The Grand Fleet, 1914-1916

by John Rushworth Jellicoe

The Campania had also been fitted to carry a kite balloon aft, for use for spotting the fall of shot and for reconnaissance purposes. This fitting was the beginning of the arrangement, gradually introduced during 1916, of carrying kite balloons in capital ships. The success in large ships led, before the end of the year, to their being also provided for light cruisers, destroyers, and other small craft, an arrangement which proved to be of great use for anti-submarine and convoy work.

On April 17th the patrol areas of the 10th Cruiser Squadron were modified; “A” and “C” patrols took up a line running from Lat. 56.30 N., Long. 11.30 W. to Lat. 63.30 N., Long. 16.00 W., ships 40 miles apart and steering 70° and 250°. Two ships were also stationed to the northward of Iceland.

On April 20th a force left to carry out an extensive sweep into the Kattegat, designed (1) to intercept and examine all mercantile traffic, (2) to operate against enemy vessels in the Kattegat, (3) to engage any enemy vessels drawn out from North Sea ports by the movements in the Kattegat of the light forces, which it was intended should be sighted from neutral shores in the expectation that they might be reported to the enemy by his agents.

The force included three submarines, which were ordered to positions commanding the northern entrance to the Sound, and the Great and Little Belts, so that enemy forces drawn from the Baltic by the movement might be engaged by them. On April 21st, however, it was decided to move south to the vicinity of the Horn Reef with the whole Grand Fleet, the object being to induce the enemy to keep the ships of the High Sea Fleet in North Sea ports instead of sending them to the Baltic, where they might cause interference with the relaying the Russian mine-fields, an operation which became necessary at this season of the year after the ice had broken up. It was thought that the appearance of the Grand Fleet in the vicinity of the Heligoland Bight would probably effect this object better than the operation in the Kattegat. Consequently the Grand Fleet left its bases on the 21st, with orders for the battle and cruiser squadrons to concentrate on the morning of the 22nd in a given position to the eastward of the “Long Forties,” whilst the Battle Cruiser Fleet took station some 40 miles ahead of the Battle Fleet in its cruising formation. The 3rd Battle Squadron and 3rd Cruiser Squadron, from Rosyth, were ordered to an area from which they could concentrate later, with the remainder of the Battle Fleet, if required.

At 2.30 P.M. of the 22nd the 4th Light Cruiser Squadron was detached, with three destroyers, to proceed to the Skagerrak, with directions to arrive in the vicinity of the Skaw by daylight on the 23rd, and to sweep out to the westward. The Battle Cruiser Fleet was ordered to push ahead, and at 6 P.M. of the 22nd was in Lat. 56.11 N., Long. 5.26 E., cruising in an area north-west of the Horn Reef until daylight, when it was intended to steer for the Horn Reef, provided the weather, which had become misty, was sufficiently clear. The Battle Fleet, with cruiser squadrons disposed ahead, steered to the eastward from Scapa until shortly before dark, and then altered course to South 18 East for the Horn Reef, to close the Battle Cruiser Fleet by daylight on the 23rd.

The weather had been gradually thickening since 3 P.M., and at 6 P.M. Sir David Beatty reported that the Australia and New Zealand had collided in a fog and had received damage necessitating both ships returning to their base. By 10 P.M. the Battle Fleet and cruisers were also in a dense fog, which continued throughout the night. It was undesirable to close the Danish coast under such conditions with so large a Fleet; the Battle Fleet, cruisers and destroyers, when to the westward of the Little Fisher Bank, were accordingly turned to the northward, the order of turning being rear squadrons first and thence to the van, so as to reduce the danger of collision. Special signals had been introduced to provide for such circumstances, and were of great use on this occasion.

In spite, however, of this precaution, some difficulty was experienced in carrying out the turn in the dense fog that prevailed, especially amongst the destroyers, and three of them, namely, the Garland, Ardent and Ambuscade, were in collision; the Ardent was so seriously damaged forward that it became necessary to tow her back to a repairing-port, stern first. During the night a neutral steamer, in passing through the Fleet in the fog, collided with the battleship Neptune, doing considerable injury to that ship.

The weather cleared somewhat during the morning, and the Fleet cruised to the westward of the Little Fisher Bank until it was certain that the damaged destroyers were safely on their way to their bases. The operations were then abandoned, as the conditions were unsuitable, and the destroyers had not sufficient fuel to admit of the Fleet remaining out for a further twenty-four hours, so as to repeat the sweep to the Horn Reef on the following day.

The whole Fleet returned to its bases during the 24th, fuelled, and again proceeded to sea for another movement south during the evening of that day, the 5th Battle Squadron being sent on in advance of the remainder of the Battle Fleet in order to gain touch with and strengthen the Battle Cruiser Fleet, which was, of course, short of the Australia and New Zealand, damaged in collision.

At 4.6 A.M. on the 25th, however, whilst steering to the southward, a report was received from Commodore Tyrwhitt, who was at sea with the Harwich force, that he had sighted enemy battle cruisers and light cruisers in Lat. 52.24 N., Long. 1.57 E. This report at once influenced the direction of the sweep, and the Battle Fleet increased to full speed, and shaped a course to pass down the searched channel to the westward of the German mine-field to support the Battle Cruiser Fleet and the 5th Battle Squadron, which proceeded at full speed on a course designed to intercept the enemy battle cruisers during their expected return passage to their ports. At 4.20 A.M. the Admiralty informed me that the enemy was bombarding Lowestoft, and that the 5th Light Cruiser Squadron was in touch with the enemy’s ships; and at 5.40 A.M. the Aldeburgh wireless station reported enemy battle cruisers in sight steaming to the eastward.