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7th Cruiser Squadron (United Kingdom)
Encyclopedia
The 7th Cruiser Squadron was a blockading force of the Royal Navy
during the First World War
used to close the English Channel
to German
traffic. It was employed patrolling an area of the North Sea known as the "Broad Fourteens
" in support of vessels guarding the northern entrance to the Channel
. The Squadron had previously been part of the Third Fleet of the Home Fleets.
The squadron came to public attention when on 22 September 1914 three of the cruisers were sunk by one German submarine while on patrol. Approximately 1,450 sailors were killed and there was a public outcry at the losses. The incident eroded confidence in the government and damaged the reputation of the Royal Navy at a time when many countries were still considering which side they might support in the war.
as part of the reorganisation of the Royal Navy
's home fleets which took effect on 1 May 1912. It formed part of the Third Fleet of the Home Fleets and effectively served as a reserve force stationed on the south coast of England. The squadron was composed mainly of the six Cressy-class
armoured cruisers, which had been transferred from the 6th Cruiser Squadron of the former divisional structure of the Home Fleets, and already considered obsolescent despite being less than 12 years old. Their status meant that most of the time they were manned by "nucleus crews" an innovation introduced by Admiral Jackie Fisher a few years earlier. Their ships' complements of 700 men plus officers were only brought up to full strength for manœvres or mobilisation. The nucleus crews were expected to keep the ships in a seaworthy condition the rest of the time.
The 1913 manœvres illustrate the system. In June, the command of squadrons was announced by the Admiralty
. As a reserve formation, the 7th Cruiser Squadron had no flag officer until 10 June, when Rear-Admiral Gordon Moore
— Third Sea Lord
— was given the command upon taking leave from the Admiralty. He hoisted his flag in Bacchante on 15 July. All ships of the squadron would have been brought up to strength with men from other parts of the navy and from the Royal Naval Reserve
. The manœvres took place and on 9 August Rear-Admiral Moore struck his flag and on the 16th the squadron was reduced back to reserve commission.
Upon the outbreak of war with Germany in 1914, the Royal Navy's Second and Third Fleets were combined to form a Channel Fleet. The 7th Cruiser Squadron consisted of , , , and . Their task was to patrol the relatively shallow waters of the Dogger Bank
and the "Broad Fourteens
" in the North Sea supported by destroyers of the Harwich Force
. The aim was to protect ships carrying supplies between Britain and France against German ships operating from the northern German naval ports.
Although the cruisers had been designed for a speed of 21 kn (25.6 mph; 41.2 km/h), wear and tear meant they could now only manage 15 kn (18.3 mph; 29.4 km/h) at most and more typically only 12 kn (14.6 mph; 23.5 km/h). Bad weather sometimes meant that the smaller destroyers could not sail, and at such times the cruisers would patrol alone. A continuous patrol was maintained with some ships on station while others returned to harbour for coal and supplies.
From 26-28 August 1914, the squadron was held in reserve during the operations which led to the Battle of Heligoland Bight.
warning that in his opinion the ships were at extreme risk of attack and sinking by German ships because of their age and inexperienced crews. The risk to the ships was so severe that they had earned the nickname "the live bait squadron" within the fleet. By 17 September, the note reached the attention of First Lord of the Admiralty Winston Churchill
who met with Keyes and Commodore Reginald Tyrwhitt
—commander of a destroyer squadron operating from Harwich—while travelling to Scapa Flow to visit the Grand Fleet on 18 September. Churchill—in consultation with the First Sea Lord
Prince Louis of Battenberg—agreed that the cruisers should be withdrawn and wrote a memo stating:
Vice Admiral
Frederick Sturdee—chief of the Admiralty war staff—objected that while the cruisers should be replaced no modern ships were available and the older vessels were the only ships that could be used during bad weather. It was therefore agreed between Battenberg and Sturdee to leave them on station until the arrival of new Arethusa-class
cruisers then being built.
. Although they were not zigzagging, all of the ships had lookouts posted to search for periscopes and one gun on each side of each ship was manned.
Weddigen ordered his submarine to submerge and closed the range with the unsuspecting British ships. At close range, he fired a single torpedo
at Aboukir. The torpedo broke the back of Aboukir and she sank within 20 minutes with the loss of 527 men.
The captains of Cressy and Hogue thought Aboukir had struck a floating mine
and came forward to assist her. They stood by and began to pick up survivors. At this point, Weddigen fired two torpedoes into Hogue, mortally wounding her. As Hogue sank, the captain of Cressy realised that the squadron was being attacked by a submarine and tried to flee. Weddigen fired two more torpedoes into Cressy and sank her as well.
