A considerable amount of damage was done to wireless masts, topmasts, etc., and several ships had boats damaged or washed away. The ships of the “Iron Duke” class took in large quantities of water through their 6-inch gun ports, due to these guns being mounted at such a low level. The gale continued during the 28th, veering to the northward, and moderated on the 29th, on which date the Battle Fleet, which had moved to the southward during the 28th, returned to Scapa, being met and screened by destroyers which had not been able to join the Fleet at sea owing to the bad weather. The 1st Battle Cruiser Squadron left Scapa on the morning of the 26th, and proceeded to the Norwegian coast, sweeping down as far as the Naze in search of enemy ships, particularly the s.s. _Prinz Friedrich Wilhelm_, reported to be about to leave Bergen. It was also to support the _Drake_, _Nottingham_, _Falmouth_, and two destroyers, which had been sent to the vicinity of the Naze to meet Submarines E1 and E5. The latter vessels had been reconnoitring in the Skagerrak and Kattegat for enemy vessels. The two submarines and the destroyers experienced very heavy weather on their return across the North Sea, and some anxiety was felt for their safety. The 3rd Cruiser Squadron proceeded to Area 2 on the 26th, and on the 29th was sent to watch off the entrances to Bergen in Norway for the German s.s. _Prinz Friedrich Wilhelm_. The squadron returned to Cromarty on October 1st. On the 28th the _Princess Royal_ left the 1st Battle Cruiser Squadron (proceeding to Scapa to fuel, _en route_) to meet, and protect, a convoy of Canadian troops about to leave the Dominion for the United Kingdom. The _Invincible_ and _Inflexible_, which had been cruising north of the Faroe Islands, joined the 1st Battle Cruiser Squadron at sea on the 29th. For the purpose of supporting the cruisers in the North Sea area, the 3rd Battle Squadron and 6th Battle Squadron sailed from Scapa on the arrival of the Dreadnought Battle Fleet. Additional precautions against attack by submarines were taken during the stay of the Fleet at Scapa on this occasion, as reports indicated the presence of a considerably increased number in the North Sea. These precautions included more numerous patrols by destroyers of the 2nd and 4th Flotillas outside the entrances to Scapa, and necessarily involved a greatly increased strain on the destroyers. Further precautions against submarine attack were also found necessary in the Firth of Forth, and the arrival of light cruisers at Leith for refit were temporarily suspended by Admiralty orders owing to the presence of submarines in the vicinity. Two torpedoes were fired at the destroyer _Stag_, and another at a torpedo boat off May Island on the 25th. The destroyer _Cheerful_ was also fired at on the 26th.