Submarine E30 proceeded into the Kattegat on March 14th to intercept contraband trade and for reconnoitring purposes. She did not sight any enemy vessels, but sent in one neutral vessel suspected of carrying contraband.
The 5th Light Cruiser Squadron, from Harwich, was at sea on March 14th and 15th, and the Roxburgh and two destroyers left Rosyth on the 15th for another sweep on the Norwegian coast from Udsire Lighthouse to the Naze. This was again unproductive.
The cruiser Theseus left Barry on the 15th for Alexandrovsk in the White Sea. On the same date the cruiser Crescent, en route from Scapa to the south, was fired at and missed by a submarine south of the Hebrides.
On the 19th the light cruiser Calliope, with two destroyers, left the Tyne, where she had been refitting, with orders to proceed to the Naze and sweep up the Norwegian coast to Udsire; and the Comus and two destroyers left Scapa to proceed to Udsire to sweep down the Norwegian coast to the Naze, the object being again the capture of any German merchant-ships found outside territorial waters in this locality. The Calliope was forced to put in to Rosyth owing to a serious fire occurring in her after boiler-room. The Comus completed her sweep in bad weather without sighting any enemy vessels.
On March 24th the Harwich force sailed to carry out aerial operations off the Danish coast, involving an attack on the enemy’s zeppelin shed at Tondern, and the Battle Cruiser Fleet left early that day to cover the operation. In the course of the operations the destroyers of the Harwich force were stationed in positions to pick up returning sea-planes, some of them being despatched to the southward of the Horn Reef for this purpose. Some German outpost trawlers were encountered here by the destroyers; they were engaged and destroyed. But during the engagement the destroyer Medusa was rammed by the destroyer Laverock, being very seriously damaged. The Medusa was taken in tow, but, the weather becoming very bad, the towing hawser parted, and all attempts to get her in tow again after dark failed. Our vessels were in close proximity to the enemy bases, and it was evident that the enemy would be aware of the incident by means of his directional wireless system, since a good deal of wireless signalling on the part of our ships had been necessary. It was expected, therefore, that he would send out a considerable force of destroyers during the dark hours to attack our vessels. In these circumstances, and in view of the weather conditions, Commodore Tyrwhitt rightly judged it expedient to abandon and sink the Medusa, and gave orders to this effect. The ship’s company of the Medusa was taken off in a most seamanlike manner by Lieutenant-Commander Bullen of the Lassoo.
Owing to the bad weather and the darkness it was difficult for Commander Tyrwhitt to ascertain the exact conditions, but during the night of the 25th, having sent his destroyers ahead, he steered with his light cruisers in order to pass to the northward of the enemy’s North Sea mine-field. At about 10 P.M. two enemy destroyers were sighted on the port bow of the Cleopatra (flying Commodore Tyrwhitt’s broad pennant) at a distance of about 800 yards. Their presence was betrayed by the flame from their funnels; they were evidently part of the force which, as anticipated, had been sent out by the enemy. The Cleopatra at once opened fire and headed for the destroyers, and when it was seen that they were crossing from port to starboard, Captain Loder Symonds of the Cleopatra ported his helm and rammed the second destroyer very neatly amidships, cutting her practically in half. There was a tremendous crash, followed by what seemed to be two explosions, one possibly a boiler explosion, and the second due to either a mine or depth-charge, causing considerable damage to the stem piece of the Cleopatra. The injury was subsequently found to be far too great to have been caused by the impact alone. The sudden alterations of course by the Cleopatra, combined with the gunfire and explosions, had thrown the squadron into some confusion, and, although fighting and navigation lights were all switched on very smartly, the Cleopatra, in separating from the sinking destroyer, found herself across the Undaunted’s stem; the latter was somewhat seriously damaged, and reported subsequently that she could only steam at slow speed. The Commodore, therefore, remained near the Undaunted for the night.
Meanwhile the Battle Cruiser Fleet, which had left Rosyth on the 24th to cover the operations, was in the vicinity of the Harwich force, and, on the morning of the 26th, the 5th Light Cruiser Squadron, except the Undaunted, closed the Battle Cruiser Fleet, and the force swept back towards her position, not sighting any enemy vessels. Three of the light cruisers covered the Undaunted during her passage to the Tyne, where she was sent for repairs. Considerable difficulty was experienced in locating the Undaunted, owing to a difference in “dead reckoning” between the various ships. In order to be prepared for eventualities the remainder of the Grand Fleet proceeded to sea during the night of the 25th–26th, heavy snowstorms being experienced by both the Scapa and Cromarty forces on leaving their bases; the visibility was also very low; a heavy south-westerly gale sprang up when the snow ceased. During the early afternoon of the 26th the wireless reports from the Vice-Admiral of the Battle Cruiser Fleet, Commodore Tyrwhitt, and the Undaunted cleared up the situation, the latter ship reporting herself as hove to until the weather moderated.
By 4.30 P.M., when the Fleet was in the vicinity of the “Long Forties,” the sea had become so heavy and steep that destroyers with the Battle Fleet could not safely steam at 10 knots, and, as the presence of the whole Battle Fleet was no longer necessary in southern waters, and the Undaunted was approaching a safe area, the 5th Battle Squadron was detached at high speed, without destroyers, to assist in covering her passage back to the coast, and the remainder of the Battle Fleet and cruiser squadrons were ordered back to Scapa and Cromarty. The Iron Duke convoyed the destroyer flotillas in order that they could be given their position, as the coast was approached. The weather moderated during the night, and the fleet arrived at its bases on the 27th. Two destroyers collided off Noss Head just before daylight on the 27th, one, the Michael, being somewhat seriously damaged.
By 8 A.M. on the 27th the Undaunted was in Lat. 56.35 N., Long. 2 E., and the 5th Battle Squadron returned to Scapa, the Battle Cruiser Fleet arriving at Rosyth on the 27th.
The 1st, 2nd, 4th and 5th Battle Squadrons, the 1st and 7th Cruiser Squadrons, the 4th Light Cruiser Squadron and flotillas again proceeded to sea on March 29th, for a watching and exercise cruise in the northern part of the North Sea. Battle exercises were carried out on the 30th. The Fleet returned to its bases on the 31st, the destroyers having to return independently as they were unable to maintain Fleet speed through bad weather conditions.