The Grand Fleet returned to Scapa Flow on Nov. 27 and there followed a month of gales of excep tional violence which delayed the completion of the submarine defences. On Dec. 15 a German force was reported at sea and the 2nd battle squadron and battlecruisers were sent south. The weather was so heavy that some of the light cruisers and de stroyers had to be left behind, and to this fact and to the mist, the German force that raided Scarborough and the Hartlepools on Dec. 16, owe their narrow escape. The two towns were born barded, I 20 civilians were killed and over 400 wounded and, after laying mines off the Yorkshire coast, the Germans retired. In the mist and heavy sea a short, indecisive fight took place be tween the light forces, but the heavy ships, although very close, did not sight one another. The Grand Fleet swept in full force into the Bight on that day and Dec. 17, but the enemy had retired behind his minefields. It returned to Scapa on Dec. 20 and on Christmas Day was again in the Heligoland Bight, supporting an air raid upon Cuxhaven, after which it returned to Scapa on Dec. 27 in a heavy gale.
Germany's oceanic trade was brought to a standstill at the very outset of the war, the approaches to her Home Ports being closed by the British Fleet, and with the cutting of the German cables in the Dover Straits on Aug. 5, she was isolated from the ports of the world. At the outbreak of hostilities there were per manent British squadrons stationed in China, Australia, the East Indies, at the Cape and in the Mediterranean, while the Home fleet protected the all important trade routes of the Atlantic. In August 1914, there was one light cruiser in the South Atlantic and the 4th Cruiser squadron (Craddock), detached from the 1st fleet, was in the West Indies. The 5th Cruiser squadron (Stoddart) was at once dispatched to the mid-Atlantic, between Africa and Brazil, and the ships of the 6th Cruiser squadron were scattered on special escort duties on the Atlantic Routes. The 9th Cruiser squadron (de Robeck) operated between Finisterre-Azores-Ma Beira ; the loth Cruiser squadron (de Chair) formed the northern patrol with the Grand Fleet ; the iith Cruiser squadron was sta tioned off the west coast of Ireland and the i 2th Cruiser squad ron, supported by a French squadron, guarded the Channel approaches.
Germany was credited with the intention of arming merchant ships as commerce raiders and the small enterprise she displayed in this direction was one of the surprises of the early months of the war. Only five such ships appeared: the "Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse," which evaded the Grand Fleet, the "Kronprinz Wilhelm" from New York, the "Cap Trafalgar" from the River Plate, the "Cormoran" and "Prince Eitel Friedrich" in China. The
"Dresden" and "Karlsruhe," in the West Indies, were the only German cruisers in the Atlantic.
The British 11th and 12th Cruiser squadrons, besides protecting trade, were at first occupied in safeguarding the passage of the Expeditionary Force. De Robeck kept a close watch upon the Spanish ports where some of the 7o interned German ships were suspected of trying to get to sea and arm. None did so and on Aug. 26 the "Highflyer," of his squadron, found the "Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse" coaling off the African Coast and sank her.
The "Dresden" was at Port au Prince (Haiti) on July 26, and the "Karlsruhe" at Havana on July 28. Both sailed for unknown destinations and Craddock sent the "Ber wick" and "Bristol" to locate them, following himself in the "Suffolk." On Aug. 6 the "Suffolk" came upon the "Karlsruhe" engaged in arming the "Kronprinz Wilhelm." The merchant ship made off and the "Suffolk" chased the "Karlsruhe" until dark, when she was headed off by the "Bristol." A short moonlight ac tion ensued, but the German's superior speed enabled him to es cape. The "Dresden's" whereabouts were unknown and Craddock, anxious for the safety of the North Atlantic trade, took his squad ron to the northern area. Several German ships in New York were expected to attempt to get to sea and arm, but none ven tured to move and by Aug. 13 the "Karlsruhe" had been located at Curacoa and the "Dresden" off Pernambuco. The Admiralty on that day stated that British trade in the North Atlantic was proceeding as usual. Craddock, with his flag now in the "Good Hope," sailed south in search of the two German cruisers. Leav ing two French cruisers to watch the West Indies, he searched the Pernambuco and mid-Atlantic areas and then joined hands with Stoddart. By the beginning of September, a number of armed merchant ships had joined the British Cruiser squadrons, which were also reinforced by four old battleships. By this time the North Atlantic was clear of enemy cruisers and owing to the movements of the squadron under von Spee, interest was trans ferred to the southern part of that ocean, to which Craddock's command was specially allocated.
The "Cap Trafalgar" which left the River Plate on Aug. 22 was found by the "Carmania" on Sept. 14 off Trinidada Island. Af ter spirited action between the two armed merchant ships, the Ger man ship sank and the damaged "Carmania" crawled back to Gibraltar for repairs. With the West Indian cruisers pre-occupied in watching the newly opened Panama Canal, the "Karlsruhe" was successful as a raider until she blew up at sea on Nov. 4; she had several narrow escapes and during her three months' career captured 17 ships.