Martin Antonenko
A Fixture
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- Jul 11, 2008
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The first naval battle of the First World War
On August 28, 1914, a few days after the outbreak of the First World War, naval forces from the German Empire and Great Britain met for the first time near Helgoland.
The Germans fall into a cleverly set trap set by the British:
These deceive with weaker ship units (HMS "Arethusa" as flagship)...
... as well as the light cruiser HMS "Fearless"...
... and 31 destroyers...
... an advance into the German Bight, whereupon two German light cruisers - SMS "Frauenlob"...
... and SMS "Stettin"...
..as well as one dozend Torpedoboats...
... to intercept the British leave the German naval base Wilhelmshaven.
After a violent scuffle, these find themselves within gun range of British heavy units, two state-of-the-art battlecruisers whose presence had eluded German reconnaissance.
Now the trap snaps shut!
Other small German cruisers SMS "Mainz"...
...SMS "Straßburg"...
...SMS "Hela"...
...SMS "Ariadne"...
...and SMS "Stralsund"...
... come to the aid of their comrades, but against the heavy 30.5 centimeter guns of the battle cruisers HMS "Invincible"...
...and HMS "New Zealand"...
...the Germans with their 10.5 cm guns don't stand a chance!
Heavy German units cannot intervene; they are in Wilhelmshaven and have no steam!
SMS "Mainz"...
... SMS "Cöln"...
...as well as SMS "Ariadne"...
...and a torpedo boat (V 187) are sunk...
... with high casualties (712 dead).
The remaining German ships escape, badly damaged, to Wilhelmshaven...:
The British do not lose a single ship - and mourn 25 dead sailors.
The pride of the German Emperor, the Navy, has lost its first battle...
On August 28, 1914, a few days after the outbreak of the First World War, naval forces from the German Empire and Great Britain met for the first time near Helgoland.
The Germans fall into a cleverly set trap set by the British:
These deceive with weaker ship units (HMS "Arethusa" as flagship)...

... as well as the light cruiser HMS "Fearless"...

... and 31 destroyers...

... an advance into the German Bight, whereupon two German light cruisers - SMS "Frauenlob"...

... and SMS "Stettin"...

..as well as one dozend Torpedoboats...

... to intercept the British leave the German naval base Wilhelmshaven.
After a violent scuffle, these find themselves within gun range of British heavy units, two state-of-the-art battlecruisers whose presence had eluded German reconnaissance.
Now the trap snaps shut!
Other small German cruisers SMS "Mainz"...

...SMS "Straßburg"...

...SMS "Hela"...

...SMS "Ariadne"...

...and SMS "Stralsund"...

... come to the aid of their comrades, but against the heavy 30.5 centimeter guns of the battle cruisers HMS "Invincible"...

...and HMS "New Zealand"...

...the Germans with their 10.5 cm guns don't stand a chance!
Heavy German units cannot intervene; they are in Wilhelmshaven and have no steam!
SMS "Mainz"...


... SMS "Cöln"...

...as well as SMS "Ariadne"...

...and a torpedo boat (V 187) are sunk...

... with high casualties (712 dead).
The remaining German ships escape, badly damaged, to Wilhelmshaven...:

The British do not lose a single ship - and mourn 25 dead sailors.
The pride of the German Emperor, the Navy, has lost its first battle...
