The Great War (1914-1918) in real time

Poor BLUCHER stevep, all because British miscommunication.

Day 181 of the Great War, January 24th 1915

Naval operations: Battle of Dogger Bank

At dawn the battlecruisers under Admiral Hipper are at Dogger Bank, steaming northwestward at fifteen knots. The accompanying light cruisers and destroyers are spread out in order to search for British fishing vessels. Just after 7am, the light cruiser KOBLENZ sights the British light cruiser AURORA, part of Commodore Tyrwhitt's force coming north to meet Beatty's battlecruiser. In an exchange of fire Aurora is hit three times before turning away, while KOBLENZ reports the encounter to Hipper. The German admiral is initially pleased at the report - perhaps a small number of light warships are at sea that his battlecruisers can mop up - and he orders his battlecruisers to steer for KOBLENZ. In the minutes that follow, however, there are additional reports of sightings - KOBLENZ later reports seeing additional smoke to the south, and the light cruiser STRALSUND, a few miles in front of Hipper's main force, reports seeing thick clouds of smoke to the northwest. Another message comes in from the armoured cruiser BLUCHER stating that it can see seven enemy light cruisers and twenty destroyers in the distance ahead. The latter report in particular is concerning to Hipper - such a large force of light warships is almost certainly a screen for dreadnoughts or battlecruisers just behind them. Hipper knows he has promised Ingenohl not to take risks, and that the High Seas Fleet is still at anchor, unable to assist him. Unsure of whether he is sailing into a trap, at 735am Hipper orders his warships to turn for home.

The reality, of course, is that Hipper's concern are fully justified. The first reports from Aurora, augmented by subsequent sightings, indicate to Beatty's great satisfaction that the intelligence of the German raid was accurate - the Germans are out, and he is ideally positioned to intercept them. He orders his warships to pursue the now-fleeing Germans, and by 8am a straightforward stern chase is on. Hipper's battlecruisers have 150 miles to go to reach safety off the German coast, and have a fourteen mile head start on the pursuing British. The ships in both squadrons now strain for maximum speed, the stokers in the furnaces below shoveling coal as fast as humanly possible. Here the decisive factor is BLUCHER - it is the most recent and powerful armoured cruiser ever built in Germany, which is another way of saying that it is completely outclassed by the battlecruisers on both sides. Crucially its maximum speed is 23 knots, which limits the speed of Hipper's squadron as a whole despite the ability of his battlecruisers to go even faster. On the British side, Beatty's five warships are all battlecruisers, and the oldest - Indomitable - is still capable of 25 knots. The brutal reality of the math for the Germans is that minute-by-minute, the British are slowly but surely gaining on them. It is now simply a matter of when the lead British warship will close within firing range of the last German warship - Beatty takes advantage of the wait to go below for breakfast.

Map: Positions in the battle



As the minutes tick by, the gunnery officer aboard LION, the lead British battlecruiser and Beatty's flagship, counts out the range to BLUCHER, the rear German warship. When the distance reaches 20 000 yards, approval is given to open fire. The first ranging shot from LION roars out at 852am, while the second British battlecruiser - TIGER - fires its own ranging shot at 9am. At 905 Beatty signals to his warships to open fire, LION and TIGER launch full salvos at the enemy. LION scores its first hit on BLUCHER at 909, and when PRINCES ROYAL is close enough to commence firing, Beatty's flagship shifts fire to the third German warship in line. As the British continued to gradually close the gap, the salvos of the lead warships shifted to the farthest in range, with the objective of each British battlecruiser bringing its German counterpart in line under fire. LION'S shells are soon straddling SEYDLITZ, Hipper's flagship, and at 945, a shell pierces the aftermost turret of the German battlecruiser. In an instant the powder charges are ignited, and a flash fire roars down from the turret to the magazine, whose crew, to escape incineration, attempt to open the doors to the adjacent turret. All this accomplishes is to spread the flash fire to the adjacent turret. Both turrets are destroyed, shooting giant columns of flames into the air. SEYDLITZ is saved from annihilation only by the bravery of three crewmen, who fight through the flames to reach and turn the valves to flood the magazine, preventing a catastrophic explosion that would have destroyed the entire ship. Instead, though the two aft turrets are ruined, it is able to remain in the fight, its three fore turrets firing as if nothing had happened.

