There was a public outcry in Britain at the losses; the sinkings eroded confidence in the British government and damaged the reputation of the Royal Navy, when many countries were still unsure about taking sides in the war.

Concerns had been expressed about the vulnerability of the ships against modern German cruisers but the War Orders of 28 July 1914, reflecting pre-war assumptions about attacks by destroyers rather than submarines, remained in force.

The ships were to patrol the area "south of the 54th parallel clear of enemy torpedo craft and destroyers" supported by Cruiser Force C during the day.

[3] On 16 September, Christian had been allowed to keep two cruisers to the north and one at the Broad Fourteens but had kept them together in a central position, able to support operations in both areas.

The next day, the destroyer escorts were forced to depart by heavy weather, which remained so bad that neither patrol could be reformed.

The Admiralty ordered that the ships were to cancel the Dogger Patrol and cover the Broad Fourteens until the weather abated.

[5] At 06:00 on 22 September, the weather had calmed and the ships were patrolling at 10 kn (12 mph; 19 km/h), in line abreast, 2 nmi (2.3 mi; 3.7 km) apart.

Watchers on Cressy had seen the submarine, opened fire and made an abortive attempt to ram before turning to pick up survivors.

[12] The destroyers hunted the submarine, which had little electrical power remaining to travel underwater and could only make 14 kn (16 mph; 26 km/h) on the surface.

Other cruisers were withdrawn from patrol duties; Christian was reprimanded and Drummond was criticized by the Court of Inquiry for failing to take the anti-submarine precautions recommended by the Admiralty and praised for his conduct during the attack.

[16] Commander Dudley Pound, serving in the Grand Fleet as a commander aboard the battleship St. Vincent (who became First Sea Lord) wrote in his diary on 24 September, Much as one regrets the loss of life one cannot help thinking that it is a useful warning to us — we had almost begun to consider the German submarines as no good and our awakening which had to come sooner or later and it might have been accompanied by the loss of some of our Battle Fleet.In 1954, the British government sold the salvage rights to the ships and work began in 2011.