Chapter 16: The Naval Arms Race & Von der Tann At War
IMPERIAL DOCKYARDS: CUXHAVEN
By: Dreadnought & AP
Chapter 16:
THE NAVAL ARMS RACE
&
VON der TANN AT WAR
Long before this political cartoon appeared in a 1909 edition of “Punch Magazine”, practically all of Europe had been engaged in a somewhat low level arms race of one sort or another. The Italians were suspicious of the French and Austrians. The Austrians watched the Italians and the Russians. The French watched the Austrians, eyed the Italians with suspicion, remained wary of the British, courted Russian friendship, and hurled diplomatic lightning bolts at Germany. The Russians insisted on involving themselves in volatile Balkan disputes with Austria, while generally flailing about diplomatically. Kaiser Wilhelm II pretty much rattled his saber at everyone, depending upon his mood at the time. And Great Britain, secure in their “Island Fortress”, practiced “splendid isolation”, while maintaining a battle fleet equal to the two most powerful fleets in Continental Europe (The “Two Power Standard”). While “Punch” treated the subject with derisive humor in 1909 (at the expense of the Kaiser and the Tsar) – the British were actually quite touchy on the subject.
Alfred Thayer Mahan published “The Influence Of Sea Power Upon History” in 1890, a book every bit as influential as Darwin’s “Origin of the Species” or Marx’ “Das Kapital”. The volume lit a fire under every naval officer and amateur the world over. Kaiser Wilhelm II “devoured” the book and ordered a copy to be placed aboard every warship. The Kaiser then grew frustrated when the Reichstag would not pay for a gigantic fleet. Alfred von Tirpitz came aboard in 1897 and pushed his new Naval Laws through the Reichstag to begin the creation of his “fleet in being”. At first, he envisioned a fleet of 50 or 60 pre-dreadnought battleships matched against a Royal Navy who’s strength would be scattered all over the world...”It comes down to a battleship war between Heligoland and the Thames”.
Oddly enough, German diplomats thought threatening the British with a huge fleet might actually make them want to sign a “friendship treaty”. Although British monarchs had been Germanic since 1714, the “British Public” never quite understood what that had to do with it. What they did understand, was Britain was an island nation, with a small army, and a vast overseas empire. The British economy thrived on imported materials and exported goods. And, by 1900, fully 58% of all foodstuffs consumed in Britain came in by boat (not to mention the omnipresent “tea” from India and China). Anything that interfered with free trade on the “High Seas” threatened not only Britain’s bank balance, but her dinner menu as well. Even before Germany presented a challenge at sea, British politicians and military men worried about the catastrophic economic, social, and political consequences if the Royal Navy should lose command of the sea. These worries even began to manifest themselves (around 1871) in an entire genre of “Invasion Literature” (The Riddle Of The Sands – 1903 – Erskine Childers – is an absolute “classic”).
The stuff that Naval Arms Races are made of – SMS Von der Tann anchored off the Old Basin Mole. Inside the Old Basin (on left) are the torpedo boats of the Hochseeflotte. The “Old Basin mole” is made-up of NBVC Sea Walls with Paeng’s Grunge Concrete pavement. Some sea wall lots were modified to include lighting. The torpedo boat flotillas of the Hochseeflotte were composed of a wide variety of classes of varying numbers. But the majority were boats of the G-101, V-170, and smaller V-25 classes (V-25 left of picture). The wooden piers on left are from the “Nob 1905 Japanese Navy Series”. The rickety wooden landings are from the “PEG Cannery” lot. With the exception of the odd Maxis props – all of the “activity” and “clutter” on the mole – along with the mooring dolphins and small boats -- are by “AP”. Von der Tann and the torpedo boat models are courtesy of @Barroco Hispano.
The first German Naval Law of 1898 passed with little notice in Britain. When the Second Boer War broke out in South Africa, a German steamer bound for the Boer Republics was seized by the Royal Navy for carrying “contraband” – rifles and ammunition. The British were outraged to find the Kaiser meddling in their “colonial war” – and the Kaiser was mortified he could not take on the Royal Navy. The “German Public” was outraged as well – and the Second Naval Law of 1900 was easily passed – calling for a fleet of 45 battleships and armored cruisers.
Rumors about HMS Dreadnought began to circulate in 1905 and Tirpitz wanted more money to build “dreadnoughts. Fortunately for the Secretary, the “Novelle of 1906” would pass the Reichstag after the First Moroccan Crisis (1906) duly inflamed German nationalist sentiment against Britain. Using the political tensions to his advantage, Tirpitz got a second supplementary bill through the Reichstag in 1908 to increase the delivery of new battleships from 3 per year to four. This would provide a fleet of 21 dreadnought battleships by 1914. The German Chancellor, Bernhard von Bulow, was responsible for finding the tax money to fund the largest army and the second largest navy in Europe – and he had begun to question the wisdom of such a large navy. Naval expansion was straining diplomatic relations with Britain, while the cost was pushing the government into deficit-spending – and the national debit had doubled between 1900 and 1908. But Tirpitz was a force to be reckoned with – and the Kaiser refused to support von Bulow. The 1908 Naval Law was passed – and von Bulow resigned in July, 1909.
The passing of the German Naval Law angered and aroused the British Public, and though opposed by the Chancellor Of The Exchequer, the slogan...”We want eight and we won’t wait!”...got the funding pushed through Parliament. Eight dreadnoughts were duly ordered – four in 1910 and four more in 1911. And there was even funding for additional battlecruisers. So the Naval Arms Race had become not just a reality – but a national emergency. And however humorous “Punch” might make it sound, it burned through millions of Pounds and millions of Marks – and was a deadly serious business.
VON der TANN’s SEA TRIALS
SMS Von der Tann fitting-out at the Imperial Dockyard, Kiel. Note the cantilever crane hoisting one of the big 11-inch rifles preparatory to installing it in the starboard wing turret.
In May 1910, Von der Tann sailed from the Blohm & Voss yard in Hamburg, to finish her fitting-out work in the Kaiserliche Werft, Kiel. She had to steam round Denmark past “Skagen” and through the Skagerrak, Kattegat, and “Kleinen Belt”, because the new dreadnought ship types (Nassau and Von Der Tann) were too large to transit the Kaiser Wilhelm I Canal. Work on widening the canal had begun in 1907 and would not be completed until mid 1914. (British diplomats jokingly said... “Kaiser Bill won’t start his war until the ditch is dug.” Oddly enough, within a year of the canal opening – WW I broke out.) The German Navy was frequently short of crews at the time, so dockyard workers had to bring the ship to Kiel. On 1 September 1910, SMS Von der Tann’s flag and pennant were raised, and she was commissioned into the Kaiserliche Marine. Most of the crew was taken off the recently commissioned dreadnought SMS Rheinland. (Rheinland’s crew would be filled out with men from the decommissioned pre-dreadnought battleship Zahringen.)
Sea trials began soon after, and her designed performance parameters (guaranteed by contract) were, in all respects, fulfilled or exceeded. The crucial element – speed – was astonishing. Though rated at 42,000 shp to deliver 24.5 knots, on the measured 6-mile course near Neukrug, Von der Tann’s turbines developed 77,926shp and recorded a maximum sustained speed of 27.4 knots. At the time of her launch, Von der Tann was the fastest dreadnought afloat.
SMS Von der Tann at anchor – early 1911.
During trials the ship handled well. The turbines sprang to life immediately, unlike triple expansion engines that required time to “work-up”. With the turbines in “full reverse”, the ship could come to an emergency stop in two minutes, covering a distance of 882 meters. She answered the helm quickly and had to be “brought back” promptly to avoid “over-turn” – but at low speeds she did not maneuver well. There was little vibration at high speed, but predictably, she shipped water over the bow and was generally wet at high speeds.
Just as predictably, the trials report was critical of the officer quarters in the forecastle. When the ship was underway, the scuttles had to be closed to avoid spray from the bow – and the foreship area was quite cold and noisy. (No doubt the wave action against the bow.) On the other hand, the crew accommodation aft was deemed excellent!
The armament was thoroughly tested, both in “dry-fire” exercises and in “live-fire”. The main battery was found to be well positioned with wide firing arcs. Turret training was smooth and reasonably fast, and the well-balanced gun houses could be trained manually quite easily. The big rifles preformed well, with no working or recoil problems. However, the fume extractor fans in the secondary battery casemates (5.9-inch) were not powerful enough and would have to be changed.
Broadside view of Von der Tann anchored alongside the Old Basin mole. Model by Barroco Hispano.
Unfortunately, the 3.5-inch anti-torpedo-boat guns were a great disappointment. The first group, mounted in the bow were “swamped” by the bow wave – the second and third groups, mounted in the forward and aft superstructure were adversely effected by the fire of the main guns -- and the fourth group, mounted in the stern, was “swamped” by the “stern wave” created at high speed. The trial report suggested the guns only be used to protect the ship while lying at anchor. They were soon removed.
