Difference between revisions of "Battle of Heligoland Bight"
From The Dreadnought Project
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| − | !align=center colspan=6|Fired at | + | !align=center colspan=6|Fired at [[S.M.S. Köln (1909)|''Köln'']], judged collectively to have 95.8% chance of a hit |
|- | |- | ||
!align=center|Time||align=center|Firing Ship||align=center|Range (yds)||align=center|Enemy Speed (knots)||align=center|Inclination||align=center|Result | !align=center|Time||align=center|Firing Ship||align=center|Range (yds)||align=center|Enemy Speed (knots)||align=center|Inclination||align=center|Result | ||
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| − | !align=center colspan=6| | + | !align=center colspan=6|Fired at [[S.M.S. Mainz (1909)|''Mainz'']] |
| + | |- | ||
| + | !align=center|Time||align=center|Firing Ship||align=center|Range (yds)||align=center|Enemy Speed (knots)||align=center|Inclination||align=center|Notes/Result | ||
| + | |- | ||
| + | |align=center|—||align=center|''Fearless''||align=center|5,000||align=center|21||align=center|90R||align=center|— | ||
| + | |- | ||
| + | |align=center|—||align=center|''Fearless''||align=center|7,000||align=center|21||align=center|135R||align=center|— | ||
| + | |- | ||
| + | |align=center|10:30am||align=center|''Ferret''||align=center|5,000||align=center|25||align=center|source<br>incomprehensible||align=center|target turned | ||
| + | |- | ||
| + | |align=center|—||align=center|''Defender''||align=center|4,500||align=center|27||align=center|110R||align=center|Possible hit | ||
| + | |- | ||
| + | |align=center|10:30am||align=center|''Laforey''||align=center|5,000||align=center|10||align=center|130R||align=center|— | ||
| + | |- | ||
| + | |align=center|—||align=center|''Laforey''||align=center|5,000||align=center|10||align=center|130R||align=center|hit port quarter<ref>how this hit the port quarter from the given inclination seems puzzling</ref> | ||
| + | |- | ||
| + | |align=center|10:43am||align=center|''Laertes''||align=center|3,500||align=center|17||align=center|120L||align=center|H.S., Hit near fore funnel | ||
| + | |- | ||
| + | |align=center|9:11am||align=center|''Liberty''||align=center|5,000||align=center|20||align=center|90L||align=center|— | ||
| + | |- | ||
| + | |align=center|9:11am||align=center|''Liberty''||align=center|5,000||align=center|20||align=center|90L||align=center|— | ||
| + | |- | ||
| + | |align=center|9:11am||align=center|''Linnet''||align=center|3,500||align=center|0||align=center|—||align=center|Hit abaft fore funnel | ||
| + | |- | ||
| + | |align=center|Noon||align=center|''Lark''||align=center|4,000||align=center|Not stated||align=center|90R||align=center|— | ||
| + | |} | ||
| + | <br> | ||
| + | |||
| + | {|border=1 | ||
| + | !align=center colspan=6|Firings at other targets | ||
|- | |- | ||
!align=center|Time||align=center|Firing Ship||align=center|Range (yds)||align=center|Enemy Speed (knots)||align=center|Inclination||align=center|Target/Result | !align=center|Time||align=center|Firing Ship||align=center|Range (yds)||align=center|Enemy Speed (knots)||align=center|Inclination||align=center|Target/Result | ||
|- | |- | ||
| − | |align=center|7:45am||align=center|''Lance''||align=center|3,500/<br>4,000||align=center|18||align=center|100R||align=center|''Ariadne'', unclear | + | |align=center|7:45am||align=center|''Lance''||align=center|3,500/<br>4,000||align=center|18||align=center|100R||align=center|[[S.M.S. Ariadne (1900)|''Ariadne'']], unclear |
|- | |- | ||
| − | |align=center|7:45am||align=center|''Lydiard''||align=center|6,000||align=center|15||align=center|110L||align=center|''Frauenlob'', unlikely | + | |align=center|7:45am||align=center|''Lydiard''||align=center|6,000||align=center|15||align=center|110L||align=center|[[S.M.S Frauenlob (1902)|''Frauenlob'']], unlikely |
|- | |- | ||
| − | |align=center|8:00am||align=center|''Ferret''||align=center| | + | |align=center|8:00am||align=center|''Ferret''||align=center|5,000||align=center|20||align=center|90R||align=center|2-funnel L.C. turned |
|- | |- | ||
|align=center|8:30am||align=center|''Arethusa''||align=center|2,500||align=center|12||align=center|93L||align=center|''Frauenlob'' hit, H.S. setting | |align=center|8:30am||align=center|''Arethusa''||align=center|2,500||align=center|12||align=center|93L||align=center|''Frauenlob'' hit, H.S. setting | ||
| Line 66: | Line 95: | ||
|align=center|8:30am||align=center|''Arethusa''||align=center|2,500||align=center|12||align=center|93L||align=center|missed 50 yards astern, H.S. setting | |align=center|8:30am||align=center|''Arethusa''||align=center|2,500||align=center|12||align=center|93L||align=center|missed 50 yards astern, H.S. setting | ||
|- | |- | ||
| − | |align=center|9:11am||align=center|''Linnet''||align=center|14,000||colspan=4|too far away to say | + | |align=center|9:11am||align=center|''Linnet''||align=center|14,000||colspan=4 align=center|too far away to say |
|- | |- | ||
|align=center|Forenoon||align=center|''Lark''||align=center|5,000||align=center|—||align=center|90R||align=center|''Ariadne'', unsure | |align=center|Forenoon||align=center|''Lark''||align=center|5,000||align=center|—||align=center|90R||align=center|''Ariadne'', unsure | ||
Revision as of 13:52, 5 May 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.
