Why The Royal Navy Started to Use Scapa Flow as Its Main Base in The Great War

However the Royal Navy had to consider moving its bases due to improved relations with France and the increased size of the Imperial German Navy challenging British naval supremacy. Should Germany be the enemy in another war the Admiralty noted that fighting was more likely to take place in the North Sea instead of the English Channel.

In the decade before the Great War started the Royal Navy’s battleships, its newest Dreadnoughts and battle cruisers often went to Scapa Flow for summer exercises. Scapa Flow is a massive natural harbour in the Orkneys but it had no facilities.

In August 1914 the Admiralty became concerned about the threat of submarines to the Royal Navy’s other base in Scotland, Cromarty. The base of Scapa Flow was soon defended with gun batteries and anti – submarine nets. Throughout the conflict the German U boats failed to sink any ships at anchor there.

Ironically after the end of the First World War, the German High Sea Fleet ended at the bottom of .Scapa Flow as its sailors scuttled their ships instead of handing them over to the Allies.

Bibliography

Lenman B (2004) The Chambers Dictionary of World History

Massie R K (2005) Castles of Steel – Britain, Germany and the winning of the Great War at Sea, Pimlico, London