A number of Dutch ships were nearby and destroyers from Harwich
were brought to the scene by distress signals. They were able to rescue 837 men, but of the combined crews 1,397 men and 62 officers were lost.
, First Class. Each member of his crew received the Iron Cross, Second Class. The German achievement shook the reputation of the British navy throughout the world. Despite the age of Cressy class vessels many Britons did not believe the sinking of three large armoured ships could have been the work of one lone submarine, but that other submarines and perhaps other non-British craft must have been involved. Both Admirals Beatty
and Fisher spoke out against the folly of placing such ships where they had been. Churchill was widely blamed by the public for the disaster despite his original orders that the older ships should not be used in the venture.
Admiral Christian was suspended on half pay; later, he was reinstated by Battenberg. Drummond was criticised for sailing in straight lines rather than zig-zagging to shake off submarines and for not requesting destroyer support as soon as the weather improved. Zig-zagging previously was not taken seriously by ships' captains who had not experienced submarine attacks; the tactic thereafter was made compulsory in enemy waters. Further, all major ships were instructed never to approach a ship severely disabled by mine or torpedo but to steam away and leave any rescue to smaller vessels.
Three weeks later, the German war hero Weddigen—now operating U-9 off Aberdeen
—torpedoed and sank , yet another British cruiser that was not zig-zagging in enemy waters. Weddigen himself was killed in March 1915 during a German raid in the Pentland Firth
when his submarine—then U-29
—was intentionally rammed by the battleship .
.
in 1939, the squadron was a unit within the Northern Patrol Force. The squadron was under the command of Vice Admiral Sir Max Horton, whose flagship was .
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
during the First World War
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
used to close the English Channel
English Channel
The English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
to German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
traffic. It was employed patrolling an area of the North Sea known as the "Broad Fourteens
Broad Fourteens
thumb|200px|right|The Broad Fourteens on a map by Delisle The Broad Fourteens is an area of the southern North Sea that is fairly consistently fourteen fathoms deep...
" in support of vessels guarding the northern entrance to the Channel
English Channel
The English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
. The Squadron had previously been part of the Third Fleet of the Home Fleets.
The squadron came to public attention when on 22 September 1914 three of the cruisers were sunk by one German submarine while on patrol. Approximately 1,450 sailors were killed and there was a public outcry at the losses. The incident eroded confidence in the government and damaged the reputation of the Royal Navy at a time when many countries were still considering which side they might support in the war.
Creation
The 7th Cruiser Squadron was created at the NoreNore
The Nore is a sandbank at the mouth of the Thames Estuary, England. It marks the point where the River Thames meets the North Sea, roughly halfway between Havengore Creek in Essex and Warden Point in Kent....
as part of the reorganisation of the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
's home fleets which took effect on 1 May 1912. It formed part of the Third Fleet of the Home Fleets and effectively served as a reserve force stationed on the south coast of England. The squadron was composed mainly of the six Cressy-class
Cressy class cruiser
The Cressy class cruiser was a class of six armoured cruisers launched between December 1899 and May 1901, for the Royal Navy.-Service:...
armoured cruisers, which had been transferred from the 6th Cruiser Squadron of the former divisional structure of the Home Fleets, and already considered obsolescent despite being less than 12 years old. Their status meant that most of the time they were manned by "nucleus crews" an innovation introduced by Admiral Jackie Fisher a few years earlier. Their ships' complements of 700 men plus officers were only brought up to full strength for manœvres or mobilisation. The nucleus crews were expected to keep the ships in a seaworthy condition the rest of the time.
The 1913 manœvres illustrate the system. In June, the command of squadrons was announced by the Admiralty
Admiralty
The Admiralty was formerly the authority in the Kingdom of England, and later in the United Kingdom, responsible for the command of the Royal Navy...
. As a reserve formation, the 7th Cruiser Squadron had no flag officer until 10 June, when Rear-Admiral Gordon Moore
Gordon Moore (Royal Navy officer)
Admiral Sir Gordon Moore KCB CVO was a Royal Navy officer who went on to be Third Sea Lord.-Naval career:...
— Third Sea Lord
Third Sea Lord
The Third Sea Lord and Controller of the Navy was formerly the Naval Lord and member of the Board of Admiralty responsible for procurement and matériel in the British Royal Navy...
— was given the command upon taking leave from the Admiralty. He hoisted his flag in Bacchante on 15 July. All ships of the squadron would have been brought up to strength with men from other parts of the navy and from the Royal Naval Reserve
Royal Naval Reserve
The Royal Naval Reserve is the volunteer reserve force of the Royal Navy in the United Kingdom. The present Royal Naval Reserve was formed in 1958 by merging the original Royal Naval Reserve and the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve , a reserve of civilian volunteers founded in 1903...
