The month of October, 1914, opened with the Dreadnought Battle Fleet at Scapa, with the exception of the Ajax, which was en route to Devonport to refit, and the Audacious, which was on passage from Devonport after refit. The 3rd and 6th Battle Squadrons were at sea supporting the cruisers, except the Exmouth, of the 6th Battle Squadron, which was at Devonport refitting. The 1st Battle Cruiser Squadron, the Invincible, and the Inflexible, were at Scapa; the Princess Royal was cleaning boilers and preparing for her trip to Halifax.
Of the cruisers, the Devonshire, of the 3rd Cruiser Squadron, was refitting at Cromarty; the Theseus, of the 10th Cruiser Squadron, was returning from the White Sea, where she had been to fetch some Russian officers; the Mantua and Alsatian, armed merchant-cruisers, were at Liverpool, coaling and making good defects.
Of the destroyer flotillas, the Active and five destroyers of the 2nd Flotilla, and two of the 4th Flotilla, were absent refitting.
On October 1st regulations were brought into force under which a large number of coastal navigational lights were extinguished, as also were regulations closing the east coast ports to neutral fishing craft; other regulations were issued to control the movements of fishing vessels in certain areas. On October 10th further orders, under which additional coastal navigation lights were extinguished (principally in the North of Scotland), became effective.
The Dreadnought Battle Fleet remained at Scapa until 5 P.M. on October 2nd, and then proceeded into the North Sea. The 1st Battle Cruiser Squadron sailed at daylight, October 3rd, and the newly constituted 2nd Battle Cruiser Squadron, consisting of the Invincible and Inflexible, with the Sappho and three mine-layers, left at 2 P.M. on October 3rd.
On October 3rd all the ships of the Grand Fleet took up pre-arranged positions designed to secure a close watch over the northern portion of the North Sea, partly with a view to an interception of all traffic, and partly to ensure that no enemy vessel broke out of the North Sea during the ensuing week. The main object was the protection of an important convoy of Canadian troops, which was crossing from Halifax, and which the battle cruiser Princess Royal and the battleship Majestic had been sent to meet and to protect. The Princess Royal arrived at the rendezvous at 8 P.M. on October 7th, and waited for the convoy, which was two and a half days late.
The Grand Fleet was disposed for this purpose during the period Oct. 3rd–11th approximately as follows:
The 1st Battle Cruiser Squadron was watching the Fair Island Channel from the western side.
The 2nd Battle Cruiser Squadron, with armed merchant-cruisers, the Sappho and three mine-layers, was stationed to the northward and eastward of the Shetland Islands.
The 1st Light Cruiser Squadron patrolled the northern portion of Area No. 4.