On October 30th the Birkenhead and Liverpool, newly commissioned light cruisers, left Scapa for a searching and exercise cruise in the northern portion of the North Sea, and returned to Scapa on November 1st.
During October squadrons cruised independently in the North Sea from Scapa, as in previous months, by day and at night. The ships of the Battle Cruiser Fleet, as well as the 3rd Battle Squadron from Rosyth and squadrons from Scapa, proceeded to Cromarty, in turn, in order to carry out long-range firing at towed targets in the Moray Firth, being screened from submarine attack by destroyers. Squadrons from Rosyth proceeded also to Scapa to carry out practices.
A patrol, comprising the Sappho and eight armed whalers, based on Peterhead, was instituted as a guard against further attempted mine-laying in the Moray Firth. The Peterhead and Cromarty mine-sweeping vessels, which had been working under the Senior Officer of Fleet mine-sweepers (Captain Preston) for the clearance of the Moray Firth mine-field, reverted to their proper commands, and arrangements were made for a constant sweep by mine-sweeping trawlers of the channel along the south shore of the Moray Firth, which was that used by ships based on Cromarty when concentrating with the remainder of the Grand Fleet in the North Sea. It was essential to ensure that this channel was kept clear of mines so long as any portion of the Grand Fleet was based on Cromarty.
It may not be out of place here to state the patrol arrangements existing in the vicinity of the Pentland Firth at this time. Usually three armed boarding-steamers and three destroyers were patrolling to the eastward of the Firth. They moved to the northward during daylight and worked for a considerable distance to the south-eastward of the Firth at night. An extended patrol, usually consisting of a light cruiser and a destroyer, also worked from Peterhead. A patrol of one or two destroyers was maintained at night off Noss Head on the north shore of the Moray Firth. Destroyers were kept off the entrance to Hoy Sound and Holm Sound, and a large number of trawlers near the Hoxa Sound entrance. In bad weather the eastern destroyer patrol was withdrawn to work between Swona Island and the land to the eastward and to the north-westward. The old local defence destroyers also carried out patrol work off the entrance, and off Kirkwall. These particulars are of interest as conveying some idea of the sea work in a restricted area which had to be carried out in all weathers.
From October 1st to October 11th the Fleet Flagship Iron Duke was refitting at Invergordon.
On October 28th the Argyll, en route from Devonport to Rosyth to rejoin the 3rd Cruiser Squadron, grounded on the Bell Rock, near Dundee, early in the morning in thick weather, and became a total wreck; all hands were taken off in a heavy sea by destroyers from Rosyth. The destroyers were exceedingly well handled under very difficult conditions. On the following day the Arlanza, of the 10th Cruiser Squadron, which had been sent to the White Sea, struck a mine and was seriously damaged, but succeeded in reaching the Yakanski anchorage, in the neighbourhood. Repairs were impossible during the winter and the greater part of her crew was, therefore, brought home in the Orcoma, of the same squadron which had been sent north for the purpose.
From October 29th to October 30th a heavy gale was experienced at Scapa, and considerable damage was done to the anti-submarine defences and to the block-ships at the entrances. Fog or mist was experienced on October 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 9th, 14th, 16th and 30th.
The 10th Cruiser Squadron’s work showed as a weekly average the following figures: Ships intercepted, 56; sent in, 16; number on patrol, 14; number absent, 8. The bad weather experienced interfered with the work of the squadron.
On November 2nd the 1st, 2nd, 4th and 5th Battle Squadrons, the 1st, 2nd and 7th Cruiser Squadrons, the 1st Light Cruiser Squadron and the destroyers of the 4th and 11th (old 2nd) Flotilla left for a cruise to the westward of the Orkneys. The destroyers were sent back on the 3rd owing to bad weather. Battle exercises and sub-calibre firing took place during the cruise, which was otherwise uneventful; the Fleet arrived at Scapa and Cromarty on November 5th, being screened in by the destroyers.
On November 6th the 1st and 2nd Light Cruiser Squadrons, with destroyers, left Scapa and Rosyth respectively, to carry out an operation in the Skagerrak. The force was timed to arrive at the eastern end of the Skagerrak at dawn on the 7th, and to sweep westward during daylight in order that our ships should be between the enemy and his Baltic base if enemy ships were sighted. The Lion, with the 1st and 3rd Battle Cruiser Squadrons and destroyers, left Rosyth in time to be in a supporting position by daylight on the 7th. A large number of vessels were boarded by the destroyers, but nothing suspicious was encountered, and the forces returned to the bases on November 8th.