, director firing (installed in only 8 ships in
1914), armor-piercing shells, and protection of bases, seems to
justify the caution of British operations, but is a severe indictment
of the manner in which money appropriated for the navy was used.

To open a war with England by surprise naval attack was no doubt
an element in German plans; but in 1914 this was negatived by the
forewarning of events on the Continent, by Germany's persistent delusion
that England would stay neutral, and by the timely mobilization of
the British fleet. This had been announced the winter before as
a practical exercise, was carried out according to schedule from
July 16 to July 23 (the date of Austria's ultimatum to Serbia),
and was then extended until July 29, at which date the Grand Fleet
sailed for Scapa Flow.

At midnight of August 4 the British ultimatum to Germany expired
and hostilities began. During the same night the Grand Fleet swept
the northern exit of the North Sea to prevent the escape of enemy
raiders, only one of which, the _Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse_, actually
reached the Atlantic in this first stage of the war. On a similar
sweep further south, the Harwich light cruiser and destroyer force
under Commodore Tyrwhitt sank by gunfire the mine layer _Koenigin
Luise_, which a trawler had reported "throwing things overboard";
but the next morning, August 6, the cruiser _Amphion_, returning
near the same position, was destroyed by two mines laid by her
victim of the day before. On the same date five cables were cut
leading from Germany overseas. From August 10 to 23 all British
forces were busy covering the transit of the first troops sent to
the Continent. Such, in brief summary, and omitting more distant
activities for the present, were the opening naval events of the
war.

_The Heligoland Bight Action_

On the morning of August 28 occurred a lively action in Heligoland
Bight, which cost Germany 3 light cruisers and a destroyer, and
seemed to promise further aggressive action off the German shores.
The British plan called for a destroyer and light cruiser sweep
southward to a point about 12 miles west of Heligoland, and thence
westward, with submarines disposed off Heligoland as decoys, the
object being to cut off German destroyers and patrols. Commodore
Tyrwhitt's force which was to execute the raid consisted of the
1st and 3rd flotillas of 16 destroyers each, led by the new light
cruiser _Arethusa_, flagship (28.5 knots, t