On 24 November 1918, Sinclair is given orders by the Government for Baltic operation “Red Trek”:

assemble a squadron of war ships;

when in the Baltic Sea, ‘show the British flag and support British policy as circumstances dictate’;

supply the Estonian Provisional Government with weapons at the discretion of the Squadron Commander.

On arrival in Copenhagen, the squadron is to await further orders and to avoid any contact with the Red Army and its navy.