The Crisis of the Naval War By ADMIRAL OF THE FLEET VISCOUNT JELLICOE OF SCAPA G.C.B., O.M., G.C.V.O. _With 8 Plates and 6 Charts_ 1920 CONTENTS CHAPTER 1. ADMIRALTY ORGANIZATION: THE CHANGES IN 1917 2. SUBMARINE CAMPAIGN IN THE EARLY PART OF 1917 3. ANTI-SUBMARINE OPERATIONS 4. THE INTRODUCTION OF THE CONVOY SYSTEM 5. THE CONVOY SYSTEM AT WORK 6. THE ENTRY OF THE UNITED STATES: OUR NAVAL POLICY EXPLAINED 7. PATROL CRAFT AND MINESWEEPING SERVICES 8. THE DOVER PATROL AND THE HARWICH FORCES 9. THE SEQUEL 10. "PRODUCTION" AT THE ADMIRALTY DURING 1917 11. NAVAL WORK 12. THE FUTURE INDEX LIST OF PLATES A Mine Exploding A German Submarine of the U-C Type A German Submarine of the later Cruiser Class A Smoke Screen for a Convoy The Dummy Deck-house of a Decoy Ship A Convoy Zigzagging A Convoy with an Airship Drifters at Sea A Paddle Minesweeper A German Mine on the Surface Two Depth Charges after Explosion The Tell-tale Oil Patch A Submarine Submerging Periscope of Submerged Submarine Travelling at Slow Speed A Submarine Submerged LIST OF CHARTS (CONTAINED IN THE POCKET AT THE END OF THE BOOK) A. Approach Areas and Typical Routes. B. Typical Approach Lines. C. Barred Zones Proclaimed by the Germans. D. Patrol Areas, British Isles. E. Patrol and Minesweeping Zones in the Mediterranean. F. Showing French and British Ports within Range of the German Bases at Ostend and Zeebrugge. To The Officers and Men of our Convoy, Escort, Patrol and Minesweeping Vessels and their Comrades of the Mercantile Marine by whose splendid gallantry, heroic self-sacrifice, and unflinching endurance the submarine danger was defeated INTRODUCTION Owing to the peculiar nature and demands of naval warfare, but few dispatches, corresponding to those describing the work and achievements of our great armies, were issued during the progress of the war. In a former volume I attempted to supply this defect in the historical records, which will be available for future generations, so far as the Grand Fleet was concerned, during my period as its Commander-in-Chief. The present volume, which was commenced and nearly completed in 1918, was to have been published at the same time. My departure on a Naval mission early in 1919 prevented me, however, from putting the finishing touches to the manuscript until my return this spring. I hesitated as to the publication of this portion of what is in effect one complete narrative, but eventually decided not to depart from my original purpose. There is some reason to believe that the account of the work of the Grand Fleet gave the nation a fuller conception of the services which the officers and men of that force rendered in circumstances which were necessarily not easily appreciated by landsmen.