CHAPTER VIII
GERMAN MINES AND SUBMARINES
In the early summer of 1915 there was a vague impression in some quarters, unsupported, so far as I am aware, by any confirmatory evidence, that the enemy might exhibit greater activity at sea. But during June, so far as could be ascertained by our intelligence system and by our submarine patrols, the Germans made no attempt to move to sea, but concentrated attention on increased submarine activity. The Grand Fleet, for various reasons unconnected with this development, spent the greater part of the time in harbour, exercising in Scapa Flow, the ships from the Rosyth base being sent up in pairs to exercise and carry out gunnery and torpedo practices. The opportunity of this change of base was usually taken for a searching sweep whilst en route between the bases, so that the North Sea was continually under observation.
On June 11th, however, the Grand Fleet went to sea for a cruise in northern waters principally for gunnery practices and battle exercises, which were carried out on a large scale. On this occasion the sea-planes working from the Campania were utilised, so far as I am aware, for the first time in history in observing the movements of the squadrons, which were ordered to represent a large hostile fleet. From this beginning, there was a great development in the work of heavier-than-air craft operating with a fleet. The first step was the provision of a flying-off deck in a ship for sea-planes, as the extreme difficulty experienced by sea-planes in rising from the water, except in very fine weather, rendered the provision of a flying-off deck essential; the next was the substitution of aeroplanes for sea-planes, working from special carriers; and, finally, the provision of flying-off platforms in fighting ships themselves, first in light cruisers, afterwards in battle cruisers, and, eventually, in battleships; these successive developments were rendered possible by the progressive improvement in aircraft. In this way, naval power was given the assistance which air power could give it, both in reconnaissance and in making its gunnery more effective.
The Scapa force proceeded to the westward through the Pentland Firth on the 11th. It carried out target practice at special targets towed by colliers to the north-westward of the Shetlands on the 12th, being joined by the Cromarty force (the 1st Battle Squadron and 7th Cruiser Squadron) that evening; the fleet then separated for night-firing.
The Battle Cruiser Fleet, which had also left Rosyth on the 11th, carried out night-firing on the 12th, and the whole Grand Fleet practised battle exercises on the 13th, the Battle Cruiser Fleet afterwards firing at the targets which were towed by colliers, and rejoining my flag at daylight on the 14th. On that day further battle exercises were carried out. The Campania, with her sea-planes, again took part in these exercises, and an improvement in the scouting work of the sea-planes was noticeable. The Fleet then returned to the various bases, the Scapa force passing westward of the Orkneys.
Whilst the main portion of the Grand Fleet was exercising in northern waters, the 3rd Battle Squadron and 3rd Cruiser Squadron, with one-half of the 1st Flotilla, cruised in the central portion of the North Sea.
Other operations during the month included:
From the 1st to the 3rd, and the 5th to the 7th, further mine-sweeping operations were carried out by the Fleet sweepers and paddle sweepers in connection with the German mine-field in the southern portion of the North Sea, the operation being covered by four light cruisers and a force of destroyers. The work of clearing that portion of the mine-field, which it was decided to sweep up, was completed on the 7th. On several days during the month a force from Harwich, comprising light cruisers and destroyers, was cruising off the Dutch coast with the object of intercepting and attacking zeppelins. The force did not, however, meet with any success.
From the 4th to the 7th the 1st Cruiser Squadron, with three armed boarding-steamers and three destroyers, operated on the two trade routes, St. Abbs Head to the Skagerrak and Rotterdam to Norwegian ports, examining all vessels encountered; nothing of special interest occurred. But when returning during a thick fog to Scapa the armed boarding-steamer Duke of Albany grounded on the Lother Rock, Pentland Firth, at 4 A.M. on the 7th, remained ashore for seven days, and was considerably damaged.
From the 18th to the 21st the 3rd Cruiser Squadron, with the light cruisers Nottingham and Birmingham, of the 2nd Light Cruiser Squadron, accompanied by four destroyers, swept across the North Sea, steering to the eastward from Rosyth to the entrance to the Skagerrak, thence to the coast of Norway and back to Rosyth. This force was attacked by at least three submarines during the sweep, and torpedoes were fired at the Birmingham on the 19th, and at the Argyll, the Roxburgh (on two occasions), and the Nottingham on the 20th. Two torpedoes were fired at the Nottingham. These ships were proceeding at high speed and all the attacks failed, except the second attack on the Roxburgh (Captain C. R. de C. Foot), which was hit in the bows by a torpedo at 2 P.M. on the 20th in Lat. 56.47 N., Long. 0.38 E. Fortunately, the damage was well forward, and the Roxburgh was able to maintain a speed of 14 knots during her return to Rosyth, all available destroyers of the 1st Flotilla being sent out to meet and screen her in. At the time of the attack the Roxburgh was proceeding at high speed and zigzagging, with one destroyer screening her. The ship was considerably damaged, and her repairs at a dockyard occupied a lengthened period.