. The manœvres took place and on 9 August Rear-Admiral Moore struck his flag and on the 16th the squadron was reduced back to reserve commission.
First World War
Dogger Bank
Dogger Bank is a large sandbank in a shallow area of the North Sea about off the east coast of England. It extends over approximately , with its dimensions being about long and up to broad. The water depth ranges from 15 to 36 metres , about shallower than the surrounding sea. It is a...
and the "Broad Fourteens
Broad Fourteens
thumb|200px|right|The Broad Fourteens on a map by Delisle The Broad Fourteens is an area of the southern North Sea that is fairly consistently fourteen fathoms deep...
" in the North Sea supported by destroyers of the Harwich Force
Harwich Force
The Harwich Force was a squadron of the Royal Navy, formed during the First World War, that went on to play a significant role in the war.-History:...
. The aim was to protect ships carrying supplies between Britain and France against German ships operating from the northern German naval ports.
Although the cruisers had been designed for a speed of 21 kn (25.6 mph; 41.2 km/h), wear and tear meant they could now only manage 15 kn (18.3 mph; 29.4 km/h) at most and more typically only 12 kn (14.6 mph; 23.5 km/h). Bad weather sometimes meant that the smaller destroyers could not sail, and at such times the cruisers would patrol alone. A continuous patrol was maintained with some ships on station while others returned to harbour for coal and supplies.
From 26-28 August 1914, the squadron was held in reserve during the operations which led to the Battle of Heligoland Bight.
The "Live Bait Squadron"
On 21 August, Commodore Roger Keyes—commanding a submarine squadron also stationed at Harwich—wrote to his superior Admiral Sir Arthur LevesonArthur Leveson
Admiral Sir Arthur Cavenagh Leveson GCB was a senior officer in the Royal Navy. He was the Rear Admiral Commanding His Majesty's Australian Fleet between 9 January 1917 and 3 September 1918 and later Commander in Chief, China Station between 10 September 1922 and 22 April 1925.-Biography:Born on...
warning that in his opinion the ships were at extreme risk of attack and sinking by German ships because of their age and inexperienced crews. The risk to the ships was so severe that they had earned the nickname "the live bait squadron" within the fleet. By 17 September, the note reached the attention of First Lord of the Admiralty Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...
who met with Keyes and Commodore Reginald Tyrwhitt
Reginald Tyrwhitt
Admiral of the Fleet Sir Reginald Yorke Tyrwhitt, 1st Baronet, GCB, DSO was a senior officer of the Royal Navy in World War I who commanded light forces stationed at Harwich on the east coast of England during the first part of the war.-Naval career:Tyrwhitt entered the Navy as a cadet in July, 1885...
—commander of a destroyer squadron operating from Harwich—while travelling to Scapa Flow to visit the Grand Fleet on 18 September. Churchill—in consultation with the First Sea Lord
First Sea Lord
The First Sea Lord is the professional head of the Royal Navy and the whole Naval Service; it was formerly known as First Naval Lord. He also holds the title of Chief of Naval Staff, and is known by the abbreviations 1SL/CNS...
Prince Louis of Battenberg—agreed that the cruisers should be withdrawn and wrote a memo stating:
Vice Admiral
Vice Admiral
Vice admiral is a senior naval rank of a three-star flag officer, which is equivalent to lieutenant general in the other uniformed services. A vice admiral is typically senior to a rear admiral and junior to an admiral...
Frederick Sturdee—chief of the Admiralty war staff—objected that while the cruisers should be replaced no modern ships were available and the older vessels were the only ships that could be used during bad weather. It was therefore agreed between Battenberg and Sturdee to leave them on station until the arrival of new Arethusa-class
Arethusa class cruiser (1913)
The Arethusa-class cruisers were a class of eight oil-fired light cruisers of the Royal Navy all ordered in September 1912, primarily for service in the North Sea. They had three funnels with the middle one somewhat larger in diameter than the others. All served in World War I...
cruisers then being built.
Sinking of three cruisers
At around 06:00 on 22 September, the three cruisers were steaming at 10 kn (12.2 mph; 19.6 km/h) in line ahead. They were spotted by the German submarine U-9, commanded by Lt. Otto WeddigenOtto Weddigen
Otto Eduard Weddigen was a German U-boat commander during World War I.-Biography and career:He was born in Herford and started his military career in the Kaiserliche Marine in 1901...
. Although they were not zigzagging, all of the ships had lookouts posted to search for periscopes and one gun on each side of each ship was manned.
