View source for Action of 17 March, 1917

The Germans attempted to repeat their successful attack of [[Battle of Dover Strait|26-27 October 1916]] on the Dover Strait anti-submarine net barrage and shipping on 23 November, 1916 but it and a raid of 25-26 February on shipping between England and the Hoof of Holland did little damage.

A new attack on the Dover Strait was planned for 17-18 March 1917. Seven torpedo boats of the [[Sixth Torpedo Boat Flotilla (Imperial German Navy)|Sixth Flotilla]]. would attack the barrage. Five of the [[First Zeebrugge Half Flotilla Imperial German Navy| First Zeebrugge Half Flotilla ]]would be to the east. The four of the [[Second Zeebrugge Half Flotilla (Imperial German Navy|Second Zeebrugge Half Flotilla]] would operate against the Downs off the east coast of Kent. 

Korvettenkapitän [[Werner Tillesen]] of the Sixth Flotilla led the attack. Tillesen planned the operation carefully in order to give each group of destroyers separate lines of approach and areas of operation. He wanted to be sure that confusion between his forces did not cost them the advantage of surprise and being able to open fire without having to first issuing a challenge. The flaw in the plan was that the weakest force would attack the most important area, the Downs.{{UKNavalOpsIV| p. 361-62}}

The British had the destroyers {{UK-Paragon|f=p}}, {{UK-Laforey|f=p}}, {{UK-Llewellyn|f=p}} and {{UK-Laertes|f=p}} patrolling the barrage. The light cruiser {{UK-Canterbury|f=p}}, the flotilla leader {{UK-Faulknor|f=p}} and the destroyers {{UK-1Saracen|f=p}}, {{UK-Viking|f=p}}, {{UK-1Mohawk|f=p}} and {{UK-Ambuscade|f=p}} were anchored off the Deal. The monitors {{UK-Erebus|f=p}} and {{UK-PrinceEugene|f=p}} were also in the Downs.<ref>Naval Staff. Naval Staff Monograph. Volume VI. Monograph 35.—The Dover Command. p. 91.</ref>

At 2250 ''Paragon'' encountered three or four destroyers. She exchanged gunfire with them and fired a torpedo that hit a German ship without exploding. ''Paragon'' then blew up and sank with the loss of all but 10 men.<ref>Naval Staff. Naval Staff Monograph. Volume VI. Monograph 35.—The Dover Command. p. 92.</ref>

''Laforey'', assuming that ''Paragon'' had struck a mine, stopped at about 2300 and switched on her searchlight in order to see and pick up survivors. About 2315 she was narrowly missed by a torpedo that damaged ''Llewellyn''. ''Laforey's'' captain, Lieutenant-in-Command [[Arthur Edwin Durham|Arthur E. Durham]] assumed that it had come from a U-boat and so set off in search of a submarine. Other British ships therefore remained in port.<ref>Naval Staff. Naval Staff Monograph. Volume VI. Monograph 35.—The Dover Command. p. 92-93.</ref>

The German destroyers attacking the Downs came across the merchantman S.S. ''Greypoint'', which was anchored in an exposed position because her engines had broken down. They torpedoed and sank her, damaged a drifter and bombarded Broadstairs and Ramsgate without causing much damage, although some civilians had narrow escapes. The German ships then withdrew, outpacing the torpedo boat {{UK-TB4}}, the only British warship to spot them, and which was suffering from engine problems reducing its best speed to just 15 knots.<ref>Naval Staff. Naval Staff Monograph. Volume VI. Monograph 35.—The Dover Command. p. 94.</ref>

==See Also==
{{refbegin}}
{{WP|https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Action_of_17_March_1917}}
{{refend}}

==Footnotes==
{{reflist}}

==Bibliography==
{{refbegin}}
*Naval Staff, Training and Staff Duties Division (1922). Naval Staff Monographs (Historical): Fleet Issue. Volume VI. The Dover Command. OU5413D (late CB917D). Copy at The National Archives.[https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C2488576]
*{{UKNavalOpsIV}}
{{refend}}

[[Category:Naval Battles]]
[[Category:Naval Battles of the Great War]]