Commodore
Reginald Tyrwhitt
(1870-1951)
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The Admiralty then decided to send six light cruisers, and up to battle cruiser force to five, this time without informing the original forces. The Germans guessed a raid was planned, and increased their cruiser force. When combat was joined, the British force only managed to sink one German destroyer, before German cruisers started to do serious damage. At this point (11.50 am) the first British reinforcements, the 1 Light Cruiser squadron, arrived, and saved the destroyers from a mauling, managing to sink the German cruiser SMS 'Mainz'. Luckily for the British, the heaviest German ships were trapped behind the sandbar at the mouth of Jade Bay by low tide, and could not join the battle. However, heavier German cruisers were despatched at speed to join the battle. Finally, the British battlecruisers, under Rear Admiral David Beatty, were engaged (12.30 am), and quickly sank the German cruisers SMS 'Koln' and SMS 'Ariadne' (which managed to leave the battle, but capsized at 3.10 PM). Only the mist, which limited visibility to at most 4-5 miles allowed the remaining German cruisers to escape. The battle was portrayed as a major victory in Britain, the Royal Navy having sunk three cruisers and a destroyer for no loss, just off the German coast. Its main impact was to confirm the Kaiser in his determination not to risk the High Seas Fleet in any major encounters, and thus to confirm British control of the North Sea, and the security of the blockade of Germany.
Naval Battles of the First World War, Geoffrey Bennett .
Although this was first published in the 1960s it is still a good account of the major surface clashes of the First World War, looking at the early clashes in the world's oceans and the series of battles in the North Sea, ending with Jutland. The final part of the book looks at the U-boat war, although not in as much detail as the earlier surface sections. [read full review]
The First World War , John Keegan. An excellent narrative history of the First World War, especially strong on the buildup to war. Good on detail without losing the overall picture. Keegan keeps to a factual account of the war, leaving out the judgement calls that dominate some books. [see more]
