The new battle cruiser _Tiger_, which had been working up gunnery and torpedo practices at Bantry Bay in the south of Ireland, arrived at Scapa on November 6th to continue her practices and to join the 1st Battle Cruiser Squadron. It was felt that she would prove a very welcome reinforcement when efficient, since the departure of the _Invincible_ and _Inflexible_ had left us in a questionable position with regard to battle cruisers as compared with the Germans. After the Battle Fleet left Lough Swilly, and in consequence of information sent to me by Admiral Colville as to the slow progress being made with the submarine obstructions, orders were given to the various ships to prepare sections of rope net submarine detectors for use in the entrances to Scapa Flow, and these were rapidly placed in position by the Fleet in Hoxa, Switha and Hoy Sounds when the ships arrived at Scapa, armed trawlers being detailed to watch each section. It was very disappointing to find on returning to the base that so little headway had been made with the supply of material for the permanent submarine wire net obstruction, and that the Fleet was still, therefore, open to submarine attack. The increase in the number of patrol trawlers, however, for service in the vicinity of the base gave some protection to the entrances, and relieved the hard-pressed destroyers to a welcome extent. At this time the watching and blockading cruisers were disposed in areas between the Shetland Islands, Faroe Islands, and Iceland and to the north-westward of the Hebrides, but the whole of the cruisers were beginning to show signs of overwork. The Rear-Admiral commanding the 10th Cruiser Squadron reported that all his ships, which were very old, were showing increasing signs of needing thorough repair at a dockyard, and arrangements were put in hand for sending them, three at a time, to the Clyde. In addition, the _Antrim_, of the 3rd Cruiser Squadron, reported condenser defects; the _Drake_, of the 6th Cruiser Squadron, was at Scapa making good defects, which were constantly developing, and the _King Alfred_ and _Leviathan_, of the same squadron, were refitting at dockyard ports. In spite of these incidents, however, large numbers of steamers were being intercepted daily by cruisers, battleships and destroyers, and sent into Kirkwall for examination. About this time the increase in the number of patrol craft at Scapa made it necessary to add considerably to the administrative organisation at that base, and requests were sent to the Admiralty to provide depôt ships for the local defence destroyers, the patrol trawlers, and the other small craft, as well as adequate administrative staffs.