In the previous month of October
Tactics at sea changed a gear,
For the Germans devised methods
In their attacks upon British navy.
With Germany’s navy outnumbered,
By their opposing fleet, their naval
Strategy was to attack British ships
In small groups, or ideally individually.
Orders of the Kaiser, for no major fleet
Action to occur - instead their trick,
Was to send small ship formations
On raids, with particular set objectives.
The German fleet were to lay mines
To sink any passing British ships, or play
Cat and mouse game - objective to gain
Attention of grouped ships, to chase
To where their high sea fleet lay
In wait - within Germany’s safer seas.
A strategy of the British navy was to keep
The main part of the Great Fleet together,
To make a superior force, whenever they
Engaged the German navy out at sea.
One German naval plan, was to make raids
On coastal towns of Britain - which would
Cause the splitting up of their enemy’s navy.
If this could be achieved, in taking ships
From the grand fleet ,they would more likely
Able to fire and destroy any isolated ships.
In the maneuverer of a raid on the British coast,
Came German of cruisers - the lightest being
Kolberg, Stralsund, Graudenz, SMS Strassburg.
While armoured cruiser SMS Blücher,
following
With battle cruisers Moltke, Von der Tann,
then
SMS Seydlitz, under Admiral Franz von
Hipper.
2 November,16.30 p.m. - from the Jade River
left
German battle cruiser squadron - with two
further
Squadrons following soon after - they were to
lay
In wait for any British ships that the battle
cruisers
Might entice back, into the range of their
guns.
Midnight and the squadron moved north - to
pass
In darkness, fishing ships of varied
countries.
3 November 6.30 a.m. the German patrol sights
A buoy - ‘Smith’s Knoll watch’ confirming a
position
Close to Yarmouth. The coastal town was then
Patrolled by two old destroyers; HMS Leopard
Along with HMS Lively and the minesweeper,
HMS Halcyon who challenged two enemy
cruisers.
The German response was in fire of small
gunnery,
Then with calibre guns - such salvoes fell
short,
Yet threw sea water to drench the Halcyon,
So much that it might founder. Within the
shell
Storm a fragment of shell broke, to kill a
seaman.
Moving into Action, HMS Lively at 2 miles
distance,
Commenced to create a wall of smoke, to hide
British ships – with the enemy battle
cruisers
Firing at once at HMS Lively, made the
gunners
On each enemy cruiser, unable to ascertain
their
Own shelling - making for their inaccurate
firing.
7.40 a.m. Admiral Franz von
Hipper made orders
To cease fire on HMS Lively - choosing instead
To turn their shelling onto
Yarmouth town itself.
Their fire reaching as far the beach, in
distraction
As the Light Cruiser Stralsund, laid coastal
mines.
Out of imminent danger, Halcyon sent out a
radio
Warning of the German ships - HMS Success
A destroyer, joined them as three more ships
Still in Harbour steamed up - British
Submarines
D3, D5 and D10 moved from their anchorage
To assist – Submarine D5 sunk on striking a
mine.
8.30 a.m. and Halcyon returned safely to
harbour.
9.55 a.m. a British Battle Cruiser Squadron,
Under Admiral Beatty moved south, with Grand
Fleet squadrons speeding over from Ireland -
But Admiral Hipper had already moved his
ships,
48 nautical miles, in their home ward
direction.
by Jamie Mann.
Wikipedia, the
free encyclopedia, 2014. [online] (modified on 12 October 2014 at 08:07) Available at: <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raid_on_Yarmouth> Accessed 3 November 2014]
Mann, J., 2014. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal
communication, 15 August 2014).
#WW1 #WW1centenary #GreatWar #WW1poem #GreatWar #ww1centenary
#worldwarone #worldwaroneremembered
Crew of the Submarine
Anon.,1914.
Crew of the Submarine D5. The Daily Telegraph [online] 5 Nov p.12. Col.2. Available at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11208689/Daily-Telegraph-November-5-1914.html [Accessed: 5th November 2014].
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