The War at Sea

T H E WA R AT S E A

Girls at work in theAssembly sheds,Grangemouth minelaying base.

Mine laying and sweeping

mine manufacturing and training school was established and minelayers were

loaded in the docks. Britain, having regarded the mine as an underhand weapon,

was unprepared for mine warfare, but the loss by mine of the new dreadnought HMS

Audacious off the coast of Donegal in October 1914 brought about an immediate

change of policy. Old converted cruisers were

used as minelayers initially, but in 1915 several

suitable merchant ships were requisitioned and

converted. Submarines and trawlers were also

used as minelayers. Minesweeping gunboats and

trawlers were able to maintain swept channels

and clear enemy minefields in coastal waters,

but could not accompany the Fleet, leading

to the development of the paravane (a towed

underwater glider), which was fitted universally

during 1917. Thereafter, more naval vessels

were converted, and extensive fields were laid in

the Channel and especially in 1918 (with very

substantial help from the USA) between Orkney

and Norway,a distance of some 270 miles.

BRITAIN LAID OVER 128,000 MINES

DURING THE WAR ANDTHE US

NAVY A FURTHER 57,000

Fuelling the ships

Some of the Fleet’s ships used coal, others used oil and some used both. Welsh

steaming coal (of high calorific value and producing relatively little smoke) was

brought up to Grangemouth by rail and taken down the river to the ships in colliers.

TheAdmiralty also took over the recently-established BP installation as an oil-fuelling

depot. Most of the oil came from the USA. Barges were converted to transport supplies

along the Forth and Clyde Canal to Grangemouth, where a tank farm was built for

storage. Grangemouth also became the fleet victualling depot, from which stores

were taken down river, principally in drifters requisitioned (with their crews) from the

fishing fleet.

Bo’ness harbour was also closed to merchant traffic in November 1914, and seems

to have been used for bunkering coal burning ships during the war.

the royal navy in the forth