Raid on Scarborough
Just before daybreak of December 16, 1914 saw the German battlecruisers SMS Derflinger and SMS Von Der Tann bombarding the English coastal town of Scarborough, ostensibly in an attempt to destroy three new radio stations in the town, but instead wreaking havoc on the civilian population. Approaching to 1.5 miles of the coast, the German forces fired nearly 1000 shells; some two hundred civilians were killed, and 300 houses and a number of public buildings were damaged. Resulting public outcry against German barbarity was turned to a successful recruitment tool for the British war effort.
The German's larger strategy was to provoke and draw out small portions of the British fleet to engage and destroy them with superior numbers. The plan did not bear results during this raid, but did serve as due provocation, with the Channel Fleet and the British battle cruiser squadron at Rosyth put on constant alert. After another near miss in 1915, the Dogger Bank encounter on January 24, 1916 was more substantive, but turned against the German battle cruiser squadron, which due to a British signaling miscue and poor range finding, barely missed being mauled during the chase away. The Germans escaped with the loss of the slower armored cruiser Blucher, which was left to be finished by the British "Splendid Cats".
Raid on Scarborough
Just before daybreak of December 16, 1914 saw the German battlecruisers SMS Derflinger and SMS Von Der Tann bombarding the English coastal town of Scarborough, ostensibly in an attempt to destroy three new radio stations in the town, but instead wreaking havoc on the civilian population. Approaching to 1.5 miles of the coast, the German forces fired nearly 1000 shells; some two hundred civilians were killed, and 300 houses and a number of public buildings were damaged. Resulting public outcry against German barbarity was turned to a successful recruitment tool for the British war effort.
The German's larger strategy was to provoke and draw out small portions of the British fleet to engage and destroy them with superior numbers. The plan did not bear results during this raid, but did serve as due provocation, with the Channel Fleet and the British battle cruiser squadron at Rosyth put on constant alert. After another near miss in 1915, the Dogger Bank encounter on January 24, 1916 was more substantive, but turned against the German battle cruiser squadron, which due to a British signaling miscue and poor range finding, barely missed being mauled during the chase away. The Germans escaped with the loss of the slower armored cruiser Blucher, which was left to be finished by the British "Splendid Cats".