At 5.20 P.M. the destroyers Pasley, Pelican, and Negro, detached to assist the Falmouth, arrived on the scene and the Falmouth, under their escort, proceeded towards the coast under her own steam, the Chester then leaving to rejoin her squadron to the northward.
At 6.55 P.M. the Pelican sighted a periscope, tried to ram the submarine, but missed. She then dropped six depth charges and reported that the submarine came to the surface almost immediately, and then appeared to sink. Requests for tugs had meanwhile been signalled, and four more destroyers were detached to assist to screen the Falmouth, which was proceeding at five knots. The ship eventually reached the vicinity of Flamborough Head safely, and was there again hit by two more torpedoes fired from a submarine. She still remained afloat, and was towed by four tugs, and escorted by nine destroyers until 8 P.M. on the 20th, when she sank in Lat. 54 N., Long. 0.2 W.
At 2.30 P.M. on the 20th, the destroyer Porpoise reported having rammed a submarine that had attacked the Falmouth.
To return to the Grand Fleet proceedings on the 19th. From 3.10 P.M. onwards frequent reports were received of submarines being sighted. The Phaeton, Dublin (twice), and Southampton all reported submarines in sight between 3.10 and 4.52 P.M., the time at which the Falmouth was torpedoed. At 6 P.M. Sir David Beatty reported that there was a German submarine screen of several boats extending north-east for some 25 miles from Lat. 54.19 N., Long. 1.0 E. At 6.7 P.M. Commodore Tyrwhitt reported that he was following an enemy’s force of heavy ships steering east, accompanied by two Zeppelins. A reply was sent giving the position of the Grand Fleet; the conditions for night attack proved to be unfavourable, and at 7.30 P.M. the Commodore reported that he had abandoned the pursuit; he returned with his force to Harwich. At 6.20 P.M. reports received from our directional stations showed that enemy ships were in Lat. 54.16 N., Long. 2.51 E., at 4.52 P.M., giving clear evidence that the enemy was returning to his base.
During the passage up the searched channel a number of submarines were sighted and frequent, and in some cases, large alterations of course were necessary to avoid them; if all the reports were correct, the locality indeed seemed to be a hotbed of submarines. Reports of submarines being seen were received between 4 P.M. and dark, from the Galatea, Phaeton, Bellona, Dublin, Southampton, Lion, Royal Sovereign (two submarines), Queen Elizabeth, and Inflexible, the last ship reporting that two torpedoes had been fired at her at 7.50 P.M., and that both had passed close astern; at this time the Battle Fleet and Battle Cruiser Fleet were in company.
Zeppelins were also sighted during the afternoon by the Chatham, Galatea, and Lion, and the trawlers Sea Ranger and Ramexo; the last-named reported having sighted a Zeppelin at a low altitude, and having scored two hits and caused a fire in the forward car.
During the evening the Battle Cruiser Fleet was detached to Rosyth, and the Battle Fleet continued to the northward. Reports of submarines being sighted to the eastward of the Pentland Skerries were received at 5 A.M. and 3.30 P.M. on the 20th, and the Battle Fleet was therefore taken well to the northward to avoid them, and approached the Pentland Firth from a north-easterly direction, arriving without incident between 6.30 and 8 P.M.
The experience of August 19th showed that light cruisers, proceeding at even the highest speed unscreened by destroyers, ran considerable danger from enemy submarines. The enemy’s submarine commanders were no doubt increasing in efficiency, and risks, which we could afford to run earlier in the War, were now unjustifiable. Representations were made to the Admiralty to the effect that it was considered that in future light cruisers should be screened by at least one destroyer per ship; the number of destroyers available for the Grand Fleet did not at the time admit of this, but as the total complement of 100 (the number intended to be appropriated to the Fleet) was reached, destroyers could be allotted to most of the light cruisers in the advanced line, provided there were not many absent from the Fleet carrying out extraneous services.
The ease with which the enemy could lay a submarine trap for the Fleet had been demonstrated on the 19th of August; what had constantly puzzled me was that this had not been done very frequently at an earlier stage in the War. Since, however, it had been attempted and with some success, there seemed to be every reason to expect a repetition of the operation, and it was clear that it was unwise to take the Fleet far into southern waters unless an adequate destroyer force was present to act as a submarine screen for all ships. If the circumstances were exceptional and the need very pressing, it would be necessary to accept the risk. There was general agreement on this point between the Flag officers of the Fleet and the Admiralty.
During the month of August the weekly average of the 10th Cruiser Squadron showed: