(b) Go to south-east coast of America and stop our vital food supplies—hence the two Invincibles.
(c) Go to the Cape and raid the Army base at Walfish Bay—hence the Minotaur to reinforce Albion.
(d) Go to Duala and relieve the Germans, destroying our ships and military expedition—hence the Warrior, Black Prince and three Edgar Quinets.
I hope to send Bartolomé to you to-morrow with information which is too secret to be written or telegraphed.
The secret information pointed to the possibility of the Germans endeavouring to slip one or two of their battle cruisers into the Atlantic to help the return to Germany of the Scharnhorst and Gneisenau and incidentally to release all their fast liners in New York. Lord Fisher became vehemently impressed with this idea, and certainly the period was one of extreme strategic tension when some enterprise by the enemy seemed especially to be expected.
Admiralty to Commander-in-Chief.
November 13, 1914.
Since war began you have gained two Dreadnoughts on balance, and will have by 20th twenty-seven superior units to twenty. We intend Princess Royal to rejoin you as soon as Scharnhorst is dealt with.
During the next month you should suspend sending ships away for refit, doing the best you can at Scapa. If notwithstanding the above you feel the need of reinforcements we should propose to meet you by stationing the eight King Edwards at Rosyth, where they would be well placed to join you for general action or to attack an invading force.
This would avoid necessity of stationing cruisers there for the present.