Weddigen ordered his submarine to submerge and closed the range with the unsuspecting British ships. At close range, he fired a single torpedo
Torpedo
The modern torpedo is a self-propelled missile weapon with an explosive warhead, launched above or below the water surface, propelled underwater towards a target, and designed to detonate either on contact with it or in proximity to it.The term torpedo was originally employed for...
at Aboukir. The torpedo broke the back of Aboukir and she sank within 20 minutes with the loss of 527 men.
The captains of Cressy and Hogue thought Aboukir had struck a floating mine
Naval mine
A naval mine is a self-contained explosive device placed in water to destroy surface ships or submarines. Unlike depth charges, mines are deposited and left to wait until they are triggered by the approach of, or contact with, an enemy vessel...
and came forward to assist her. They stood by and began to pick up survivors. At this point, Weddigen fired two torpedoes into Hogue, mortally wounding her. As Hogue sank, the captain of Cressy realised that the squadron was being attacked by a submarine and tried to flee. Weddigen fired two more torpedoes into Cressy and sank her as well.
A number of Dutch ships were nearby and destroyers from Harwich
Harwich
Harwich is a town in Essex, England and one of the Haven ports, located on the coast with the North Sea to the east. It is in the Tendring district. Nearby places include Felixstowe to the northeast, Ipswich to the northwest, Colchester to the southwest and Clacton-on-Sea to the south...
were brought to the scene by distress signals. They were able to rescue 837 men, but of the combined crews 1,397 men and 62 officers were lost.
Repercussions
Otto Weddigen returned to Germany as the first naval hero of the war and was awarded the Iron CrossIron Cross
The Iron Cross is a cross symbol typically in black with a white or silver outline that originated after 1219 when the Kingdom of Jerusalem granted the Teutonic Order the right to combine the Teutonic Black Cross placed above a silver Cross of Jerusalem....
, First Class. Each member of his crew received the Iron Cross, Second Class. The German achievement shook the reputation of the British navy throughout the world. Despite the age of Cressy class vessels many Britons did not believe the sinking of three large armoured ships could have been the work of one lone submarine, but that other submarines and perhaps other non-British craft must have been involved. Both Admirals Beatty
David Beatty, 1st Earl Beatty
Admiral of the Fleet David Richard Beatty, 1st Earl Beatty, GCB, OM, GCVO, DSO was an admiral in the Royal Navy...
and Fisher spoke out against the folly of placing such ships where they had been. Churchill was widely blamed by the public for the disaster despite his original orders that the older ships should not be used in the venture.
Admiral Christian was suspended on half pay; later, he was reinstated by Battenberg. Drummond was criticised for sailing in straight lines rather than zig-zagging to shake off submarines and for not requesting destroyer support as soon as the weather improved. Zig-zagging previously was not taken seriously by ships' captains who had not experienced submarine attacks; the tactic thereafter was made compulsory in enemy waters. Further, all major ships were instructed never to approach a ship severely disabled by mine or torpedo but to steam away and leave any rescue to smaller vessels.
Three weeks later, the German war hero Weddigen—now operating U-9 off Aberdeen
Aberdeen
Aberdeen is Scotland's third most populous city, one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas and the United Kingdom's 25th most populous city, with an official population estimate of ....
—torpedoed and sank , yet another British cruiser that was not zig-zagging in enemy waters. Weddigen himself was killed in March 1915 during a German raid in the Pentland Firth
Pentland Firth
The Pentland Firth , which is actually more of a strait than a firth, separates the Orkney Islands from Caithness in the north of Scotland.-Etymology:...
when his submarine—then U-29
SM U-29 (Germany)
SM U-29 was a Type U-27 U-boat of the Kaiserliche Marine. She served during the First World War.U-29s last commander was Captain Otto Weddigen. U-29 was sunk with all hands on 18 March 1915 in Pentland Firth after being rammed by . She is the only submarine known to have been sunk by a...
—was intentionally rammed by the battleship .
Aftermath
The remaining Cressy class ships were dispersed away from the British Isles. The remnants of the 7th Cruiser Squadron was reconstituted the following year as part of the Grand Fleet, which contained many better armoured and more modern ships than Bacchantes, but in 1916 the 7th was disbanded again. It did not see service at the Battle of JutlandBattle of Jutland
The Battle of Jutland was a naval battle between the British Royal Navy's Grand Fleet and the Imperial German Navy's High Seas Fleet during the First World War. The battle was fought on 31 May and 1 June 1916 in the North Sea near Jutland, Denmark. It was the largest naval battle and the only...
.
Second World War
At the outbreak of the Second World WarWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
in 1939, the squadron was a unit within the Northern Patrol Force. The squadron was under the command of Vice Admiral Sir Max Horton, whose flagship was .