Of these the first were the submarines under Commodore Roger Keyes, who accompanied them on board the destroyer _Lurcher_, with the _Firedrake_ in attendance--those stout little vessels that had already made themselves familiar, during the passage of the armies, with the proposed scene of action. Setting out at midnight on August 26th, they escorted the eight submarines chosen for this hazardous duty, _D2_, _D8_, _E4_, _E5_, _E6_, _E7_, _E8_, and _E9_; and, while these were kept in the background throughout the next day, the _Lurcher_ and _Firedrake_ acted as their {33} scouts. To the perils in store for them, in the way of detection, the fine weather and calm sea naturally added; but, at nightfall of August 27th, each submarine crept to its appointed station in close proximity to the German coast. Meanwhile, at five in the morning of the same day, the _Arethusa_, under Commodore Tyrwhitt, had set out in her turn, with two flotillas of destroyers, meeting the _Fearless_ at sea during the afternoon; and, farther north, at the same early hour, Vice-Admiral Beatty, in the _Lion_, had departed with the First Battle-Cruiser and First Light Cruiser Squadrons to be at hand in case of necessity. By the evening of August 27th, therefore, all were in their places; the submarines were feeling their way into the heart of the Bight; and the excitement of all engaged, during those hushed hours of darkness, can be readily imagined and perhaps envied. The night passed uneventfully, however, and, upon the flotillas and squadrons at sea, the day broke clear and sunny, but with a good deal of mist--in some places almost amounting to fog--veiling the entrance of the Bight and the neighbourhood of Heligoland. The time was now come for the first open movement to be made; and, while the _Lurcher_ and _Firedrake_ began to search the waters, through which the battle-cruisers were to come, for possible hostile submarines, three of our own, _E6_, _E7_, and _E8_, designedly exposing themselves, proceeded toward Heligoland. Finding the sea clear, Commodore Keyes with the _Lurcher_ and _Firedrake_ then followed up the three submarines; and there we may leave {34} them for the moment, turning our attention to the forces assembled in their rear under Commodore Tyrwhitt.