Making smoke while escaping at speed

Perth's eyewitness account describes the need to make heavy smoke while retaining enough speed to escape battleship fire. It credits the engineering department with maintaining that combination and reports a speed of 33½ knots. The engineer commander is said to have opened the valves and tied down the safety valve, accepting danger to the machinery while the ship was under fire. The cruisers eventually regained the battle fleet at about 1400. Their captain then stressed how badly they had needed both smoke and speed.