▁officers . ▁Mu ir head - G ould ▁had ▁been ▁hosting ▁a ▁dinner ▁party ▁on ▁the ▁night ▁of ▁the ▁attack , ▁and ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁main ▁guests ▁was ▁the ▁senior ▁United ▁States ▁Navy ▁officer ▁in ▁Sydney ▁Har bour , ▁Captain ▁Howard ▁B ode ▁of ▁USS ▁Chicago . ▁Both ▁officers ▁were ▁s cept ical ▁that ▁any ▁attack ▁was ▁taking ▁place . ▁Mu ir head - G ould ▁arrived ▁ab o ard ▁H MA S ▁L ol ita ▁at ▁approximately ▁mid night , ▁an ▁action ▁he ▁described ▁as ▁attempting ▁to ▁learn ▁about ▁the ▁situation . ▁But ▁members ▁of ▁L ol ita ' s ▁crew ▁later ▁rec ount ed ▁that ▁when ▁Mu ir head - G ould ▁came ▁ab o ard ▁he ▁immediately ▁ch ast ised ▁the ▁pat rol ▁boat ' s ▁ski pper ▁and ▁crew , ▁and ▁quickly ▁dismiss ed ▁their ▁report . ▁Junior ▁officers ▁on ▁Chicago ▁provided ▁similar ▁descri ptions ▁of ▁B ode ' s ▁return ▁on ▁board , ▁and ▁members ▁of ▁both ▁cre ws ▁later ▁claimed ▁that ▁Mu ir head - G ould ▁and ▁B ode ▁were ▁into xic ated . ▁It ▁was ▁only ▁after ▁the ▁destruction ▁of ▁H MA S ▁K ut tab ul ▁that ▁both ▁officers ▁began ▁to ▁take ▁the ▁attack ▁seriously . ▁ ▁During ▁the ▁attack , ▁there ▁were ▁several ▁del ays ▁between ▁events ▁and ▁responses ▁to ▁them . ▁Over ▁two ▁hours ▁passed ▁between ▁the ▁observation ▁of ▁M - 1 4 ▁in ▁the ▁bo om ▁net ▁and ▁Mu ir head - G ould ' s ▁first ▁order ▁for ▁ships ▁to