The Bacchantes ought not to continue on this beat. The risk to such ships is not justified by any services they can render. The narrow seas, being the nearest point to the enemy, should be kept by a small number of good modern ships.
The Bacchantes should go to the western entrance of the Channel and set Bethell’s battleships—and later Wemyss’ cruisers—free for convoy and other duties.
The first four Arethusas should join the flotillas of the narrow seas.
I see no sufficient reason to exchange these flotillas now that they know their work with the northern ones.
As the “M” boats are delivered they should be formed into a separate half-flotilla and go north to work with the Grand Fleet.
The King Alfred should pay off and be thoroughly repaired.
Prince Louis immediately agreed and gave directions to the Chief of the Staff to make the necessary redistribution of forces. With this I was content, and I dismissed the matter from my mind, being sure that the orders given would be complied with at the earliest moment. Before they could take effect, disaster occurred.
Pending the introduction of the new system, the Admiralty War Staff carried on with the old. The equinoctial weather was, however, so bad that the destroyer flotillas were ordered back to harbour by the Admiral commanding the Bacchante squadron. That officer, however, proposed to continue his patrol in the Dogger area with the cruisers alone. The Admiralty War Staff acquiesced in the principle of these arrangements but on the 19th instructed him to watch instead the Broad Fourteens:—
‘The Dogger Bank patrol need not be continued. Weather too bad for destroyers to go to sea. Arrange for cruisers to watch Broad Fourteens.’
This routine message did not of course come before me. It was not sent, however, by the War Staff without proper consideration. In the short steep seas which are the features of gales in these narrow waters, a submarine would be at a serious disadvantage and could only observe with extreme difficulty and imperfection. The rough weather which drove in our destroyers was believed to be an important protection against enemy submarines.