British Torpedo Analysis
The Royal Navy quantised its use of torpedoes during the action thusly. [1]
| Fired at Köln, judged collectively to have 95.8% chance of a hit | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Time | Firing Ship | Range (yds) | Enemy Speed (knots) | Inclination | Result |
| 11:30am | Lennox | 3,000 | 20 | 150 | — |
| 11:45am | Legion | 5,000 | 20 | 90L | — |
| 9:11am | Liberty | 6,000 | 20 | 90L | — |
| 1:00pm | New Zealand | 4,000 | 0 | — | Hit amidships |
| 1:15pm | New Zealand | 5,000 | very slow | — | Ran under |
The claimed "miss under" to New Zealand might be due to the torpedoes being set for 18 feet depth and Koln having a draught of 17.75 feet.
| Fired at "4 funnel light cruiser" | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Time | Firing Ship | Range (yds) | Enemy Speed (knots) | Inclination | Result |
| 11:00am | Lance | 4-5,000 | 15 | 70L | Missed ahead? |
| 11:00am | Lysander | 6,000 | 17 | 110L | — |
| Forenoon | Lark | 6,000 | — | 90R | — |
| 11:30am | Acheron x two | 4,500 | — | 93L | Target avoided by turning |
| Archer | 4,500 | 20 | 113L | ||
| Attack x two | 5,000 | — | 113L | ||
| — | Hind x two | 4,500 | 22 | 110R | |
| Noon | Lookout x two | 5,000 | 20 | 90R | — |
| Fired at Mainz | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Time | Firing Ship | Range (yds) | Enemy Speed (knots) | Inclination | Notes/Result |
| — | Fearless | 5,000 | 21 | 90R | — |
| — | Fearless | 7,000 | 21 | 135R | — |
| 10:30am | Ferret | 5,000 | 25 | source incomprehensible |
target turned |
| — | Defender | 4,500 | 27 | 110R | Possible hit |
| 10:30am | Laforey | 5,000 | 10 | 130R | — |
| — | Laforey | 5,000 | 10 | 130R | hit port quarter[2] |
| 10:43am | Laertes | 3,500 | 17 | 120L | H.S., Hit near fore funnel |
| 9:11am | Liberty | 5,000 | 20 | 90L | — |
| 9:11am | Liberty | 5,000 | 20 | 90L | — |
| 9:11am | Linnet | 3,500 | 0 | — | Hit abaft fore funnel |
| Noon | Lark | 4,000 | Not stated | 90R | — |
| Firings at other targets | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Time | Firing Ship | Range (yds) | Enemy Speed (knots) | Inclination | Target/Result | |
| 7:45am | Lance | 3,500/ 4,000 |
18 | 100R | Ariadne, unclear | |
| 7:45am | Lydiard | 6,000 | 15 | 110L | Frauenlob, unlikely | |
| 8:00am | Ferret | 5,000 | 20 | 90R | 2-funnel L.C. turned | |
| 8:30am | Arethusa | 2,500 | 12 | 93L | Frauenlob hit, H.S. setting | |
| 8:30am | Arethusa | 2,500 | 12 | 93L | missed 50 yards astern, H.S. setting | |
| 9:11am | Linnet | 14,000 | too far away to say | |||
| Forenoon | Lark | 5,000 | — | 90R | Ariadne, unsure | |
| 11:19am | Phoenix | 4,000 | 20 | 90R | Light cruiser, unsure | |
See Also
Footnotes
- ↑ Annual Report of the Torpedo School, 1915, pp. 22-23.
- ↑ how this hit the port quarter from the given inclination seems puzzling
Bibliography
