asia
As an example of what they were up to it is proposed to follow the Empress of Russia over this period. The 1st of June found her coaling at Aden, finishing taking on nearly 2,000 tons. She sailed the next day on a 4-day patrol during which she intercepted several dhows, including two at night. On the 2nd she delivered mail to the Empress of Japan, already on patrol, and the next day she met up with the Minto to deliver her mail and also 20 sheep! When she arrived back in Aden after dark on the 5th HMS Laurentic was in port. She was another AMC and at 18,000 tons somewhat bigger than the Russia. The Laurentic would be sunk early in 1917. She was never based at Aden and must have been on passage.
The 6th was spent loading ammunition and military stores for the 500 troops that embarked the following day. They were off to take possession of Kamaran Island. The detachment included a company of the Brecknockshires and a Wing of the 109th Infantry. Just before sailing Major General Shaw came on board, accompanied by a small staff. The ship steamed at 17.5 knots towards Kamaran but on the 8th she dropped off two infantry detachments, one of 43 and the other of 45 to garrison two small islands – Great Hanish and Jebel Juhur. (See map) Early the next morning she met up with the Empress of Japan off Kamaran, when she also captured a dhow bringing in bread and water for the small Turkish garrison. Some of the troops were landed and 20 minutes later the British flag was flying over Kamaran.
​
Soon after midday the two ships sailed to Salif where a staff officer went ashore under a white flag to discuss terms. The party returned an hour an a half later with negotiations having been broken off. Salif was then bombarded, the Russia firing 45 rounds from her 4.7-inch guns. The Russia then returned to Kamaran and disembarked a rifle company with its stores. [Salif is nowadays called As-Salif and is on the coast of Yemen, immediately opposite Kamaran, which is about five miles to the West – see map.]
​
At first light on the 10th the man appointed as Governor of Kamaran went ashore, after which the Russia, together with the Minto and the Enterprise went off to bombard Loheiya (another place on the Arabian coast), which the Russia did again that afternoon.
RMS Empress of Russia
On the 11th she returned to Kamaran to disembark more troops and stores. Then back to back to Loheiya on the afternoon of the 12th for another shoot – altogether the Russia fired about 245 rounds in the three shoots – before returning to Kamaran on the 13th when several sheikhs visited General Shaw on board.
​
That evening she left for Aden, steaming at her full speed of 18.5 knots. The Russia arrived in Aden soon after first light on the 14th and having coaled sailed 36 hours later back to Kamaran with ‘stores and baggage’. On the way there she delivered water and provisions to the detachments on Great Hanish and Jebel Jukur. A dhow was boarded and her cargo
confiscated, the dhow itself being hoisted along the bow of the ship. The Russia anchored off Kamaran for the night of the 15th before entering the harbour at first light the following morning. Stores were loaded into lighters and 53 men of the Brecknockshires embarked to be returned to Aden.
​
On the 18th she went into Perim for two hours and that day sighted the Northbrook in company with the Enterprise. Back at sea she stopped and boarded a Swedish steamer and then chased, stopped and boarded a dhow. Finally that day she delivered water for the guard on Haycock Island. On the 19thshe delivered water to Jebel Jukur and that afternoon anchored off Centre Peak (one of the lighthouses) to pick up a sick sheikh. Just before last light she delivered provisions to the lighthouse keeper on Jebel Teir. (See map for the locations of the lighthouses and the article Red Sea Island Lighthouses.)
​
The next day the Russia met up with the Northbrook and Enterprise, transferring the sick sheikh onto the latter to be taken to Perim. Later she intercepted a Dutch steamer with which she remained in company for some hours as her papers were not quite in order. The Russia arrived back in Aden early on the 21st and disembarked the Brecknocks. She was back on patrol the following day, stopping and boarding a group of four dhows. On the 23rd she was at Kamaran for just two hours. The next day, together with the Northbrook, she bombarded a suspected gun position on a hill above Sheikh Syed. Then back to Aden to coal, leaving again early afternoon of the 26th, having embarked 93 men of the 23rd Sikh Pioneers to be taken to Perim and also having loaded 24 casks and 150 tins of fresh water for the military outposts in the Red Sea. Having dropped the Pioneers at Perim she was back in Aden at last light on the 27th.
​
Less than 48 hours later she was off again to Kamaran and to deliver water and rations to the island outposts. She spent two hours at Kamaran on the 30th before visiting the other outposts. Unfortunately there was too much surf to land on Hanish Island but stores were landed at Jebel Juhur where a Maxim section of the Sikh Pioneers was withdrawn for use at Aden. Returning to Hanish there was still too much surf to land, but eventually the water was got ashore. Then back to Kamaran on the 2nd to load four more Maxims and the ammunition for these guns. Also loaded were three Turkish 3.3-inch guns which had been captured. Finally the remainder of the Brecknocks (3 officers and 76 men) were embarked to be returned to Aden. On the way back to Aden some dhows were chased and more water delivered to Jebel Juhur.
​
The Russia spent only three hours at Aden on the 3rd to disembark the soldiers and stores brought from Kamaran and to take on ammunition for her 4.7-inch guns. The next day she delivered provisions to the lighthouse keeper on Jebel Teir and then stopped a couple of dhows, one of which was a blockade runner. This was hoisted on the port bow. Four bags of money were found on the dhow, with another two bags being found on the next dhow to be stopped. On the 5th the Russia was near Centre Peak stopping dhows when she was ordered back to Aden at full speed. The Russia managed 19 knots, half a knot more than her supposed maximum; she arrived back in Aden at 2200 on the 5th and immediately offloaded her prisoners and confiscated cargo, the dhow being put in a lighter. She remained at anchor in the inner harbour until last light the next day when, together with the Empress of Asia, she was ordered to sail round to anchor to the East of Khormaksar to provide gunfire support if it was required for the column retreating from Sheikh Othman through the Isthmus position. On the 7th she returned briefly to the outer harbour before going back to ‘East side’ for the next three days.
​
Just after midnight on the 12th she weighed anchor and was off to deliver stores to the guards on the islands. On the 14th she sighted HMS Philomel steaming South at full speed. She was bringing Major General Younghusband from Suez to take over from Shaw. The Russia entered Perim that evening but the next day received orders to sail for Aden at full speed to provide naval gunfire support, if it was needed, during the retaking of Sheikh Othman. Her log records that for four hours she was sailing at 19 knots, the second occasion she had achieved a little in excess of her designed top speed.
​
Having coaled on arrival she then sailed round to anchor off ‘East side’ in a similar location from where she had covered the retreat a fortnight previously. She remained there until the 18th when she was ordered into harbour to provide working parties to help unload the transports that had brought Younghusband’sbrigade from Suez. The Russia, in company with the Asia, returned to East side on the evening of the 20th where she remained until Sheikh Othman had been retaken on the 21st, gunfire support not being required.
​
The next day she was back on patrol, on the 23rd confiscating the cargo of two dhows which were then towed towards Kamaran harbour; but they had to be cast off when the Russia was fired on by Turkish artillery at Salif (on the mainland opposite Kamaran). The Russia returned the fire and in two shoots, the other being the next day, fired a total of 235 rounds from her guns. The Russia remained at Kamaran until the 29th, having been relieved by the Enterprise. She then did a routine replenishment of all the isolated detachments on the islands before returning to Aden, where she arrived on the 30th, coaling on arrival. She was still at Aden on the 31st when this two month summary finishes. Quite a busy, interesting and eventful two months!