[GlowwormGuy]

Ah, that's easy - and it's actually in Castles of Steel. The ships were manned by reservists and they were very old. Their main duty was to protect Channel shipping particularly the vital ships carrying men and materiel transiting the channel and as a bonus interdict any possible German merchant blockade runners and smaller ships off the Broad Fourteens but due to weather - this is very important in the book, it mentions how destroyers are sometimes forced back to base by turbulent North Sea weather while bigger ships take damage and burn up fuel - and mechanical issues - also very important! At any given date the Grand Fleet ships and patrolling forces might be reduced by 1 or more ships due to condenser problems, boiler retubing, even collission damage. Jellicoe's policy of constant patrolling took its toll on the ships and men but did maintain the distant blockade policy quite well! - the paper size of the squadrons at sea were difficult to maintain. So yes, 3-4 in rotation. Yes the HMS Euryalus should have been there but she had to return to port to refuel.

Best wishes,
Mountbatten