At 8 A.M. on December 26th the Battle Fleet was in Lat. 55.58 N., Long. 2.16 E., with the 1st Battle Cruiser Squadron and the 1st Light Cruiser Squadron 40 miles to the southward; a speed of 11 knots was the most that the destroyers could keep up without risk of serious damage, and, as the weather was getting rapidly worse, they were detached at 8.10 A.M. to their bases. By 10 A.M. a whole gale was blowing from the south-eastward. The sweep was abandoned and course altered to the northward. At 11 A.M. the Rosyth and Cromarty squadrons were ordered to proceed to their bases, the _Indomitable_, which had joined the Fleet at 8 A.M. from the Mediterranean, being ordered to Rosyth, there to join the 1st Battle Cruiser Squadron. The destroyers and light cruisers suffered somewhat from the gale, the 2nd Flotilla unfortunately losing three men, and from the light cruiser _Caroline_ one man was washed overboard. Bad weather continued during the passage north with a very rough sea, and on nearing the Pentland Firth the Dreadnought Battle Fleet found the conditions to be exceptionally severe, with a following wind which caused the funnel smoke to obscure objects ahead of the ships. The ships were directed to enter Scapa Flow in the following order: 2nd Battle Squadron, 1st Battle Squadron, 4th Battle Squadron; the 2nd Battle Squadron was timed to enter at 6 A.M.--some time, of course, before daylight, which, at this period of the year at Scapa Flow, is about 8.30 A.M. As the rear subdivision of the 2nd Battle Squadron approached the entrance, the ships as usual having no lights showing, the _Monarch_ altered course and stopped to avoid a patrol trawler which she suddenly sighted close under her bows. The _Conqueror_, astern of her, was unable to avoid the _Monarch_ and the two ships collided; the stern of the _Monarch_ and the starboard bow of the _Conqueror_ were very seriously damaged, rendering both ships unseaworthy. They were brought into the harbour and safely berthed. Meanwhile, the 1st Battle Squadron, following astern of the 2nd Battle Squadron, entered safely. The _Iron Duke_ was leading the 4th Battle Squadron, and, on intercepting the wireless messages indicating that something was wrong, I stood through the Pentland Firth to the westward with the 4th Battle Squadron until the situation had become clearer. The dawn was very late and a furious gale was blowing, with a very heavy sea and strong tide in the Firth. These conditions made the handling of the battleships very difficult when they turned through 16 points to return to the eastward. The _Iron Duke_ and 4th Battle Squadron entered at 10 A.M. The whole Fleet remained with two anchors down and steam up on account of the weather until 1 P.M., when the wind and sea moderated, and by the morning of the 28th normal conditions were resumed. As a result of the gale, it was necessary to send the destroyers _Hope_, _Redpole_ and _Ruby_ to dockyards for repairs.