Map: plan of the Battle of Dogger Bank



At 1018am, two shells strike the side of Lion almost simultaneously, opening several breaches in the armour plates below the water line. Though the flooding is contained, it reduces the speed of the battlecruiser, and subsequent hits over the next forty minutes slow it further. At 1054, as the other British battlecruisers passed LION, Beatty on his bridged believed that he spotted the periscope of a submarine, and ordered a turn to port to avoid a potential torpedo attack. No one else saw anything, and the few minutes it took to turn to port cost precious minutes and yards. Beatty, realizing this, orders the turn to be cut short with the signal 'Course North East' at 1102. As this signal flies from the mast of LION, Beatty orders another signal: 'Attack the rear of the enemy,' wanting his other battlecruisers to pursue the remaining German battlecruisers. Beatty's flag lieutenant, however, botches the signals, flying them from adjacent halyards and lowering them simultaneously, which gives the impression not of two separate signals, but one: 'Attack the rear of the enemy course northeast.' At this moment, less than 8000 yards to the northeast is BLUCHER, already heavily damaged and falling behind. To the second in command of the British Battlecruiser Squadron, Rear Admiral Sir Archibald Moore aboard NEW ZEELAND, it appears that Beatty is signaling to abandon the chase of the German battlecruisers and instead concentrate all fire on BLUCHER. Logically the order makes no sense - BLUCHER is already effectively out of the fight while the enemy battlecruisers are making their escape. Moore, however, concludes that Beatty must know something he does not, such as a newly-discovered minefield ahead. Moore decides that it is his duty to obey a signal from his superior officer, and so at 1109am TIGER, PRINCES ROYAL, and NEW ZEELAND turn away from the German battlecruisers and concentrate their fire on BLUCHER.

Painting: HMS LION under atack



Beatty for his part is apoplectic when he sees the rest of his command turn away from the Germans. He orders that Nelson's signal, 'Engage the enemy more closely', be flown, only to be informed that it had been removed from the signal book. Soon distance and smoke prevent Beatty from signalling the rest of his squadron. Thus the four British battlecruisers believe themselves to be obeying Beatty's orders in circling BLUCHER in an obvious case of overkill, firing dozens of 12-inch and 13.5-inch shells into it. The armoured cruiser is quickly reduced to a burning wreck, incapable of returning fire. At 1207pm BLUCHER rolls over on its side, and a few minutes later plunges beneath the waves. Of the 1200 German sailors in the water, only 234 are saved.

Photo: SMS BLUCHER rolls over onto her side



Beatty meanwhile is eager to return to the fight, and at 1150am boards the destroyer ATTACK which had sailed alongside LION. It steams off and catches up to PRINCES ROYAL, which Beatty boards at 1233pm. Here he is informed of the consequences of the misinterpreted signal. He is enraged and wants to immediately resume the chase, but quickly realizes that forty minutes and possibly 30 000 yards have been lost; it is now impossible to catch the remainder of Hipper's squadron before it reaches safety. At 1245pm, with extreme reluctance, he orders his warships to turn for home. The wounded LION, both engines now shut down, is taken in tow by INDOMITABLE while the others return to port.

On the German side the surviving warships rendezvous with the High Seas Fleet, belatedly sent to sea when Hipper signalled his predicament. For the German admiral it had been a terrible decision to leave BLUCHER behind, but he well understood that if he turned his remaining three battlecruisers around he might have lost them all. Here the loss of his weakest ship is the lesser of two evils, and this evening the battlecruisers anchor in the mouth of the Jade River

The Battle of Dogger Bank is a clear British victory - BLUCHER sunk, SEYDLITZ badly damaged, and more than 1200 German sailors dead, wounded, or taken prisoner. For the British, though LION had taken a battering, only TIGER had even been hit by heavy shells. After the uncertain start to the war at sea, Dogger Bank is seen as a reaffirmation of the superiority of the Royal Navy. Among the naval leadership, however, the view is decidedly different, where disappointment reigns. What appeared to be a golden opportunity to destroy multiple German battlecruisers has been lost through misinterpretations and bad luck. Predictably Fisher is outraged, arguing in reference to Moore that 'Any fool can obey orders!', while Beatty believes he never even sent the signal that Moore supposedly followed. No official recrimination occurs, but Moore will shortly be reassigned to command a cruiser squadron off the Canary Islands, the implicit censure ringing loud and clear.

