Rear Admiral Moore automatically took up command of the British fleet while his senior officer was making these changes.  It is not known what Admiral Moore’s orders had been, but it is known that he suddenly ordered all ships to cease firing and allowed the German warships to proceed without further engaging them.  By the time that Admiral Beatty was again on a battle cruiser the action was virtually over.  The Indomitable passed a cable to the crippled Lion and towed the latter home, the rest of the British fleet keeping to the rearward to be ready for possible resumption of fighting.

Much criticism was made by the British press and by laymen on account of the sudden termination of the fight, and there was great complaint in England because the career of all the raiding German ships had not been brought to an end.  But when the engagement ended the opposing fleets were within seventy miles of Helgoland, and the German admiralty had ready a fleet of dreadnoughts and another of battle cruisers to engage the British ships when they got within striking distance.  By ending the fight when he did the British commander chose not to be led into this trap.  Nor was there dissatisfaction in England alone.  In Germany the complaint was that the ruse had not worked, and not long afterward Admiral von Ingenohl was replaced as commander of the High Sea Fleet by Admiral von Pohl.  None of the blame for the failure was laid at the door of the officer who had actually been engaged in the fighting—­Admiral Hipper—­which showed that his senior officers had considered the engagement as part of a larger action.

* * * * *

CHAPTER XL

RESULTS OF SIX MONTHS’ NAVAL OPERATIONS

The first six months of naval operations in the Great War came to a close without battle between the main fleets of the navies of the warring nations.  The British navy had kept open communication with the Continent, allowing the Expeditionary Force, as well as later military contingents, to get to the trenches in Flanders and France.  It had, in addition, made possible the transportation of troops from Canada and Australia.  The ports of France were open for commerce with America, which permitted the importation of arms and munitions, and the same privilege had been won for the ports in the British Isles.

The northern ports of the Central Powers were closed to commerce with all but the Scandinavian countries, and the oversea German possessions, where they were accessible to naval attack, had been taken from her.  The German and Austrian flags had been swept from the seven seas, with the exception of those on three or four German cruisers that now and then showed themselves capable of sinking a merchantman.

In the four engagements of importance which had been fought by the end of January, 1915, the British had been the victors in three—­the battles of the Bight of Helgoland, the Falkland Islands, and the third German raid of January 24, 1915—­the Germans had been victors in one—­the fight off Coronel.