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[Page 107]
1915
Thus our large battleship fleet, our battle-cruiser fleet, & all their escorting destroyers were out - a mighty array. Outside Inchkeith Rock in the Forth, a German submarine had been reported, but as we had increase speed at that point to 20 knots, & as it was very dark, there was little fear of our being torpedoed, with ordinary luck. The destroyers, having gone out just before us, knowing an enemy submarine to be in the vicinity, probably frightened Fritz away altogether, for German submarines are in deadly fear of our destroyers. We learnt that the German battle-cruiser fleet with two light cruiser squadrons were out in the North Sea. Greatly to our disappointment, however, we heard later that the enemy had returned to his base, evidently having been informed of our presence in the North Sea.
March. 30.
Next morning we arrived at Queensferry, & filled up with coal. For a few days we enjoyed comparative rest, when again a certain livliness manifested itself in the North Sea on the part of the Germans.
April.3.
Orders were given to raise steam for 20 knots at about 6 p.m. Exactly an hour after this, it was reported from the "listening" station on Inchkeith, (a station fitted with an instrument called a hydrophone, which was being tested to detect the approach of submerged underwater craft