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The initial proposed routing for Hampshire from Scapa Flow was up the east coast of Orkney. But as a result of strong easterly winds and reports of German submarines operating to the east, that route was abandoned in favour of a route up the west coast. Hampshire struck a mine off the 200-foot high cliffs of Marwick Head near Birsay at 2040 on 5 June 1916. She sank within 15 minutes, with the loss of737 souls. There were only 12 survivors.

On 5 June however, as final preparations were being made for the voyage, the weather worsened. By the afternoon, a gale was blowing from the north-east and a heavy sea was running along the east coast, which made minesweeping difficult. The Admiralty felt that the heavy sea would make it difficult for the Hampshire’s two destroyer escorts to keep up with the bigger and more powerful cruiser – and so the fateful decision was made to re-route Hampshire and send her along one of the routes up the west side of Orkney.

Of the two available west routes, it was decided to use the route set up in January 1916, which went past the western island of Hoy. This route was not regularly swept for mines, but it was thought that no German minelayer would dare to operate this close to the heavily protected main Grand Fleet base. It was believed that this route would give the two escort destroyers some shelter from the north-easterly gale and enable them to keep up with the Hampshire.