From the 17th to the 19th the 3rd Cruiser Squadron, with the armed boarding-steamers Dundee and Duke of Clarence, from Scapa, swept from that base to the Utvoer Lighthouse (Lat. 61.2 N., Long. 40.31 E.), thence down the Norwegian coast and to Rosyth, the armed boarding-steamers returning to Scapa. The only vessels sighted were two enemy submarines off the coast of Norway.
On February 18th the new battleship Malaya, the gift of the Federated Malay States, arrived at Scapa and joined the 5th Battle Squadron.
On February 22nd Submarines D 7 and E 30 were sent to the Skagerrak to examine and board merchant-vessels with a view to stopping the iron ore trade from Narvik to Rotterdam. Armed guards were sent in the submarines. They were ordered, during the latter part of their cruise, to operate against two enemy submarines reported off the Norwegian coast. They returned on February 28th, not having met, outside territorial waters, the submarines or with any vessels which were engaged in the iron ore trade.
On February 24th two divisions of destroyers were sent without result to operate against a submarine reported in the Fair Island Channel.
On February 26th the Dreadnought Battle Fleet, with the 2nd and 7th Cruiser Squadrons, the 4th Light Cruiser Squadron and flotillas, left Scapa before daylight for a watching and exercise cruise in the northern part of the North Sea. A sweep to the Heligoland Bight, in conjunction with the Harwich force, had been intended, but was abandoned on receipt of a report from Commodore Tyrwhitt that the weather and other conditions were unsuitable for his operations. Battle exercises took place during the afternoon, and the Battle Cruiser Fleet, which left Rosyth at 1.30 P.M. on the 26th, joined the Battle Fleet at 8 A.M. next day. During that day further battle exercises were carried out, including deployments of the whole Grand Fleet from its cruising order, so that the battle cruisers, cruisers, light cruisers and destroyers might become accustomed to taking up the stations assigned to them on deployment under certain conditions. The exercises were of considerable interest. The Fleet returned to its bases on the 28th.
During the absence of the Fleet from Scapa the mine-sweeping sloops patrolled to the eastward of the Orkneys to prevent mine-laying in the approaches to the base.
On February 28th dispositions were made to intercept any enemy vessel that might be attempting to pass out into the North Sea. Information from neutral sources had led to a belief in the possibility of such an attempt being made. As was almost inevitable on such occasions, the information was received after the event, that is, it was reported that the vessel in question had already left German waters. The dispositions were made, therefore, on this assumption, and in making them it was necessary to place our vessels in areas which the enemy might be expected to pass through in daylight.
The dispositions were designed to intercept the ship, whether her mission were mine-laying near our bases, or an attempt to pass out into the Atlantic. The Patia and Columbella, of the 10th Cruiser Squadron, were directed to patrol a line running north-east from Lat. 61.45 N., Long. 0.50 E., and ships of the same squadron on the C Patrol line were directed to extend this line to the north-eastward. The Alcantara and Andes, of the same squadron, already on a special patrol line, were ordered to remain in their position till further orders. Two ships of the 1st Light Cruiser Squadron and four destroyers left Rosyth at 8 P.M. on the 28th to patrol the area covering the Farn Island—Skaw and the May Island—Skaw trade routes, working to the eastward. Early on the 29th the Comus and the Calliope, of the 4th Light Cruiser Squadron, which had sailed on the 28th with two destroyers for areas in the vicinity of Lat. 58.38 N., Long. 2.30 E., and Lat. 59.20 N., Long. 3.0 E. respectively, were directed to patrol lines 40 miles long, running 50° to 230° respectively from a position in Lat. 61 N., Long. 1.10 E. The Blanche, which had also sailed, was ordered to a position Lat. 61.30 N., Long. 0.0. The Minotaur and a destroyer were sent to patrol the Fair Island passage during daylight on the 29th. Steps were also taken to cover the approaches to the Pentland Firth against mine-laying.
At 8.55 A.M. on the 29th the Andes, Captain G. B. Young, R.N., reported by wireless that an enemy vessel was in sight in Lat. 61.58 N., Long. 1.8 E., and gave her course, speed and description; her enemy character was assumed owing to her movements. The Alcantara, Captain T. E. Wardle, R.N., was not at this time in sight of the Andes, but sighted her at 9.10 A.M. chasing a strange vessel, joined in the pursuit, and, at 9.15 A.M., being then about 6,000 yards from her, ordered her to stop. She complied and informed the Alcantara that she was the Norwegian s.s. Rena from Rio to Trondjhem. She was flying the Norwegian flag, which was also painted on her sides. At 9.40 A.M. the Alcantara, then about 2,500 yards on the quarter of the stranger, began to hoist out a boat for the purpose of boarding. At this moment the other vessel opened a heavy fire from her hitherto concealed armament, throwing her Norwegian ensign and staff overboard and hoisting a German ensign at the main. But she still showed the Norwegian flag on her sides, where it was displayed throughout the action. At the close range at which fire was opened hitting commenced immediately, and as the first hits on the Alcantara cut all her communications, Captain Wardle experienced great difficulty in passing orders to the guns. But the enemy’s fire was returned quickly and with effect, in spite of the difficulty of communication. Both ships went ahead and a hot action ensued; the enemy fired torpedoes, one of which hit the Alcantara between the boiler-rooms at about 10 A.M., causing them gradually to fill.
By 10.15 A.M. the enemy was badly on fire and stopped. A few minutes later, at 10.22 P.M., boats were observed to be leaving her and the Alcantara ceased firing. The latter ship was by this time listing heavily and was abandoned shortly afterwards, sinking at 11.2 A.M. The Andes, which had been engaging the enemy at a longer range than the Alcantara, rendered assistance to the boats of the two ships.