A discussion on warly British WW2 intelligence

Over om this thread:https://www.alternatehistory.com/fo...mething-else-ahc.428173/page-20#post-15908822 , there is a lot of debate, but a particular premise remains unresolved:
What kind of Intelligence caused the British home fleet to leave Scapa flow just before the war. They were hunting a report of a BC, 2 panserschiffe and 2 heavy cruisers going out to see, but it was a completely false report.
Later they sactterred because the Germans had assembled 800 bombers to raid Scapa flow.

It tells us that the British had no actual Way of confirming such reports, but not how they originated. Misinformation, uncontrolled rumors, but from whom?
Any insights appreciated...
 
Directions to investigate:

1. Did the Brits have agents in Netherlands either collecting rumors, or working agents in Germany? Ditto for Denmark.

2. Were they trying to use signal analysis to track naval and airfare activity? The Enigma code breaking operation was just starting, with the Polish machines and documents still enroute to Bletchley Park. So the Brits must have been attempting a signal analysis system.

3. Air reconnaissance.

4. Any submarines or other picket boats in the North Sea?

5. German disinformation & propaganda?
 
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