Wednesday 16 December 1914

German Raid on English coastal towns of Hartlepool, Scarborough and Whitby

 

(1) Fleet encounter

 

German 1st SG battlecruisers and 2nd SG light cruisers escorted by destroyers sailed to attack the Yorkshire coast. Battlecruisers Seydlitz, Moltke and armoured cruiser Blücher were to bombard Hartlepool, battlecruisers Derfflinger and Von der Tann to bombard Scarborough then Whitby, and light cruiser Kolberg to lay up to 100 mines off Flamborough Head. Both the German and British battlefleets were out in support of their forces.

 

The Attacking German Warships

(images, all Maritime Quest except one)

Hartlepool Group
	SMS Seydlitz, battlecruiser		SMS Moltke, battlecruiser		SMS Blucher, armoured cruiser
	Scarborough and Whitby Group				Minelaying
	SMS Derfflinger, battlecruiser		SMS Von der Tann, battlecruiser		SMS Kolberg (Cyberheritage/Terry Phillips)

Coming south in anticipation of this attack the seven 4th DF destroyers screening Adm Beatty's battlecruisers - Lynx, Ambuscade, Unity, Hardy of 1st Div and Shark (above), Acasta, Spitfire of 2nd Div, met destroyers from the German light cruiser screen in the Dogger Bank area, in c54.10N, 03.00E at 0515. When challenged, they opened fire damaging Lynx and Ambuscade, the remaining destroyers then sighted cruiser Hamburg close by at 0553. This time Hardy and Shark opened fire and it was Hardy's turn to be damaged.

 

All Acasta or K-class destroyers, c1,300t, 3-4in/2-21in tt:

 

 

 

HMS Lynx (Photo Ships)

 

Lynx, Cdr R Parry. Hit several times, not too badly damaged. Unity initially stood by, before she made for Leith for repairs; no lives lost, 1 man wounded (Rn/D/dk/gf)

 

HMS Ambuscade (Photo Ships)

 

Ambuscade, Lt-Cdr G Coles. Holed forward, had to leave the line around 0550 with 5ft of water in mess-deck, crippled and called for assistance. After seeing Lynx out of danger, Unity searched for Ambuscade and escorted her into Leith; no lives lost (Rn/D/dk/gf)

 

HMS Hardy (Photo Ships)

 

Hardy, Lt-Cdr L Crabbe. Wireless shot away, holed on waterline, bridge wrecked, severely damaged by 0600 with steering gear disabled and had to turn out of line, managed to proceed at 0620 and limped into port escorted by Spitfire; 2 ratings died, 1 officer and 14 ratings wounded (Rn/D/ap/dk/gf)

 

(2) Attack on Hartlepool

 

As Seydlitz, Moltke and Blücher approached at dawn, they were spotted by patrol destroyers Doon, Waveney, Test and Moy, a division of the 9th DF already at sea about 5 miles NE of the port; scout cruisers Patrol and Forward and submarine C.9 were unable to leave harbour because of the low state of tide. The destroyers came under 11in fire around 0800, three of them being hit by shell fragments with Doon suffering casualties, then the Germans opened fire on the Hartlepool defences consisting of 3-6in guns. Both C.9 and Patrol came out at this time, followed by Forward, but Patrol was badly hit. In return, the shore batteries hit Moltke and Blücher several times:

 

HMS Doon (Photo Ships)

 

Doon, E-class, 615t, 4-12pdr/2-18in tt, Lt-Cdr H Fraser. One rating died and 11 wounded, of whom one later DOW (Rn - 3 killed, 6 wounded) (Rn/D/dk)

 

HMS Patrol (CyberHeritage)

 

Patrol, Pathfinder-class scout cruiser, 2,940t, 9-4in/2014in tt, leader, 9th DF, Capt Alan Bruce. Worked her way out of the tidal harbour under fire, once clear, hit by two 8.2in shells from Blücher, then straddled by the battlecruisers 11in. Ran hard aground near South Gare breakwater, probably saved from destruction by the shore batteries, badly holed but reached the Tees safely; 4 ratings died and 4 wounded (Rn/D/dk/gf)

 

Two merchantmen were damaged and two fishing vessels sunk in the docks during the Hartlepool bombardment.

 

(3) Attacks on Scarborough and Whitby

 

Three German ships appeared off the defenceless town of Scarborough just before 0800, battlecruisers Derfflinger and Von der Tann opened fire, while light cruiser Kolberg went to lay mines off Flamborough Head. The two battlecruisers then headed north for Whitby, and opened fire on this equally defenceless port just after 0900, departing after 10min and ignoring two tramp steamers passing to the south. Four fishing vessels were damaged in Scarborough during the bombardment.

 

Although the retreating German ships were sighted by ships of the Grand Fleet's 1st LCS and 2nd BS in the low visibility, they could not be brought to action.

