Harwich Force at the eastern approaches to the Channel. Through
the winter of 1916-1917 there was always a division of the Harwich
Force patrolling the Channel barrage in conjunction with the Dover
Patrol. It was a one-month patrol. There was no leave, no short
notice, and the ships only returned to Harwich for boiler-cleaning.

One important duty of the Harwich Force was to patrol the mine-net
barrage which extended along the Belgian coast, parallel to and at
about ten miles distance from the shore, from Dunkirk to Holland.
There was nearly always one division of the Harwich Force, consisting
of four destroyers, with one or two monitors, patrolling just outside
the barrage by day, within effective range of the German guns on the
shore (their range was 30,000 yards). By night the division used to
patrol and protect the Downs. This patrol, based on Dover, used to
carry on this work for three weeks at a stretch, always at sea, or
ready to get off at a moment's notice. Its function outside the
mine-net barrage was to prevent enemy submarines from passing through
the barrage, and to stop the enemy destroyers from leaving their base.
This channel patrolled by our destroyers was bordered on its south
side by the mine-net barrage and on its north side by our minefields.
On the further side of the minefields our light cruisers and
destroyers patrolled in support.

Our destroyers had frequent scraps with the enemy across the narrow
mine-net barrage. It was while engaged in this work that the Harwich
Patrol co-operated with the Dover Patrol in the bombardment of the
coast. On one occasion, at daylight, the Harwich Force sighted four
German destroyers making for Zeebrugge. The _Centaur_, at that time
Admiral Tyrwhitt's flagship, with other cruisers and destroyers of the
Harwich Force, sank one of the enemy destroyers, the S20, and badly
damaged other destroyers.

In the course of the execution of this duty of ever keeping a watchful
eye on the enemy, the Harwich Force had its full share of fighting.
Thus, on January 22, 1917, a calm, cold, very dark night, three of the
light cruisers were on the lookout to intercept German destroyers that
were known to be making for Zeebrugge. As they were steering in a
south-westerly direction eight enemy destroyers were sighted passing
close under their stern. A general melee followed at short range, 1000
yards and less, the cruisers blazing away with their guns, the
destroyers replying with