August 14th.—During the forenoon the Dreadnought Battle Fleet and battle cruisers were carrying out target practice. Noon position of the Iron Duke, Lat. 59.11 N., Long. 4.27 W.
At 2 P.M. all Battle Squadrons, including the 3rd Battle Squadron from Rosyth and the 6th Battle Squadron, rejoined the Flag, and battle exercises, including deployments, were carried out till 7 P.M.
At midnight the whole Fleet passed through the Fair Island Channel on its way to carry out a sweep in the North Sea.
During the night of the 14th–15th all squadrons were moving towards a concentration rendezvous in the North Sea, that for the 2nd and 3rd Cruiser Squadrons being Lat. 58.52 N., Long. 0.0, and for the 1st Light Cruiser Squadron Lat. 59.0 N., Long. 0.15 E., at 3 A.M. on the 15th; the rendezvous for the 2nd and 4th Flotillas was Lat. 59.7 N., Long. 0.40 W., at 4 A.M. the 15th; for the mine-sweepers Lat. 58.40 N., Long. 3.45 E., at 6 P.M. the 15th; four ships of the 10th Cruiser Squadron from the northern patrol joined the Fleet at 6 A.M. on the 15th.
Towards the end of July, 1914, information from a usually reliable source had been received at the Admiralty indicating that the Germans intended carrying out a very extensive mine-laying policy in British waters in the event of war between the two countries. The actual positions of many mine-fields were given by our informant, and it was apparent, provided the information were correct, that the enemy intended to lay mines regardless of their effect on mercantile traffic, whether British, Allied, or neutral.
The proceedings of the mine-layer Köningen Louise in the first days of war tended to confirm this view, and consequently it was thought to be quite probable that mine-fields of an extensive character might be laid in the North Sea, in positions where they might be expected to be effective against any movement of our Fleet, particularly any southward movement.
The small margin of superiority which we possessed over the German fleet, as compared with the immense difference in our naval responsibilities, made it very necessary that precautions should be taken to safeguard the most valuable of our ships from such a menace when operating in waters that might be mined.
It was for this reason that the six mine-sweepers accompanied the Battle Fleet during this sweep, for, although the speed of the Fleet was necessarily reduced by their presence in order to admit of sweeping operations, and the danger from submarine attack thereby increased, and although the sweeping operations could only be carried out in an exploratory fashion, there was the chance that the danger incurred by taking the whole Fleet over possible mine-fields might be much reduced.
Later, when it became impossible to take the sweepers to sea as their presence was more necessary in the vicinity of the bases, the practice was introduced of placing one of the older battleships of the 6th Battle Squadron ahead of each squadron of the Dreadnought Fleet in order that these less valuable ships might first discover the mines instead of the Dreadnought battleships. The officers and men of the 6th Battle Squadron named their Squadron the “Mine Bumping Squadron” on this account.
August 15th.—At noon the Iron Duke’s position was Lat. 58.16 N., Long. 1.45 E., the whole Fleet being in company in cruising order and steering to the eastward, preparatory to turning south. The plan of operations included a sweep of the southern part of the North Sea by cruiser forces comprising some of the older cruisers, together with the 1st and 3rd Flotillas from Harwich; two of our submarines had been ordered to be off the Ems and two off the Jade by 6 A.M. on the 16th.