An excellent article (with photos) on the use and effects of poison gas in WW1.
30 January 2015
By Marek PruszewiczBBC World Service
Saturday, 31 January 2015
Poem ~ Battle of Dogger Bank - Sunday 31 January 1915
Source: File: German battlecruisers.jpg, 2015. (L - R) Derfflinger,
Moltke and Seydlitz en route to Dogger Bank.. [online] Available at:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Dogger_Bank_%281915%29> [Accessed:
31 January 2015].
Source: File: Petty
Officer Stoker Edward Attwood.jpg, 2015. Petty Officer Stoker Edward Attwood
was one of the first men killed at the Battle of Dogger Bank in the North Sea
on 24 January 1915. [online] Available at: <http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2012/jul/07/readers-favourite-photographs-songs-recipes> [Accessed: 31 January 2015].
From glaciated
debris, a moraine had formed,
In the
Pleistocene ages - with time, a
period
Of glaciations
and the melting of ice, carried
Transported rocks
and silt sized glacial flour -
Within the
undulations of time, to make a low
Landmass above
the sea, to form an open land bank.
That spreading
space between a smaller and
Larger land mass,
where early people roamed,
Until the ice age
ended - with greatest of floods -
To spill across
the moraine, makes an island,
To be named by
mankind as England - as that
Sunken landmass
of Doggerland, became Dogger Bank.
Moving rapidly
through time, over one thousand
Nine hundred and
fifteen years ahead - formed
By the Western
Calendar - opened up another
Human war of
civilized lands - Then in advanced
Stages of machine
led conflict - as their craft
Took to the sea,
to trespass the waters of Dogger Bank.
With the
submarine strategy of German navy,
Having been
suppressed - a further tactic
To hit the
British Isles, came by an attack
Onto three
coastal towns, on 16 December,
Under an attack
of shells left civilians dead.
The Germans
having taken their path by Dogger Bank.
With many navel
battles having taken place,
And acts by
German craft, setting on the Island
Of the British,
brought attacks of coastal areas -
Forced the need
of naval reconnaissance
Off the East
coast of England - keeping watch,
For further enemy
approach of North Sea's Dogger Bank.
Admiral
Eckermann, promoted to Vice Admiral,
Being chief of
staff to German High Seas Fleet,
Desired an
operation to take on the British Fleet.
Yet the man in
command, Admiral Ingenohi -
Disagreed, with
the SMS Von der Tann out
Of action for
dry-dock maintenance - their fastest
A well-armed
turbined warship. On Eckermann's
Continued
Insistence, Admiral Hipper was sent to Dogger Bank.
A capture of a
codebook, gained by Russian forces,
Led to shared
information with their British allies.
The book's
contents opened up an ability to decode
Enemy radio
traffic, to learn how Admiral Hipper
Had begun the
process for a new coastal raid.
Five battle
crafts, light cruisers with destroyers
Moved south ready
for Hipper and his ships.
The British fleet
waited above the submerged Dogger Bank.
A German fleet
Led by Seydlitz, and followed
By Derfflinger,
Moltke and Blücher - along with
Light cruisers Rostock,
Kolberg - while Stralsund
And Graudenz led the forward screen, nineteen
Torpedo boats, formed half-flotilla, to each light
Cruiser - a
fierce German formation moved to Dogger Bank.
Back in Room 40
enemy wireless messages
Were intercepted
- the precise detailed plans
Of Hipper could
not be made, but an operation
Was heading for
the East Coast and North Sea.
English fleet
acted quickly with a rendezvous
of Commodore
Tyrwhitt's Harwich Force, came
Moore's 2nd
Battlecruiser Squadron, second
Light Cruiser
Squadron of Goodenough - and
Beatty's 1st
Battlecruiser Squadron - to meet
8 a.m. 24 January
- 30 miles north of the Dogger Bank.
By 8:15 a.m. the
enemy Kolberg spotted Aurora
Of Harwich Force
- who sent out their searchlight.
A reply of two
hits began retaliation - while Hipper
Turned his
cruisers into the fire - Northwest saw
A signal of smoke
of British warships - Blücher
At the rear,
fired on a light cruiser and destroyers,
Coming from the
stern - to start the battle of Dogger Bank.
