Review of 'The 10th cruiser squadron and how it won the war' by Graham Kemp (August 2023)

One man who was definitely responsible for involving Great Britain in WW1 was Théophile Delcassé. Delcassé was a French politician known for his distrust of Germany. He spent years, as Foreign Minister, securing the alliance between Russia, France and Great Britain that became the Entente Cordiale in 1904. 

By 1914, the largest economies in the world were the USA, Germany, Britain and France. Both Britain and Germany imported vast amounts. For example, Germany imported two thirds of its industrial requirements (such as oil and fertiliser) as well as dairy products, pork and cereals. As such a blockade on German imports became a major item in 1914 on the outbreak of WW1.

Despite having one of the largest mercantile marines, Britain was going to find a blockade on Germany very difficult to enforce. First of all, a blockade of the Baltic was impossible, Germany would have access to all the neutral ports on the Baltic coast – Denmark and Sweden, and then the Netherlands (with a railway system from Amsterdam and Rotterdam) and Norway had access to the North Sea. Von Moltke’s plan in 1914 had avoided the Germany army invading Dutch territory ensuring its neutrality.

There were to be two blockade points for Britain in 1914, the southern approaches at the Dover end of the British Channel, and the northern approaches between Scotland and Norway. It was to be the northern approaches that 10thcruiser squadron would attempt to prevent merchant ships entering the North Sea. Initially nine obsolete cruisers (Edgar class) under the command of Rear- Admiral Dudley De Chair (flagship HMS Crescent) would be used. Unfortunately, owing to logistics usually only three or four of these old cruisers were at sea at any one time. Under international law, neutral ships were allowed to trade freely with belligerents. But they must be prepared to submit to the right of visit and search, and may be brought to court for refusing the confiscation of contraband (which included food as well as raw materials and fertilisers) which might aid the enemy.

When autumn arrived, the weather started to take it toll. Reports emerged of the weather being too bad for boarding ships for ‘visit & search’. The Edgars started to experience engineering problems caused by continual running, e.g. boiler problems, engine problems and funnels showing signs of weakness.

Then on 15 October 15 (1914), the squadron experienced its first enemy loss when HMS Hawke was torpedoed by U-9. This and the order that 10th Cruiser Squadron be available for ‘sweeps’ of the North Sea, meant that the blockade was not very efficient. The first idea to remedy this was the use of Armoured Merchant Cruisers (eventually over 24 were in use), each with three or four RN officers and staffed by Royal Naval Reserve men. The USA objected violently to any attack on neutrality and posed major problems to the British war effort. 

The ’offenders’, that is neutral shipping companies which traded food & essential materials to Germany included the Holland-Amerika Line (a major carrier of grain) and the Netherlands Overseas Trust (a major carrier of rubber products). Norwegian, Swedish and Danish Mercantile Marine continued to trade with Germany. In the first years of the war this was mainly food such as fish and canned meat. Sweden, the closest in sympathy with Germany exported iron ore as well, but as the war continued, and ships were lost to mines etc, this trade declined.

By 1915, the blockade was taking effect – lines of cruisers watched the movement of neutral ships between Iceland and Scotland. Commercial blackmail was also used, limiting legitimate trading while checking ‘contraband’. The German response was the increase in aggressive action via the U-boat campaign. The sinking of the RMS Lusitania in May 1915 initiated the loss of support from the USA.

Germany introduced food rationing in 1915 after an outbreak of food riots and panic buying, despite the Government’s claim that the country had sufficient supplies to last out the war. The food supply was not helped by the slaughter of pigs due to lack of animal fodder.  The lack of fodder also resulted in animals losing weight with the knock-on effect on milk yields and the meat supply.

The first demonstrations against Government food policy started in August 1916 as farmers’ wives complained about the shortage of men & horses on the farms caused by conscription. Bread rationing led to bakers using potato flour to augment grain in baking bread. Even so bread was also rationed by January 1915. Food rationing started with potatoes, then included butter, meat, sugar, eggs (one egg per person per week), milk and fats. Eventually by 1916 there were meatless days declared by the government. By 1917, ersatz or replacement food stuffs became more common. As food shortages grew more common, so did the spread of a black market. By 1918, the black market accounted for at least 20% of the sales of food supplies. 

When there was insufficient leather for shoe manufacture, it was replaced by cardboard. Towns were instructed to set up soup kitchens for the people who needed one hot meal a day. Over the winter of 1917/18 turnips replaced potatoes in the markets.

Despite all of this, the German government continued to wage ‘All out War’ with no policy for peace. During this time the Prussian Military elite continued to dictate government policy.

When the USA entered the war on the side of the Allies in April 1917, everything changed. Neutral countries no longer had the American support that had been essential for bringing commodities to Germany, e.g. Dutch ships could no longer leave American ports. Sweden capitulated to the demands of the Allies and ceased trading with Germany in May 1918. It was not long before economic collapse in the German food system of collection and distribution took place. By September 1918 the price of meat on the black market had increased 25-fold. Demonstration over food led to riots in Berlin and other major cities. The Kaiser’s response was to change his government and seek an armistice before there was a Russian style revolution in Germany.

After the Armistice, the Allies refused to allow the importation of food to reach pre-war levels until the signing of the Peace treaty in March 1919. By this time the deaths in the civilian population, especially among women, caused by influenza, tuberculosis, cholera and other diseases had reached the hundreds of thousands as so many people, especially the young and the elderly had tried to survive on a diet below 1000 calories per day. The long-term effects of this reduced diet can only be imagined, the children particularly suffered long-term direct and indirect mental and physical effects from the scarcities. One response was ‘Save the Children’ being set up in London by two sisters who wished to help the ‘Fight against Famine’ which existed in Europe.

Report by Peter Palmer

Below is a video of the presentation by Graham Kemp