The battle cruiser Inflexible joined the Fleet from Gibraltar on June 19th.
The Liverpool left to pay off on the 26th for repair to boilers. Rear-Admiral W. B. Fawckner took charge of the 10th Cruiser Squadron base at Swarbachs Minn on the 18th.
During the month observation mine-fields at the entrance to Cromarty and off Hoy Sound, Scapa Flow, were completed.
A short visit was paid to the Fleet at Scapa Flow by the Archbishop of York on the 26th. He held a Fleet Confirmation in the Iron Duke, a great open-air service on Flotta Island, many thousands of officers and men attending; there was another service at Longhope, and, in addition, he visited the majority of the ships. He was indeed indefatigable and left amidst the most sincere expressions of regret. To me personally his visit gave the greatest pleasure. From Scapa he passed to Invergordon, where, during a two days’ stay, he held a large open-air service, and visited most of the ships based there, moving on to Rosyth, where an impressive open-air service took place in one of the large graving-docks.
The activities of the 10th Cruiser Squadron continued throughout the month, an average of 73 ships being intercepted weekly and 15 sent in for detailed examination.
A serious attack was made by an enemy submarine on the fishing fleet some 50 miles to the eastward of the Shetlands on the night of the 23rd–24th June, about 16 drifters being sunk by bombs and gunfire. This incident emphasised the necessity for better control over the movements of our fishing vessels in northern waters and of providing some form of protection for them. Steps were taken in both directions, although they naturally resulted in some unavoidable reduction in the operations of the fishing fleet.
The weather at Scapa during June was very misty, fog or mist being experienced on the 7th, 8th, 12th, 13th, 26th, 27th, 28th, 29th and 30th.
During July, 1915, fleet movements were kept to the lowest possible minimum owing to a threatened strike in the Welsh coal-fields, which eventually took place on the 18th, and caused considerable anxiety as to its effect on Fleet movements.
From the 11th to the 14th the Dreadnought Battle Fleet, the 1st, 2nd and 7th Cruiser Squadrons, the 4th Light Cruiser Squadron, the 2nd and 4th Flotillas, and the Campania cruised in the vicinity of the Shetland Islands and carried out a series of battle exercises during the cruise. The Battle Cruiser Fleet made a sweep between the 11th and 13th down to the Dogger Bank. Whilst the Battle Fleet was at sea the destroyer flotillas were sent into Balta Sound (Shetland Islands) to complete with fuel in case a move south on the part of the Battle Fleet became necessary.
On the 28th the 2nd Battle Cruiser Squadron, with two ships of the 1st Light Cruiser Squadron, the 2nd Light Cruiser Squadron, the 4th Light Cruiser Squadron, and 14 destroyers of the 1st and 4th Flotillas from Rosyth and Scapa, together with Commodore Tyrwhitt and four light cruisers and 12 destroyers from Harwich, left their bases to carry out an operation in the Skagerrak, with the object of intercepting trade and searching for any enemy vessels. Only one German vessel (a trawler) was encountered, and she was sunk after removal of the crew. A Danish steamer was sent in to a British port with a guard on board and the force returned to their various bases on the 31st.