In his letter dated Berlin, Germany 22 February 1914 informed the Chief of the Naval Staff the commanding officer in the Mediterranean that according to the Daily Express of 28 January the submarines [HMAS AE1 and 2] built in England for Australia were to leave in February. Part of the voyage was under own power but after Gibraltar to be towed. Via the Suez Canal and after a visit at Batavia, Dutch East Indies were they were to meet a Australian warship at Singapore which served as an escort to Sydney. Within short time were in England a submarine mother ship and an oil supply vessel (carrying capacity 4,000-6,000 tons oil) for Australia to be laid down. Mr. [John J.] King Salter, a constructor of the Chatham Dockyard was appointed as head of the Australian Naval Dockyard at Cockatoo Island, Sydney and to depart for his new job on next Friday.
Source
Bundesarchiv RM 40/574. Fremde Marinen June 1913-December 1914.
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