 

 

 

MINESWEEPING OPERATIONS

 

 

Saturday 19 December

 

Three days after the Yorkshire Raid, minesweeping gunboats Skipjack (left - Photo Ships), Gossamer, Jason, on passage from Sheerness to Scapa Flow to rejoin Grand Fleet, were ordered to sweep from Flamborough Head north to Scarborough to determine the extent of the minefield laid by the German Kolberg, but only found two mines off Scarborough. Grimsby-based Admiralty-hired minesweeping trawlers were then sweeping closer inshore, and a number of mines were swept up or detonated in sweeps. As Skipjack joined them, Orianda was mined and sunk close by, and two more damaged, all off Scarborough. Skipjack and the rest of the sweepers anchored until the tide rose:

 

ORIANDA, 273/1914, Grimsby-reg GY291, hired 9/14, Admiralty No.99, Lt Hubert Boothby RNR. Went down within 10min with engines at full ahead, the tip of her masthead the last part to disappear (do - c1 mile SE of Scarborough Castle; wi – wreck lies in 54.15.17N, 00.18.32W); 1 rating lost. Wreck stands upright and remains in one piece (+L/Rn/C/D/He/ap/dk/do/sc/wi)

 

Passing, 459/1913, Grimsby-reg GY877, hired 8/14, 1-12pdr or 1-6pdr, Admiralty No.58, later 1542, Lt G Parsons. Badly holed (ap - first to be mined), down by the bows, badly on fire, steam-pipe severed and blowing off steam. Assisted by sweeping partner, then towed stern-first across Cayton Bay by paddle minesweeper Brighton Queen (SNO), beached on Scarborough Sands; no lives lost. Salvaged and put back into service (C/D/ap/dk/do/sc)

 

Star of Britain, 228/1908, hired 9/14, Aberdeen-reg, Lt C Crossley RNR. Leaking badly from mines exploding close alongside, in danger of sinking but saved; no lives lost (D/ap/dk/sc)

 

 

Sunday 20 December

 

Two hired auxiliaries mined in the Kolberg-laid Scarborough field:

 

Valiant, Admiralty yacht, 1,855/1893, hired 18/11/14, Cdr C Barlow RNR (Adm Rtd), heading for Cromarty. Mined off Filey about 0900, propellers and rudder blown off, two trawlers brought her into Scarborough. Next day, taken in tow by yacht Eileen for the Humber and on to Isle of Wight for repairs; no lives lost (Rn/Mn/ap/dk/sc)

 

GARMO, Admiralty trawler, 203/1900, Ocean Steam Fishing, Grimsby-reg GY1165, hired 11/14, believed as patrol vessel (He – minesweeper), armed, Admiralty No.810, Skipper Thaddeus Gilbert RNR, on patrol rather than minesweeping (He – minesweeping). Mined about an hour after Valiant, turned right over and sank off Scarborough (wi - 3.5 miles SE of Scarborough Castle, in 54.15.12N, 00.17.06W); skipper died of injuries from the explosion and five ratings lost, survivors saved by HM Drifter Principal. Wreck lies at 80ft (+L/Lr/Rn/Mn/C/D/He/ap/dk/sc/wi; ADM.1/8407/478)

 

 

Friday 25 December

 

Admiralty trawler (and two British steamships) mined in Scarborough field laid by cruiser Kolberg:

 

NIGHT HAWK Admiralty trawler, 287/1911, Pioneer Steam Fishing, Grimsby-reg GY643, hired 8/14 as minesweeper, Admiralty No.57, 13 crew, Sub-Lt or Lt William Senior RNR i/c, Skipper Evans, sweeping between Flamborough Head and Whitby. On Christmas Eve put into Whitby for the night with her unit, came out on Christmas Day at 0700. “Whole bottom of the ship fell out with her engines and all hands that happened to be below”, disappeared in less than 10sec (He – a minute) off Scarborough (Mn - 5.5 miles E of; sc - off Whitby; wi - in 54.16N 00.15W); six ratings lost in the explosion, 7 survivors including Lt Senior who rescued most of them from the freezing water using a liferaft which he sculled through the icy water (+L/Lr/Rn/Mn/C/D/He/ap/dk/sc/wi; ADM.1/8407/488)

 

 

Wednesday 6 January 1915

 

BANYERS or The Banyers, Admiralty trawler, 448/1914, South Western Steam Fishing, Grimsby-reg GY128, hired 12/14 as minesweeper, Admiralty No.450, Lt Hubert Boothby RNR, sweeping. Mined in Scarborough field laid by German cruiser Kolberg between Fiely and Scarborough, sank “very quickly” off Cayton Bay, S of Scarborough (wi - in 54.15.07N, 00.15.24W); 2 ratings lost (He/wi - 6 crew), Skipper escaped through wheel-house window, 11 survivors rescued by other ships. Lt Boothby lost HMS Orianda less than a month before, was awarded the DSC and later wrote about his experiences in “Spunyarn”, published 1935 (+L/Lr/C/D/He/ap/dk/wi; ADM.137/84)

 

 

(click for source abbreviations)