REMOVAL OF THE NORTH SEA MINE BARRAGE 



121 



The second possibility for im- 

 provement lay in defining accu- 

 rately each row of mines with 

 suitable buoys before the sweep- 

 ers were sent out. Some doubt 

 existed if such a thing were pos- 

 sible, for it had appeared in 

 previous sweeping that the mines 

 exploded or rose to the surface 

 in such apparent disorder that 

 to place marker buoys in exact 

 positions relative to the individ- 

 ual rows of mines was almost 

 out of the question. But we at 

 least could try. 



The Admiral directed that a 

 Buoy-laying Squadron should be 

 fitted out at once, in order to 

 have the new, fields marked by 

 the time the overhaul and refit 

 of the sweepers was completed. 



the; buoy-baying squadron 

 begins work 



Since the Buoy-laying Squad- 

 ron automatically took over the 

 duties which the trawlers had. in 

 a lesser way, been performing, it 

 was decided to fit out ten of these 

 vessels for sweeping (they had 

 been built expressly for that pur- 

 pose by the Admiralty)., using 

 them astern of the regular sweep- 

 ers to catch any mines which 

 might have escaped the initial 

 sweep. This would give a large, 

 compact formation, with suffi- 

 cient breadth to cover the entire 

 width of the group. 



In order to reduce as much as 

 possible the loss of time due to 

 parted sweeps, three pairs of 

 sweepers were to steam in col- 

 umn along each row of mines ; 

 then, when the sweep of the lead- 

 ing pair was broken, they should 

 drop out of formation, repass, 

 and take position as the last pair. 

 In this manner it was hoped that 

 the sweepers as a unit might 

 sweep continuously the full 

 length of the field, keeping at 

 least one pair in action on each 

 line of mines, so as not to lose 

 track of its position. 



Five days after the ships re- 



ft M 





" 



> 





J+ 



a 





n 



f 





5^ 



o 

















n 



§ 





n> 







X 











w- 



tL 



K 





o 



>o 





:&. 







n 



w 



Sj- 



p. 



- 



3 



W 



- 



























~T 



3 





o 



CfQ 



' 





r+ 



z. 



2 









a 



- 



n 



o 



K 





W 



Z 



fD 



•o 



a 





P 





OQ 



5' 



.- 







^ 



Cfq 



« 



W 



>-t 



a- 





O 







3 



a; 



tn 





c 



~- 





< 





c 



5" 



> 



o 



CTQ 



— ( 



X 



in 



o 



- . 



ft) 







< 



£*» 





!-t 





o' 



P 



^ 



3 



t_— 





^ 



3 



2 



n> 



2 



w 



CD 









Hh 



w 



jj 



o 



21 



0Q 







n 



5 



!> 



►H 



<■+. 



2 



^J 



n 



O 



-^ 



W 



P 



■Pi 







rt> 





p 



PS 











h3 



w 



