The First World War

The Grand Fleet at Scapa Flow under Admiral Sir John Jellicoe was the foundation of a strategy of distant blockade. This had been adopted in 1913 and was maintained in war despite its leaving open the North Sea coast to enemy attack, a vulnerability that had been demonstrated in the last major prewar fleet exercise. To help solve this problem, Vice Admiral David Beatty was forward-deployed at Cromarty in command of Cruiser Force ‘A’, which comprised the Grand Fleet’s battle-, armoured and light cruiser component. In mid-August Cruiser Force ‘K’ was formed, in the Humber, with the battlecruisers HMS New Zealand and Invincible. The southern North Sea was protected by the Harwich Force of 35 destroyers and two light cruisers under Commodore Reginald Tyrwhitt. Also at Harwich was Commodore Roger Keyes’s flotilla of longer-range submarines. The Admiral of Patrols, Commodore George Ballard, provided co-ordinated coast defence and commanded a force of light cruisers, old destroyers and small submarines at Dover. A pre-Dreadnought Channel Fleet was established and more cruiser patrols were set up using reserve units as they were mobilized. Ten older cruisers enforced the blockade in the north.1