YouTube (Battle Of Dogger Bank)



South Africa - Maritz rebellion

In South Africa the Boer rebel commando under Maritz attacks Upington on the frontier with German South-West Africa. The attack is spread out over a eight kilometre front, and with inadequate artillery support miscarries.

But 4 British Battlecruiser against one single German armored cruiser, that was never a fair battle.

But if they had left the BLUCHER, to as you for HMS INDOMITABLE to finish off, could they have catch the fleeing Germans.

Day 182 of the Great War, January 25th 1915

Western Front: German shell strikes the top of the Basilica of Notre Dame de Brebières in Albert

Though held by the French during the Race to the Sea, the town of Albert is within easy shelling distance of German artillery on the other side of the front line. Today, a German shell strikes the top of the Basilica of Notre Dame de Brebières in Albert, causing the statue of Mary holding the baby Jesus to lodge in a horizontal position that appeared to defy logic and gravity. The 'Leaning Virgin', as it will be known, becomes a familiar sight to Entente soldiers marching to the nearby front, and both sides believe that whomever will cause the statue to fall will lose the war.

Photo: The Basilica of Notre Dame de Brebières in Albert, with the 'Leaning Virgin' poised as if in mid-air.



Western Front: Falkenhayn issues further instructions to his army commanders on the Western Front

Falkenhayn issues further instructions to his army commanders on the Western Front regarding the defense of German lines. While he authorizes the construction of reserve lines and fortifications , he emphasizes that every effort must be expended on holding the first trench line, and the additional defences are only to be utilized in the case that the front trench is penetrated. Further, any lost ground is to be the target of an immediate counterattack.

Eastern Front: offensive by the Austro-Hungarian 3rd Army and Südarmee continues to make little progress

In Galicia the offensive by the Austro-Hungarian 3rd Army and Südarmee continues to make little progress. X Corps of the former has seen its attack on the Russian lines fail and is ordered to cease offensive operations so that the few reserves available to 3rd Army can be sent to the east wing in an effort to find a way forward.

Naval operations: Wilhelmshaven

This morning the heavy-damaged battlecruiser SEYDLITZ limps into the harbour at Wilhelmshaven, and after pumping out six hundred tons of water, it enters dry dock to begin what will be an extensive and lengthy repair. The devastation wrought by the explosion of the two aft turrets on SEYDLITZ does have one benefit, as the Germans realize just how potentially destructive a fire in a turret can be. In particular, they are acutely aware of how narrowly they avoided disaster; if the fire in the turrets had ignited the main magazine as the result of a 'flash fire', as the phenomenon is named, the warship would have ceased to exist. The conclusion drawn is that the turret must always be isolated from the magazine, even while ammunition is being hoisted from the latter to the former. To do this, automatic doors are to be installed on all German dreadnoughts and battlecruisers designed to close immediately after a load of ammunition has passed them by. Through this, it is hoped that the destruction wrought by a 'flash fire' will be limited only to the turret initially struck. It is a vital insight that the Royal Navy, having no warship damaged by a flash fire, is entirely ignorant, an oversight for which several thousand sailors will pay with their lives in seventeen months time.

Naval operations: construction of the battlecruisers RENOW and REPULSE begins

In Britain construction of the battlecruisers RENOW and REPULSE begins today as the keels are laid down. The design of the two warships was done at the insistence of Admiral Fisher, who views RENOW and REPULSE as embodying a further evolution of battlecruiser design; namely, even higher speed with even less armour. The two will have six 15-inch guns and the remarkable maximum speed of 32 knots, though this is accomplished at the expense of armour - they are more thin-skinned than any other dreadnought or battlecruiser afloat. Fisher does nothing by moderation, and if he is wants to trade armour and armament for speed, then there is no length to which he is not willing to go.

