 She also sank the steam ship the "Sarthe" launched in La Rochelle France and late sold to a Spanish shipping company and renamed the "Umbre" while on convoy with HMS Drake out of the river Humber into the North Sea, the Umbre sank quickly and there were no casualties.The navy was found to be at fault and paid the Spanish shipping company for the loss.When recommissioned in 1914, "King Alfred" was assigned to the 6th Cruiser Squadron, together with her sister ship, , and was briefly deployed at the beginning of the war to blockade the northern exit from the North Sea.