This action took place in the months after the Battle of Jutland and is significant in that it signalled a major shift in German naval policy.

Concerned that the Danes would intern the two U-boats—or that the British would find them—and mindful of the reputation of U-20 and her skipper as being responsible for the sinking of the ocean liner RMS Lusitania, Admiral Scheer—the commander of the High Seas Fleet—dispatched a salvage group, with a cover force, comprising destroyers of the 4th Half-Flotilla, with the battlecruiser SMS Moltke.

On 5 November, J1 was submerged on patrol in the North Sea, 30 mi (26 nmi; 48 km) south-west of Horns Reef.

Her skipper—Commander NF Laurence—had been alerted to the approach of the German forces, and at 11:50, in heavy seas, he spotted the four dreadnoughts of 3rd Battle Squadron just 2 mi (1.7 nmi; 3.2 km) away.

Laurence went deeper to manoeuvre into a firing position, but on rising to periscope depth he saw the dreadnoughts had changed course and were moving away.