Naval operations: Admiral Fisher sends a memorandum relating on the proposed attack against the Dardanelles to Prime Minister Asquith

Admiral Fisher sends a memorandum relating his views on the proposed attack against the Dardanelles to Prime Minister Asquith today, with a copy to Churchill. The First Sea Lord argues that any subsidiary operations play into Germany's hands, as the margin of superiority in the North Sea is vital to naval supremacy, and any losses, even of second-rank warships, can have an impact. Though Fisher asks that his memorandum be circulated to the War Council, Asquith, on Churchill's advice, refuses.

Day 184 of the Great War, January 27th 1915

Western Front: German 47th and 66th Divisions do a counterattack

The capture of Hartmannswillerkopf on the 22nd has prompted an immediate response; fearing its capture to be the opening phase to roll up the French line in Alsace from the south, a counterattack has been organized by 47th and 66th Divisions. Attacking through heavy snow, the French suffer heavy casualties and are repulsed.

Sinai and Palestine campaign: Ottoman VIII Corps continues its advance westward across the Sinai Peninsula towards the Suez Canal

The Ottoman VIII Corps continues its advance westward across the Sinai Peninsula towards the Suez Canal. Though they have avoided marching during daylight hours, the British have been able to use aerial reconnaissance, primarily by French sea-planes, to monitor the Ottoman movement. By today the intelligence department in Cairo has concluded, correctly, that the main enemy force is advancing across the centre of the Sinai.

Photo: An Ottoman Camel Caravan in Sinai during the 1st Suez Campaign in 1915.



Naval operations:Cape Horn

HMS BRISTOL and CARNARVON explore the area around Enderby Island, in the myriad channels south of the Strait of Magellan.

Naval operations:Falkland Islands

HMS GLASGOW puts into Port Stanley for provisioning.

Naval operations: Atlantic Ocean

SMS PRINZ EITEL FRIEDRICH stops French three-masted barque PIERRE LOTI, 2,196 tons. The crew are taken aboard the big auxiliary cruiser and the barque scuttled with a mine.

Later the same day the German raider stops the American four-masted barque William P. Frye, 3,374 tons. Captain Max Thierichens orders the crew to jettison their cargo. This operation takes the rest of that day and into the next.

Naval operations: Londen

Churchill responds to Fisher's memorandum of the 25th, arguing that while maintaining superiority in the North Sea is the most important mission of the Royal Navy, there is nothing that pre-dreadnoughts can contribute to, given how hopelessly outdated they would be in combat against dreadnoughts. As such, rather than simply sitting in port, it is better to utilize the pre-dreadnoughts in operations elsewhere where there is no risk of confronting more modern warships, such as the bombardment of the Ottoman forts at the Dardanelles.

Naval operations: Yemen

After a week of planning and gathering supplies Hellmuth von Mücke is ready to move his men away from the coast and into the mountains. He decides the Kaiser's birthday would be the perfect time. All the remaining free crew of SMS EMDEN are gathered in the Al Hudaydah town square, along with the entire Turkish garrison and most of the city's population. Von Mücke has managed to gather fresh clothes for his men, and with their new uniforms they pass in review. Von Mücke makes a speech in German honoring the Kaiser, ending with three cheers. The Turkish commander then orders three cheers for the Sultan. The combined troops perform a parade drill and then march off to a feast in their honor, consisting of mutton and rice. A second banquet is waiting for them at the mayor's palace.

At 1700 hours the Germans march out of Al Hudaydah and into the desert. The heat requires that they travel by night and rest during the day. The entire company travel by donkey, horse and mule. A camel caravan carries their gear. Though the march is grueling there are several humorous incidents deriving from the fact that many of the men have never traveled on the back of an animal before. Fallen riders and escaping beasts are commonplace that first night.

Day 186 of the Great War, January 29th 1915

YouTube (All Or Nothing - Winter Offensive In The Carpathians)



Western Front: London

British Chancellor of the Exchequer David Lloyd George suggests sending British and French troops to Salonika, Greece, the purpose being to persuade Balkan countries to declare war on Austria-Hungary. The plan ends when Greece rejects the proposal.

