In the last days of August, German mines, laid in the open sea off the Humber and Tyne caused the loss of several neutral ships and of the minesweeping gunboat "Speedy." Submarines were active in the North Sea and on Sept. 1, the report that one had entered Scapa Flow caused the Grand fleet to put hurriedly to sea. After sweeping in force to the Skaagerak the fleet re turned on Sept. 5 to Loch Ewe to fuel and on that day the British navy suffered its first loss by submarine attack, when the scout "Pathfinder" was sunk by "U. 29." On Sept. Io, in order to cover the passage of the 6th Division to France, a great sweep was made through the North Sea by the Grand Fleet supported by the Harwich Force and the Channel squadron. The Bight of Heligoland was searched but no German ships were seen excepting several submarines, one of which was rammed by the "Zealandia." On Sept. 12 the British submarines scored their first success when "E. 9" sank the cruiser "Hela" off Heligoland. The High Sea Fleet being known to be escorting troops in the Baltic, the opportunity was taken to give the Grand Fleet a few days rest, the first since war broke out. The fleet arrived at Loch Ewe on Sept. 13 : its rest was but a short one for on the 17th it was again sweeping down the North Sea to the Horns Reef following the sinking of the "Cressy," "Hogue" and "Aboukir." These three cruisers were sunk within an hour by a single submarine ("U. 9"). They were steaming in line abreast on the "Broad Fourteens" patrol, having been deprived of their destroyer support by bad weather. The "Aboukir" was hit first and the other two were torpedoed in succession as they closed to pick up survivors. In this disaster 1,400 lives were lost : and orders were given that in future, heavy ships were not to stop to pick up survivors of consorts torpedoed by submarines, nor were armoured ships to be used for patrol or examining merchant ships in submarine waters.
In the closing days of September, the Belgian Government asked for assistance in the defence of Antwerp. Some naval guns were sent and a brigade of Royal Marines reached the city on Oct. 2, followed by two untrained brigades of the newly formed Royal Naval Division. On Oct. 2 the eastern approach to the Dover Straits was closed by a mine field, extending from the Goodwins to Ostend, every publicity being given to its limits. The 7th Division was landed at Zee brugge on Oct. 7 without loss, in spite of a number of submarine attacks, but this desperate attempt to support the Belgian Army failed. Antwerp surrendered on Oct. Io and the coast ports fell into the hands of the enemy as the Belgian Army retreated to the line of the Yser. One of the Naval Brigades, in the retreat, was forced across the Dutch frontier and interned. The German pur suit of the exhausted Belgian Army along the coast was stayed by the gallant work of a British flotilla under the command of Rear-Admiral Hood. (See BELGIAN COAST OPERATIONS.) Mean while the Harwich Force watching for a move on the part of the Germans, obtained its reward on Oct. 16, when the "Undaunted" and four destroyers met and chased four German destroyers and sank them all. This was the only attempt, apart from submarine activities, by the German navy to interfere on the Belgian Coast at this phase.
The last days of
September saw the Grand Fleet at Scapa Flow and from Oct. 2–I 2 the whole fleet was at sea engaged in safeguarding the passage of the Canadian convoy. On Oct. 7 a German submarine entered Loch Ewe, rendering that place unsafe as a fleet anchorage. The fleet returned to Scapa Flow, where a partial submarine obstruc tion was in place, on Oct. 12. At this time submarines were active in the vicinity of the northern bases and several attacks were made upon patrolling cruisers. On Oct. 15 the cruiser "Hawke" was sunk with heavy loss off the Aberdeen coast and the next day a submarine was again reported inside Scapa Flow. Knowing that the German fleet was still in the Baltic, Jellicoe decided to seek a safe anchorage to the westward until the submarine defences of Scapa Flow could be made secure. On Oct. 20 he took the fleet to Lough Swilly where it remained until the end of the month, resting and carrying out practices. Meanwhile three British "E" class submarines had entered the Baltic. They were not successful in attacking the German fleet, but their presence caused much anxiety and gave moral support to the Russian fleet.
On Oct. 26, whilst carrying out fir ing practices off Lough Swilly, the battleship "Audacious" struck a mine. In spite of endeavours to tow her into harbour, she sank some hours later, her crew being saved. The loss was a serious one and came at an unfortunate moment. On that day the Belgian army supported by Hood's flotilla were making their last grim stand upon the Yser (see BELGIAN COAST OPERATIONS) and news of the Grand Fleet so far away might tempt the Germans to strike a blow at Hood before help could reach him. Also war with Turkey hung in the balance and news of a disaster to the Grand Fleet might have affected the issue. Consequently the Govern ment kept the loss secret until the necessity was past.
On Oct. 29 Lord Fisher (q.v.) relieved the Marquis of Milford Haven as First Sea Lord. A conference was held at the Admiralty, which Admiral Jellicoe attended, to decide upon future naval policy. On Nov. 2 the British Government declared the whole of the North Sea a prohibited area and warned all neutrals that, unless they adhered to the routes prescribed by the British authorities, they used the area at their own risk. On Nov. 3 a German cruiser squadron appeared off the Suffolk coast in the morning mist, fired a few shells on to the beach at Gor leston and at the old gunboat "Hazard" and retired. The battle squadrons having left Lough Swilly on Nov. 2, remained in the north part of the North Sea whilst a search was made by the battlecruisers and light forces, and returned to Scapa Flow on Nov. 17. The German cruiser "Yorck," on her way home from the Gorleston raid, struck a mine off the Jade River and was sunk. The defences of Scapa Flow were now far enough advanced to give a certain sense of security to the fleet, but between Nov. 23-26, when the fleet was absent in support of aerial operations in the Heligoland Bight, six submarines were sighted close to the base and one ("U. 18") was sunk by the local defence flotilla. Nov. 26 was marked by the loss of the battleship "Bulwark," which blew up at Sheerness owing to accidental ignition of cordite and sank with great loss of life.