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Channel Fleet prepares
1518 22 June 1916, 20 nautical miles SouthEast of Lowestoft
It was a poor command for George Callaghan. He had done so much to ready the Grand Fleet for a war and when it had finally come he had been removed from command of the Grand Fleet and shuffled to the Nore Command instead. The main function was to ensure the security of the English Channel, however, with reports that the Germans may be readying a sortie, he had lead HMS Dreadnought and his seven remaining members of the "wobbly eight" to sea, taking HMS Swiftsure, normally deployed with the 9th cruiser squadron, with him. He had no desire to meet the main body of the High Seas Fleet at all with his eclectic collection of ships, most now only good for 18 or so knots. However, he could and would not let enemy forces break out into the English Channel and threaten both shipping and lighter bombardment forces located there.
If, however, the Germans dispatched a light raiding force into the Channel he would be ready. With 12 heavy ships, even if eight were pre dreadnoughts and three armoured cruisers, he could quickly dispatch anything that was not the main German body. In truth Callaghan wanted action, to prove both to others and himself that he could have successfully helmed the Grand Fleet as well as any other man. AS it was he would establish a patrol line between Lowestoft and The Hague, effectively blocking any entry to the Channel.
It was a poor command for George Callaghan. He had done so much to ready the Grand Fleet for a war and when it had finally come he had been removed from command of the Grand Fleet and shuffled to the Nore Command instead. The main function was to ensure the security of the English Channel, however, with reports that the Germans may be readying a sortie, he had lead HMS Dreadnought and his seven remaining members of the "wobbly eight" to sea, taking HMS Swiftsure, normally deployed with the 9th cruiser squadron, with him. He had no desire to meet the main body of the High Seas Fleet at all with his eclectic collection of ships, most now only good for 18 or so knots. However, he could and would not let enemy forces break out into the English Channel and threaten both shipping and lighter bombardment forces located there.
If, however, the Germans dispatched a light raiding force into the Channel he would be ready. With 12 heavy ships, even if eight were pre dreadnoughts and three armoured cruisers, he could quickly dispatch anything that was not the main German body. In truth Callaghan wanted action, to prove both to others and himself that he could have successfully helmed the Grand Fleet as well as any other man. AS it was he would establish a patrol line between Lowestoft and The Hague, effectively blocking any entry to the Channel.
- johnboy
- Word Count: 250