On the morning of March 14, British Naval Minister Churchill departed from his home, boarding a car en route to the Admiralty. In the increasingly tense circumstances, he found himself exceedingly busy, often resting at his office, with meals and lodging becoming routine there.
Last night, after an exceptionally rare absence of official duties, Churchill had returned home for a night's rest. It had been a long time since he had last spent time with his family.
"Alas, I wonder how long such days can endure. I hope the Germans delay their attack," Churchill sighed. As the naval minister, he was acutely aware that engaging in a decisive battle against Germany at this juncture would leave them with little chance of victory. In a bid to bolster the Royal Navy's strength, he even contemplated deploying the outdated pre-dreadnoughts for combat. Although their performance was far inferior to that of the dreadnoughts, perhaps a sufficient number could still prove somewhat effective.
However, Churchill had yet to make a definitive decision. Such a course of action would inevitably lead to substantial losses for the Royal Navy. Yet, if forced into a corner, it could become a viable option.
"If the Grand Fleet can inflict severe damage on the Germans, or perhaps achieve a mutually destructive outcome, then the ultimate confrontation might hinge upon the pre-dreadnoughts. At that point, the numerous pre-dreadnoughts of the Royal Navy could indeed prove valuable," Churchill mused silently. If it were to unfold this way, there would still be hope for British naval forces. After all, while they could not compete with the German navy in terms of dreadnoughts, they retained an absolute advantage in the pre-dreadnought category.
Of course, if the conflict were to reach such a dire stage, it would likely mean that the fleet's principal vessels had suffered catastrophic losses. This would undoubtedly be a heavy blow for the Royal Navy. Yet if victory were ultimately secured, Churchill felt that even a steep price would be worth paying.
"God save the British Empire! We must secure victory in this battle," Churchill resolved quietly.
Upon arriving at his office, Churchill found his secretary waiting. However, the expression on the secretary's face was markedly unnatural, which caused a tightening in Churchill's chest. He understood that such expressions typically accompanied bad news.
But what could possibly be the bad news for the Royal Navy? Their main fleet had remained stationed in Scapa Flow and had not yet engaged the Germans at sea. Under these circumstances, any losses should be minimal.
"What has happened?" Churchill inquired. If bad news had indeed arrived, there was no escaping it; he preferred to ask directly.
"Sir, a telegram from the Grand Fleet headquarters," the secretary replied.
Churchill took the telegram and began to read it carefully. However, his expression soon darkened ominously.
"Scoundrels! How could this happen? What are Jellicoe and Beatty doing? Scapa Flow, heavily fortified, has been attacked by German submarines, resulting in such devastating losses to our capital ships! How can we continue the fight now?" Churchill erupted in fury. Such news was bound to incite his wrath.
That very morning, he had entertained thoughts that the Royal Navy might still possess a sliver of hope in future naval engagements. As long as the Grand Fleet could inflict significant losses on the German navy—perhaps achieving parity in casualties—there was still a chance to leverage the numerical advantage of their pre-dreadnoughts to secure victory. But now, a single submarine raid had cost them so many vital ships. How could they continue the battle? Churchill had lost all faith in the Royal Navy.
The secretary kept his head bowed, silent. Clearly, he had anticipated that Churchill would be incensed upon reading the telegram. It was unavoidable; after all, the Grand Fleet had suffered a grievous blow.
"Summon Admiral Jellicoe and Vice Admiral Beatty to see me immediately!" Churchill ordered, his face aflame with anger.
"Yes, sir," the secretary responded, hastily dispatching a telegram.
Meanwhile, Admiral Jellicoe and Vice Admiral Beatty, who were busy dealing with the aftermath in Scapa Flow, received the telegram from the Admiralty. Without delay, they boarded a seaplane bound for London. They understood that their arrival in London would likely be met with reprimands, but they were left with no choice; the Royal Navy's losses had been staggering.
By the time Jellicoe and Beatty reached London, it was already afternoon, and news of the Grand Fleet's renewed devastation had reached the Cabinet. Prime Minister Asquith, upon learning of this development, skipped lunch entirely. He instructed Churchill to have Jellicoe and Beatty come directly to his office upon their arrival, clearly displeased with the Grand Fleet's losses.
"Sir, we deeply regret the losses sustained last night!" Admiral Jellicoe immediately offered an apology upon encountering Churchill. After all, their oversight had allowed the German submarines to infiltrate Scapa Flow, resulting in catastrophic losses for the Grand Fleet.
"What of the damaged battleships?" Churchill asked coldly. He felt profoundly let down by the performance of the Grand Fleet.
"Sir, we have already initiated urgent repairs. The Conqueror, Giant, and Neptune will require approximately one month. The Warspite and Warrior, having sustained severe damage, will take at least three months to repair," Beatty responded.
Churchill's expression darkened further.
"So, the Warspite and Warrior will certainly be absent from our impending confrontation with the Germans?" Churchill inquired.
"Sir, if the Germans engage us within three months, these two battleships will indeed be unable to participate," Jellicoe answered, bracing himself for the confrontation.
"Do you believe the Germans will grant us additional time?" Churchill retorted.
Jellicoe was rendered speechless.
Clearly, the situation had become increasingly dire; the Germans would not afford them much leeway. If matters progressed poorly, the decisive battle could be upon them within a month. This meant that the five battleships that had suffered grievous damage would be unable to take part in the confrontation, further diminishing the Royal Navy's chances of success.