An interesting fact which may be where idea of "The Sea Chase" story developed.
In 1914 at the outbreak of the First World War a German ship in Melbourne slipped its moorings and tried to make a run for home. Unfortunately the mouth of Port Philip Bay was guarded a couple of old coastal forts built in the 1800's, the main one's being Nepean in the east and Queenscliffe in the west. One of Nepean's guns put a shot across the bows of the fleeing ship and it wisely decided to give up.
In 1939, another German ship tried the same trick, slipping it's moorings and making a run for it. The same gun sent a shot across the bows of the fleeing ship, and it to surrended.
Both shots, from the same coastal gun were the first shots fired by Australian forces during World War 1 and World War 2. Both forts are now museums. If anyone is interested I will try and find the names of the two german ships.
I gotta agree though, "The Sea Chase" is a great movie.
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