Hipper's battle
cruisers were in poor position
To move south to
retreat - limited by their speed.
The British steaming
ability, soon made gains -
As Blücher found
herself under fire from Lion, then
Tiger and Princess
Royal made hits - by 10:09 a.m.
German fire
turned on Lion, to be hit on waterline,
With another on
its forward turret, to stop its gun.
Now sea war raged
in waters, that lay above Dogger Bank.
The New Zealand,
now in range of Blücher, made
Fire. 10:35 and
the German force was all in range
Of British ships
-11:00 and Blücher was battered
By heavy shelling
- Moltke, Derfflinger and Seydlitz
Made hits on Lion. At 11:48 Indomitable had arrived,
With Beatty's orders to destroy Blücher - that was
Now on fire and listing to port, above the waters of
Dogger Bank.
Within Blücher's badly
hit bulk - started the end.
A survivor stated
how the shells took stokehold,
With half empty
bunkers of coal alight - inside
The engine room,
a shell sprayed oil - to make
Flames of green
and blue - an explosion from
Air pressure in
the confined space, sent a great
Explosion; men amid
machines would meet death.
Now it was inevitable
that Blücher would sink in Dogger Bank.
Reports of U-boats ahead forced British evasive
Movements, allowing German ships to make distance.
Beatty, in the damaged Lion, gave cruisers orders
To hit enemy’s rear- but signals confused they still
Set on Blücher - the ship fought to repulse cruisers.
Then Aurora made two hits with torpedoes - all her
Guns silenced, except the rear mount - now at point
Blank, seven more torpedoes bit into the Blücher -
To capsize - like ants the crew scrambled into sea of
Dogger Bank.
With Blücher sinking, British destroyers moved
To rescue survivors - yet a Zeppelin believing
The Blücher to be British, dropped bombs onto
The destroyers who had to withdraw - among
The 1,200 crew, only 234 lived along with their
Captain Erdmann - the Blücher concentration had
Allowed battle cruisers to escape - the Derfflinger
Seydlitz, and Moltke were to assist the Blücher,
But the flagship's severe damage left her to sink in
Dogger Bank.
by Jamie Mann.
Source: File:
Battle of Dogger Bank (1915) Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. [online]
Available at: <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Dogger_Bank_%281915%29> Accessed: 31 January 2015].
Mann, J., 2015. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal
communication, 31 January 2015).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Dogger_Bank_%281915%29
#WW1 #WW1centenary #GreatWar #WW1poem #GreatWar #ww1centenary #worldwarone
#worldwaroneremembered
Labels:
1915_0124,
Dogger Bank,
England,
German Navy,
North Sea,
Royal Navy,
Sea Battle,
SMS Blucher,
Submarine
Location:
Dogger Bank
Friday, 30 January 2015
Poem ~ Torquay: Sentry Kills Officers - Saturday, 30 January 1915
29 January: County Coroner,
Sidney Hacker
Resumed an inquest continued in
Torquay,
With regard to the murders of two
officers -
Lieutenant Arthur Ernest Simpson,
of the
Army Service Corps – a London
Solicitor
And Sub-Lieutenant Bertram Welby
Hart,
Of the Royal Naval Air Service.
Both men
On Sunday 24 January, arrived in
Torquay:
Under strange conditions they
were killed.
The two men were travelling in a
car from
Plymouth to Torquay - the car
being driven
By Mr Harold Murton, a Marconi
wireless
Engineer of St John’s Wood – it
was dark
As they drove onto Torquay’s sea
front
Road, to be halted by sentries’ -
Territorial
Cyclists, Private Harris and
Private Pullman.
This action resulted in sudden
altercation
With the sentries - a rifle held
by one man
Was fired - Lieutenant Hart was
shot dead;
As Lieutenant Simpson gained a
fatal wound.
Private Harris was consequently
charged
With causing their death -
Private Pullman
Adding and abetting – the driver
though
Disputed this - to give evidence
that a shot
Came alone from the rifle of
Private Pullman,
With whom Lieutenant Hart had
argued.
Viewpoint one: the driver of the motor;
Murton
Being recalled on 29 January the
driver,
Mr Murton, confirmed his belief
how Pullman
And Hart were standing around 6
feet apart,
As a shot was fired. With the car
stopped,
No words of ill language was then
used.
