The Battle of Heligoland Bight

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The story of the first naval battle between Germany and Great Britain in World War I http://iupress.indiana.edu 1-800-842-6796 The Battle of Heligoland Bight Eric W. Osborne The battle of Heligoland Bight was the first major action between the British and German fleets during World War I. The British orchestrated the battle as a warning to the German high command that any attempt to operate their naval forces in the North Sea would be met by strong British resistance. Heligoland Island guarded the entrance to the main German naval anchorage at Kiel. Fought on August 28, 1914, the battle was complicated by dense fog, the piecemeal engagement of German forces, and the unexpected appearance in the area of additional British ships, which were hard to distinguish from foe. Initial British damage was significant; however, fearing that the protracted battle would allow the bulk of the German fleet to join the battle, the British brought in their battle cruiser reinforcements and won the day, inflicting heavy losses on the Germans.    The battle was significant for its political and strategic ramifications for the two sides. The Germans became reluctant to engage large forces in an attempt to gain a decisive maritime victory. After this defeat, any plans for large-scale fleet operations needed to be approved by the kaiser, which hampered the German fleet’s effectiveness. Indeed, there would be only one fleet action during the war, the 1916 Battle of Jutland. The British blockade persisted and the German navy turned increasingly to the use of submarines. Eric W. Osborne is Adjunct Professor of History at Virginia Military Institute. He teaches modern European history and world history, and is author of three books that deal with diplomacy and sea power. Twentieth-Century Battles Spencer C. Tucker, editor Military History World War I Jacket illustration: Battleships of the Grand Fleet cruising in line abreast columns in the North Sea. From the Ministry of Information First World War Official Collection, the War at Sea. Courtesy of the Imperial Museum, London. ISBN-13: 978-0-253-34742-8 ISBN-10: 0-253-34742-4 $27.95 INDIANA University Press Bloomington & Indianapolis INDIANA Osborne The Battle of Heligoland Bight THE BATTLE OF HELIGOLAND BIGHT Twentieth-Century Battles Spencer C. Tucker, editor Indiana University Press bloomington and indianapolis This book is a publication of Indiana University Press 601 North Morton Street Bloomington, IN 47404-3797 USA http://iupress.indiana.edu Telephone orders 800-842-6796 Fax orders 812-855-7931 Orders by e-mail iuporder@indiana.edu© 2006 by Eric W. Osborne All rights reserved No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. The Association of American University Presses’ Resolution on Permissions constitutes the only exception to this prohibition. The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of American National Standard for Information Sciences—Permanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI Z39.48-1984. Manufactured in the United States of America Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Osborne, Eric W. The battle of Heligoland Bight / Eric W. Osborne. p. cm. — (Twentieth-century battles) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 0-253-34742-4 (cloth : alk. paper) 1. Helgoland Bight, Battle of, 1914. I. Title. II. Series. D582.H4O83 2006 940.4'54—dc22 2005031690 1 2 3 4 5 11 10 09 08 07 06 ...