Poem ~ Cuxhaven Attack - Monday, 28 December 1914

A tale came of Christmas day,

Of a daring raid by British aviators,

Numbering seven – The flyers

Took flight and descended

Towards the port of Cuxhaven,

And the stationed German fleet.

The enemy reaction became

One of immediate agitation –

The lack of German foresight,

Or any preparations was sited

On the military authorities -

Most markedly was the failure

Of Zeppelin crews, to see

The sudden British approach.

In an Admiral communiqué,

Released by the Press Bureau,

These Flight Lieutenants,

And Flight Commanders,

Made their move in daylight hours.

The seven seaplanes took to air

From carriers - a way off Heligoland.

A naval destroyer force,

With light cruiser and submarines,

Escorted the attacking mission.

As the planes delivered their

Messages for Christmas,

The British ships waited -

Until finally they were sighted

By Zeppelins - that prompted

An attack of four seaplanes,

And hostile enemy submarines.

A fight between these naval craft

Ensued - yet by swift British

Manoeuvring, enemy submarines

Were avoided-actions by Arethusa

And Undaunted sent Zeppelins,

By their gunnery, into sharp flight.

For three hours the British ships

Stood their water off the coast,

Without further encounters,

From enemy surface vessels -

There they met their three crafts

Safe return to the floating base.

Sometime later, another

Three pilots landed on water

To meet British submarines,

Leaving their craft to sink.

The safety of these six men,

Left one pilot missing -

Flight Commander F. Hewlett -

Whose seaplane last seen,

Eight miles from Heligoland -

Wrecked – his fate unknown.

What damage had been made

To the enemy port, was still

Yet to be known – but all

Craft had dropped their bombs

To hit there military targets.

by Jamie Mann.

Anon.,1914. British Air Raid on the German Fleet-Daring Daring Exploit of Naval Aviators – Attack on Cuxhaven. The Daily Telegraph, [online] 28 Dec. p.9. Col.4-5. Available at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11310982/Daily-Telegraph-December-28-1914.html [Accessed: 28 December 2014].

Mann, J., 2014. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal communication, 28 December 2014). 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11310982/Daily-Telegraph-December-28-1914.html

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Poem ~ Fighting ships at Heligoland - Sunday, 30 August 1914

A ‘splendid’ victory worthy of naval tradition took place

The previous day - a stirring fight in sight of Heligoland.

Three days earlier on the 26^th a destroyer flotilla left harbour,

Stocked with provisions for 4 days to carry out their task.

It later transpired they sailed to where the German fleet

Were quietly harboured, sheltering by the forts of Heligoland.

In the early hour the British submarines and destroyers closed in,

Creating a sweeping, stealthy charge to the harboured enemy,

Coming in close to the ships until discovered and opened fire.

The defending Heligoland forts woke, joining in the sudden fight.

In stealthy tactics the ships drew the Kaiser’s fleet into open sea.

A witness to this outbreak of hell on water later described,

The terrific noise generated at sea, under the pounding shells.

Amid this fight it was a wonder that more ships were not hit –

This sailor noted how the German’s do not shoot very well.

Tending to fire their shells too high – while other accounts said

The Heligoland forts took little part, in the bullish exchange.

The joining in of the German cruisers had for a time

Created their advantageous position across the water.

Britannia’s own fleet of light cruisers were yet to steam

Onto the scene - the destroyers bearing the brunt till then.

The little ships spat incessantly, relieved only by the sight

Of warships coming – the magnificent pluck of seaman made

Tactics swift - within the hottest fighting, a British destroyer

Ran between two German cruisers - who becoming hesitant

To fire afraid of hitting their own ship.  On the sea battle raged,

And a battered enemy cruiser reached a dire state of sinking.

A British battle ship came in and promptly finished them off.

Upon return to port came a peppered fleet – one cruiser shot

19 times, each hole being plugged by oaken wood. A shell had hit

Matching the ‘half action alarm’ at 4.15 a.m., to pierce at aft

The armour plating - cutting within yards of a sailor and steward,

Who, tumbling out of their berths, shocked and bruised but unhurt.

An account stated the battle lasted 7 to 8 hours, others say 5.

Start of the end for the enemy was the sinking of the SMS Mainz,

Seen bursting into flames before steadily sinking by the stern.

Thus Britannia’s fleet returned - the crew calm as if on a normal day.

Sailing in under bright sunshine - as they pass an anchored warship

Up goes a cry of 'Bravo' from the sailors, echoed by other on the quay.

Damage to the vessel became apparent. A mast being shot away,

Leaving a jagged stump - while the wireless was also destroyed.

A sailor’s comment on another boat hit 4 times, with a damaged gun,

States the boat as being ‘done for life’ – turns out to be quite untrue.

The vessel is further described as being ‘out of the fun’ for some time.

Among the initial 7 killed includes an officer - meanwhile a destroyer

Brings in the enemy survivors conveyed to Shotley Naval Hospital.

Twelve having died on board had been buried at sea while 19

Germans are carried ashore on stretchers, for the main part lay silent

And motionless - only one man raised a hand, waving at onlookers.

by Jamie Mann

Anon., 1914. Sailors' Story of the Naval Victory. The Daily Telegraph - Special War Edition, [online] 30 Aug. p.5. Col.4-5. Available at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11064300/Daily-Telegraph-August-30-1914.html [Accessed: 30th August 2014].

Mann, J., 2014. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal communication, 30 August 2014). 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11064300/Daily-Telegraph-August-30-1914.html

http://worldwaroneblogger.blogspot.co.uk/

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