But as the encounter became
heated, both
Witness and officers used
specific words.
While a shot was fired
Lieutenant Simpson
Did not attempt to add to the
argument.
The wound that Simpson gained was
a bullet
To the left armpit - he later
died within a few
Minutes of reaching the nearest
hospital.
Viewpoint two: a Policeman
arrives; Muridge
A crowd had gathered as Police
Constable
Mugridge arrived – with the naval
officer
And Private Pullman arguing, the
police
Officer pushed into the crowd -
there was
A shot and Lieutenant Hart fell
down dead.
Private Harris was arrested and
taken away
To the police station, confessing
to his rifle
Being fired - but he stated it
was an accident.
The people who stood behind him
had then
Knocked his arm and gun went off
- about
The car were up to 200 people,
some of
Them stood right next to the two
sentries.
Viewpoint three:soldier beside sentries;Botterill
A Private Botterill, who had
stood between
The sentries, said a disagreement
ensued
Between Private Harris and
Lieutenant Hart -
Both of the sentries held their
rifles at ready -
LH said to H 'Cant you see, I am
a British
Naval officer. Here is my number
- I have
Letters to prove I am
Sub-Lieutenant Hart.’
P H replied discourteous, 'I
don’t want
To see any letters. Stand there
and wait
Till my Colour sergeant comes.’ P
H later
Added ‘Shut up your yarn.’ L H
replied
‘Don’t talk to me like that. Do
you know
To whom you are talking? That you
are
Talking to your superior
officer.'
Two Seconds later the rifle was
fired –
A spark came from P H rifle L H
fell dead -
Private Botterill asked why
he had done
That - PH replayed, 'I wont stand
arguing
The point.’ The crowd moved in
and P H
Was heard to claim, it was an accident.
Viewpoint four: a civilian in the
crowd: Lowe
Charles William
Lowe, an electrician, saw
That as the sentries stopped
the car the
Two officers asked, 'on whose
orders?'
The sentries said that their
orders were
To stop all cars on the road
between times
Of seven and eleven p.m. - L H
asked for
The name of the captain giving
orders -
Which sentries had then supplied
him.
Walking to the back of the halted
car,
L H Commented, 'fine thin to be
stopped
On the highway when one is
fighting for
The country.' – the naval officer
was heard
To state, ‘I am Lieutenant
Thompson and
This is my friend Lieutenant
Simpson.’
Searching the car, the sentries
examined
Their numbers, but remained
unsatisfied,
As car number was written on
cardboard.
Officers asked if they were to be
there
All night – Private Pullman said
they had
To wait for their colour sergeant
to arrive.
Getting back in the car and then
out again
Lieutenant Hart was agitated and
moved
Towards Pullman, standing before
the car.
Then the rifle was fired -
Lieutenant Hart
Fell -was heard to say, 'my
God, I’m shot.'
The inquiry was to
continue on weds next.
by Jamie Mann.
Anon.,1915. Torquay Tragedy – two
Officers Shot - Resumed Inquest. The Daily Telegraph, [online] 30 Jan. P.3. Col.6. Available at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11372896/Daily-Telegraph-January-30-1915.html
[Accessed: 30 January 2015].
Mann, J., 2015. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal communication,
30 January 2015).
#WW1 #WW1centenary #GreatWar #WW1poem #GreatWar #ww1centenary
#worldwarone #worldwaroneremembered
Labels:
1915_0124,
Accident,
British Officers,
Cyclist,
Territorial Army,
Torquay
Location:
Torquay, Torbay, UK
Thursday, 29 January 2015
Poem ~ The Muddy Affairs of Cuinchy - Friday, 29 January 1915
Source:
File: Map Neuve Chapelle to La
Bassee, 1915.jpg, 2015. From
Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. [online] Available at: <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_La_Bassée#mediaviewer/File:Neuve_Chapelle_to_La_Bassee,_1915.jpg> [Accessed: 29 January 2015].
Source:
File: Map of British Line, 1915.jpg, 2015. George's War Letters. The First World War seen through the letters
of George Power- 25th January 1915. [online] Available at: <http://firstwarlettersofgeorge.com/2015/01/25/gwl-25th-january-1915/George's War Letters> [Accessed: 29 January 2015].