Western Front: Argonne Forest, Belgium

Leutnant Erwin Rommel and his platoon capture four French blockhouses. Rommel crawls through the French barbed wire and signals his men to follow him. None of them move. Rommel shouts at them some more. Still no one moves. Rommel crawls back to his platoon and tells his second-in-command "Obey my orders instantly or I shoot you." The whole company then follows him through the wire. They capture the blockhouses and fight off a French counter-attack but then are forced to retreat by a French flanking movement. Rommel is awarded the Iron Cross, First Class for his leadership and bravery. It later becomes a common saying his regiment, "Where Rommel is, there is the front."

Naval operations: Cape Horn

HMS BRISTOL and CARNARVON move from Fox Bay to Sholl Bay. HMS GLASGOW is coaling and provisioning at Port Stanley.

Naval operations: Yemen

On the night of the 29th/30th - their third night's journey - the men of EMDEN reach the foot of the Al-Surat mountains. From here they witness a return of the vegetation. They have to cross some fairly rugged terrain, but the air is cooler and they can again travel comfortably during the day.

Day 188 of the Great War, January 31st 1915

Western Front: General Sarrail, commander of the French 3rd Army in the Argonne, reports to Joffre

General Sarrail, commander of the French 3rd Army in the Argonne, reports to Joffre today on the recent fighting. He notes how the French line has been pushed back, yielding a portion of the heights overlooking the Verdun railway to the Germans. Six separate counterattacks have failed to dislodge the enemy, while the French have suffered 2400 casualties. Sarrail complains that the effect of the recent fighting has had a negative impact on the morale of the infantry, which can only be restored by a major offensive. While Joffre is sympathetic, he remains focused primarily on operations in the Champagne.

Eastern Front: central Poland the German 9th Army launch a minor attack today near Bolimów

In central Poland the German 9th Army launch a minor attack today near Bolimów, southwest of Warsaw. The battle is notable for being the first time the Germans attempt to use gas in combat, but it is a thorough failure. The only way to use gas on the battlefield is to open canisters and have the wind blow it towards the enemy; however, the wind shifts and the gas clouds pass back over the German infantry. Luckily for the Germans, the extremely cold weather renders the gas ineffective. Indeed, such is the extent of the failure that the Russians did not even realize that the Germans were attempting to gas them, an oversight that will come to haunt their allies on the Western Front in several months time.

Eastern Front: Szurmay today orders his forces to seize the heights

In Galicia, though the mixed Austro-Hungarian units under General Szurmay have taken Uszok Pass itself, the heights to the north remain in Russian hands, threatening their control over the vital transit point through the Carpathians. In an effort to restart the general offensive by 3rd and push onwards towards Przemysl, Szurmay today orders his forces to seize the heights.

Caucasus campaign: Russians push back Ottomans

After evacuating northern Persia a month ago when the crisis in the Caucasus was at its most acute, the crushing triumph at Sarikamish has allowed the Russians to return, pushing out the weak and poorly-organized Ottoman forces and retaking Tabriz today.

South West Africa campaign: small German force attacks South African forces at Kakamas

A small German force attacks South African forces at Kakamas near the border today, in an effort to support Boer rebels. Not only does the attack fail, but it had already been rendered pointless given Kemp's surrender of yesterday.

Naval operations: Cape Horn

Under pressure from Berlin to return to Germany Fritz Lüdecke informs his superiors that SMS DRESDEN will try to break out into the Pacific on February 3rd. "Intend to carry on commerce warfare in East Indies if sufficient coal is procurable."

HMS BRISTOL departs Sholl Bay for Punta Arenas.

HMS CARNARVON departs Sholl Bay for the Atlantic. On the way she meets HMS GLASGOW, which is heading westward through the Strait of Magellan.

HMS NEWCASTLE is still patrolling the coast of Chile.

Naval operations: Yemen

Hellmuth von Mücke and his group reach the village of Manakah, at 2,300 meters or 7,500 feet above sea level the highest point of their trip. There they are greeted by the entire Turkish army contingent and several hundred civilians. They are well accommodated and stay for two nights.