In the afternoon of August 28th the 10th Cruiser Squadron was directed to work in Area No. 6, leaving the armed merchant cruisers farther to the northward. The object was to give a better chance of intercepting enemy vessels or neutral ships carrying contraband of war by establishing two patrols on the probable exit or entrance courses, one of which would in all probability be crossed of necessity during daylight hours, even if the second were passed through at night. _August 29th._--This was a bright, fine day, with high visibility. The Dreadnought Battle Fleet remained at sea with three divisions of the 2nd Flotilla, cruising and carrying out battle tactics and other exercises. The 1st Battle Cruiser Squadron arrived at Scapa to fuel at 7 P.M., in company with the 1st Light Cruiser Squadron, the _Liverpool_ being detached to Rosyth to land the German prisoners captured in the Heligoland Bight on the 28th. The 2nd Cruiser Squadron was cruising in Area No. 5, which the 3rd Cruiser Squadron left during the day for Cromarty to fuel. The 6th Cruiser Squadron and 10th Cruiser Squadron were in Area No. 6; the mine-layers were in Area No. 3. During the day the _Oak_ arrived from Scapa with telegrams and despatches for me and returned with similar correspondence for the Admiralty. The _Oak_ was usually employed on this duty while the _Iron Duke_ was at sea during the earlier months of the War, my infrequent visits to a base rendering this essential. Some risk from submarine attack was naturally involved during the time that the _Iron Duke_, or any other heavy ship, was stopped to communicate. The risk was recognised, and, as the number of enemy submarines increased, it became undesirable to incur it, and the practice of stopping ships at sea for any such purpose was abandoned; the longer time spent in harbour tended to reduce the necessity for the practice to some extent, but during the early part of the War this was the only means of conveying despatches to the Fleet when it was constantly at sea. The reported increase in enemy mine-laying off our eastern coasts caused me to suggest to the Admiralty at this time the desirability of the patrol flotillas working somewhat farther seaward, and to ask for an increase as soon as possible in the number of fast light craft to work off the northern fleet bases. A request for 20 drifters to work in the approaches to the Pentland Firth was also forwarded. The Fleet messenger _Cambria_ was brought out to work with the Battle Fleet for the purpose of boarding merchant ships owing to the shortage of light cruisers for this work. _August 30th._--In the afternoon the Dreadnought Battle Fleet shaped course for Scapa, and arrived at 7 A.M. on the 31st to fuel, the 3rd Battle Squadron being ordered out to the eastward of the Orkneys to support the 2nd Cruiser Squadron, which was searching the eastern portion of Area 5.