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[Page 103]
1915
were all painted a very light grey, with large patches of dark grey on the funnels & hull. This patchwork painting added considerably to the ships invisibility, & to the difficulty of the enemy's rangefinder. Taken altogether, life was quiet & uneventful in the Firth of Forth. During the afternoons officers were permitted to visit Edinburgh & indulge in a few hours enjoyment. In many of the ships, the men were taken ashore for route marches & games. We had been in the Firth of Forth for three weeks before we moved out to sea. This was the longest rest we had experienced since the war began.
March. 7
On the day of our departure, Admiral Patey was succeeded by Rear Admiral Packenham. Our new Admiral had been through the Russo-Japanese war in the Japanese Navy. He was actually in the Japanese flagship at the Battle of the Sea of Japan, & was, therefore, a man with actual experience of warfare. The Battle cruiser fleet flagship "Lion" was absent undergoing repairs to damage sustained in the Dogger Bank action of January 26th. Our fleet consisted therefore of "Princess Royal" (Admiral Beatty), "Tiger", "Australia" (Admiral Packenham), "New Zealand, "Indomitable" "Invincible", "Indefatigable" (Admiral Brock) & "Queen Mary", by far the most powerful squadron in the world. A sharp lookout