Difference between revisions of "Battle of Heligoland Bight"

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<div style="padding-top: 0; padding-bottom: 1em; padding-left: 10em; padding-right: 10em; text-align: right; color: gray; ">—Press Bureau Statement of 28 August, 1914</div>
 
<div style="padding-top: 0; padding-bottom: 1em; padding-left: 10em; padding-right: 10em; text-align: right; color: gray; ">—Press Bureau Statement of 28 August, 1914</div>
  
The '''Battle of Heligoland Bight''' was the first naval action of [[The Great War]] fought on 28 August 1914 near the island of Heligoland near the main German naval base at [[Wilhelmshaven]].   
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The '''Battle of Heligoland Bight''' was the first naval action of [[Great War]], fought on 28 August 1914 near the island of Heligoland near the main German naval base at [[Wilhelmshaven]].   
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==Background==
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In the early weeks of the Great War it was known to the British that the German [[High Sea Fleet]] was based in its North Sea ports.  On 16 August the British [[Grand Fleet]], supported by [[Cruiser Force C]] and the [[Harwich Force|Harwich flotillas]], had performed a sweep to within 40 miles of Heligoland, but had not encountered any German shipping.  Another sweep was proposed to the [[Admiralty]] by three different authorities: On 18 August the Commander-in-Chief, Grand Fleet, Admiral [[John Rushworth Jellicoe, First Earl Jellicoe|Sir John R. Jellicoe]], proposed: "a sweep in force at dawn on August 24th, to within 30 miles of Heligoland, the flotillas leading, covered by cruisers with the battle fleet supporting, and submarines keeping east of longitude 7° 40' E and south of 54° N."  Rear-Admiral [[Arthur Henry Christian|Arthur H. Christian]], commanding a "combined force" based at Harwich, proposed at the same time a sweep to the eastward commencing on a line from Terschelling.
  
 
==See Also==
 
==See Also==

Revision as of 09:13, 16 April 2012

Early this morning a concerted operation of some consequence was attempted against the Germans in the Helgoland Bight … According to the information that has reached the Admiralty so far, the operation has been fortunate and fruitful.
—Press Bureau Statement of 28 August, 1914

The Battle of Heligoland Bight was the first naval action of Great War, fought on 28 August 1914 near the island of Heligoland near the main German naval base at Wilhelmshaven.

Background

In the early weeks of the Great War it was known to the British that the German High Sea Fleet was based in its North Sea ports. On 16 August the British Grand Fleet, supported by Cruiser Force C and the Harwich flotillas, had performed a sweep to within 40 miles of Heligoland, but had not encountered any German shipping. Another sweep was proposed to the Admiralty by three different authorities: On 18 August the Commander-in-Chief, Grand Fleet, Admiral Sir John R. Jellicoe, proposed: "a sweep in force at dawn on August 24th, to within 30 miles of Heligoland, the flotillas leading, covered by cruisers with the battle fleet supporting, and submarines keeping east of longitude 7° 40' E and south of 54° N." Rear-Admiral Arthur H. Christian, commanding a "combined force" based at Harwich, proposed at the same time a sweep to the eastward commencing on a line from Terschelling.

See Also

Footnotes

Bibliography