The sea is very flat and the heat of the sun is fierce. It is August in the South China Sea. As the afternoon passes we come to shallower water ; we see the hills of China take shape suddenly out of the heat haze. Small, silent groups of men gather on deck to peer out over the bow.
This is a strange fleet; it sprawls over several miles of the light-green water. Ahead, five Australian minesweepers steam in line abreast. In the centre, astern of the sweepers, the submarine depot ship Maidstone casts her bulky shadow. On each flank is a group of four submarines in line ahead, their bright camouflage glinting as they catch the sun. Right astern is the Canadian cruiser Prince Robert.
As we approach the land a dark cloud swings away from the north, and rain comes fast over the water in a black line. Abeam now, the land is close but indistinct. It is a poor night for the navigators ; the shapes of the sweepers are blurred ; the submarines are almost invisible. We anchor some two miles off Joss House Bay and ten miles south of the entrance to Hong Kong.
There is no sign of life. A few small junks idle through the rain, but the Japanese make no move. We stare landwards and listen to the rumours. It seems that the British Task Group of cruisers and aircraft carriers, which is cruising somewhere over the horizon, is to fly off an aircraft to make contact with the Japanese surrender delegation ashore. We look at the sky. It is not a good night for flying, with a ceiling below six hundred feet. Someone says that the Japanese commander in Hong Kong has announced that he has no authority to surrender to the British without consent from his superior in Canton. This, it appears, will take four days.
The night closes in. At dusk Captain Shadwell of the Maidstone goes over to the submarine Selene, which steers away into the murk, Later the Selene returns. She has closed to within two miles of Hong Kong, but seen nothing. Rumours start again. All night the submarines take turns in cruising silently round our anchorage. If we overrated the fighting qualities of the Japanese we do not underrate their skill at treachery.