Note 66 — Chapter XIV · IN THE NARROW SEAS

‘The loss on September 22,’ wrote Mr. Gibson Bowles, ‘of the Aboukir, the Cressy and the Hogue, with 1,459 officers and men killed, occurred because, despite the warnings of admirals, commodores and captains, Mr. Churchill refused, until it was too late, to recall them from a patrol so carried on as to make them certain to fall victims to the torpedoes of an active enemy.’