Between La Bassée and Givenchy,
The land where a battle was underway,
Was on a sea of mud - the first
largest
Engagement believed to be of 1915.
Two months of down pouring rain,
Had turned the ground into slough
Of complete despondency – a trough
Of practically
impossible movement.
With only La Bassée – Bethune Road
Allowing any kind of solid ground,
The Germans dashed across the
Divide - moving quickly and with
force
Towards unsupported British trenches,
Forcing those who manned the line,
To fall back faced with enemy rush.
Assisted by 7th
pioneer detachments,
The lead of the attack had been
given
To the 56 Prussian Infantry regiment
-
Rhine-Landers, who of good humour
Had in peace been stationed at
fortress
Of Wesel - by some
prisoner’s words,
The fighting had made its toll on
the 56th.
With trenches to the right evacuated,
The British on the left now observed
Men falling back - as the Germans
Took the adjacent trenches - to
avoid
Being driven out, they too fell back
-
The Germans had made all their
gains.
The German spirit carried their
soldiers,
Along the road to Givenchy, to
occupy
A trench - to capture six British
soldiers.
They moved on into the town - a
strong
Company of 56th
with twenty men from
7th Pioneers, with a lead of
three officers.
Their support was made to hurry
along
After them - being 5000 reservists,
their
Task to secure ground rapidly covered.
Yet they had not bargained on every
Factor -13:00 hours a British
regiment,
Had the order to retake lost
trenches.
Ahead of them, was a morass of 300
Yards to objective – a trench –
under
Great fire, they moved to be knee
deep
In mud and water – an impossibility
To keep a line -Then they laid down,
Dodging bullets, to wait for
followers
To free selves of the bog, to join
them.
In this method of attack, the
Germans
Were puzzled. Climbing from cover
with
Bayonets to see men lying on the
mud.
The enemy leapt back to cover -
their
Anticipation of a new British
method.
The result of the British counter
attack
Was to retake the trench - to hold
it
With a cost of many men falling –
but
The advance of the Germans across
The Bethune Road, had failed
for them.
With 400 men left on the road, the
56th
Prussian regiment was driven
back.
Reserves unable to get to their
rescue.
British and French Infantry,
attended
To those invaders that had made it
to
Givenchy - gaining many prisoners
With wounds to head and upper body.
The Germans advanced into the town,
Only to encounter front facing
British fire.
With an ineffective stand, they fell
back
To the trench they had occupied,
outside
The town - the British now in the
houses,
Fired from all the ground floor
windows.
Under exposure, the German wounded
Fell - hopelessly trying to hold the
trench -
Waiting for support, but the British
fired
Down on them, to make the trench
defence
Untenable - with only one officer of
three
Left, he gave up with the remainder
of men.
Later at the base hospital, on a
small ward,
Three men wounded in the fight, lay
side
By side. In the centre a corporal of
the 56th
Prussian, either side of him an
Irish soldier -
One of them in recognition of the
Corporal.
During the day's fighting, the
Irishman
Had marked the corporal out with
others -
Sniping at the British from a tree
clump
On the La Bassée Road - in giving
warning
The Corporal was wounded and
captured.
On arrival at the hospital, he spoke
in good
English - to completely forget the
language,
During the night - unable to answer
questions.
The fact being that the Prussian and
Irishman
Recognised each other from the battlefield.
The Irishman knew that the German
knew,
He knew him, to be an efficient
clever sniper -
So he told his story to visitors,
quite aware
The German pretended to be asleep - yet
he
Listens. The corporal replied to
questions
From hospital staff, asking how he
is -'Nein'
He replies, wary of what happens to
snipers.
by Jamie Mann.
Anon.,1915. The Fighting at La Bassée -
British Heroism - Ingenious Manoeuvring. The Daily Telegraph,
[online] 29 Jan. P.9.
Col.4. Available at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11372880/Daily-Telegraph-January-29-1915.html
[Accessed: 29 January 2015].
Mann, J., 2015. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal
communication, 29 January 2015).
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11372880/Daily-Telegraph-January-29-1915.html
#WW1 #WW1centenary #GreatWar #WW1poem #GreatWar #ww1centenary
#worldwarone #worldwaroneremembered
Location:
Pas-de-Calais, France
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