e convoy formed in line ahead, the destroyers
tucking themselves in, so to speak, as close to the line of
merchantmen as possible. In this narrow formation, with the destroyer
mine-sweepers and the converted merchantmen mine-sweepers leading the
way, their paravanes over the stern set at twenty feet to cut adrift
all the mines encountered, the convoy steamed across the deadly enemy
minefield to the comparative safety of the Dutch territorial waters
beyond. Here the merchantmen parted from their escort, and steamed to
the ports for which they were bound. The escorting destroyers then
picked up the westward-bound merchantmen that were awaiting them, and
convoyed them back to the English coast, using the same formations
that had been employed on the outward voyage.

At the beginning of the war the convoys of merchantmen were at times
not punctual in arriving at the rendezvous on the Dutch coast, thus
adding to the risk of discovery by enemy submarines. But before long
the merchant captains understood what was required of them, and all
went smoothly. It is scarcely necessary to say that the route followed
across the North Sea and through the enemy's minefields was ever being
changed, so as to lessen the chance of attack. When the risks
attending these operations are taken into consideration, the
casualties were few among the convoyed merchantmen. In the course of
the war about six of them only were lost on this route. It is strange
that none of the mine-sweepers that led the convoys and exposed
themselves while clearing the way for the others fell victims to the
mines. But, of course, the mine-sweepers that have been recently
employed are of very shallow draught, and pass safely over most of the
mines, especially at high water.

On the other hand, the escorting destroyers suffered heavily; several
were sunk by mines or submarines, while still more were severely
damaged. On one disastrous night in December 1917, three destroyers
were lost while crossing the enemy's minefields with a convoy. First
one destroyer struck a mine and was blown up. A second destroyer
coming up to pick up the crew from the water struck another mine and
also sank. A third destroyer then hurried to the rescue, only to share
the same fate. Out of the three crews, only about one-fourth of the
men were ultimately saved.

In this short summary of the doings of the Harwich Force in the war,
it is not possible to describe a tithe of the heroic deeds perf