The untested turbine installation proved safe and reliable, with no operating problems or accidents. The contract performance requirements were considerably exceeded and the engineering officers had no difficulty whatever with the complex arrangements. The “first of its kind” boiler plant developed no tubing leaks, nor did it require repair, even after repeated overloading during speed trials. Coal consumption proved much lower than anticipated – a distinct advantage of the Blohm & Voss designed boilers. They produced more steam, used far less coal, and weighed a good deal less to boot. The high capacity, custom-built boilers fed the turbines at higher pressure and in greater quantity – making Von der Tann faster than any capital ship afloat.
SERVICE CAREER
SMS Von der Tann underway at high speed.
Almost immediately upon completing sea trials, it was decided to send Von der Tann on a South American cruise. It was customary to send all capital ships on long voyages after commissioning – sometimes to the Mediterranean, or Spain, or even North America. It served the purpose of a “working up” cruise – to get the officers and crew accustomed to their new ship, and to test the ship in the deep waters of the Atlantic. On a long voyage, in open waters, it would be possible to evaluate the working of the guns in all conditions and to give a thorough evaluation of the Frahm anti-roll tanks. On a different level, the cruise would boost German prestige in South America, while displaying the latest example of German skill and ship building technology in countries that were in the market for new dreadnoughts. On 7 February 1911, the Kaiser approved the trip and suggested 20 February as a departure date, stipulating a return in early May so the battlecruiser would be present for the Spring maneuvers of the Hochseeflotte.
At 11:00 on 20 February, Von der Tann eased out of Kiel and began her transit of the Skagen, bound for Rio de Janeiro. Kapitan zur See Robert Mischke was on the bridge. After a two day layover in Tenerife, she arrived at her destination on 14 March, exchanging gun salutes with the forts guarding Rio’s anchorage. The trip had not been -- uneventful. They encountered thick fog and heavy seas in the “Hoofden” (area north and west of Holland), and southwest of Ushant they steamed into a full gale rolling in from the Atlantic. Heavy seas broke over the weather decks, and course was changed several times to try and avoid the worst of the breakers. The aggravated movements of the ship caused the single refrigeration unit on board to fail, and for fear of losing the vast quantity of meat and fresh vegetables, they “hove-to” for eight hours to make repairs. Topside, several of the ship’s boats stowed amidships were damaged, and one demolished. One particular breaker was seen to reach the compass platform, some 18 meters above the waterline.
SMS Von der Tann at anchor in the roadsted of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. February 1911. In the background is the Brazilian dreadnought battleship Sao Paulo.
On 19 March, the light cruiser SMS Bremen joined Von der Tann and on the 23rd, both ships departed for a “port call” at Itajaha, Brazil. Another port call followed in Bahia Blanca, Argentina, with a “courtesy call” at Buenos Aires, Argentina, and a final stop at Bahia, Brazil. In Bahia, fresh provisions were brought aboard and two days were spent topping-off the coal bunkers for the return journey. SMS Bremen departed early on 17 April to resume her “American Station” duties, while Von der Tann departed Bahia that evening, arriving at Santa Cruz, Tenerife, on 25 April. A telegram arrived from the Reichsmarineamt requesting Von der Tann to make the remainder of the voyage at her highest possible sustained speed. She sailed at 20:30 on 2 May and arrived off the harbor locks at Wilhelmshaven around 06:00 on 5 May. The ship had maintained an “overall average” of 24 knots during the voyage, sustained 27 knots for an extended period, and actually attained a maximum speed of 28 knots. A very respectable performance.
Overall, the trip was a success and valuable performance information was gained. It was also good advertising for the German shipbuilding industry. Von der Tann was low and lean, with heavy guns and great speed, and impressed all the South American dignitaries that toured her. The final report of the “cruising evaluation” was quite complimentary. Though rather wet in bad weather -- she was fast, answered her helm quickly, moved with an easy motion, and provided a good, stable, gun platform – even when moving at speed.
Just three days after her return, Von der Tann was assigned to 1st Scouting Group, Hochseeflotte – and began participating in normal training and maneuver exercises. Around 15 June, the cruiser was ordered to Vlissingen, Holland (Flushing), to embark Kronprinz Wilhelm and Kronprinzessin Cecilie bound for England, where they would represent the German Empire at the coronation of King George V. From 20-29 June, Von der Tann participated in the Coronation Naval Review at Spithead. When the festivities were over, the cruiser reembarked the Imperial couple and returned them to Wilhelmshaven.
Von der Tann riding at anchor during the 1911 Coronation Review at Spithead. As the most modern warship in the Hochseeflotte, the new battlecruiser was deliberately chosen to represent the Kaiserliche Marine. Her design was elegant – her lines graceful – and her power obvious for all to see. Among the warships of many nations present for the event, Von der Tann created a tremendous impression.
The combined British fleets arrive and begin to anchor just before sunset 19 June 1911. As the representative of the German Empire, SMS Von der Tann is anchored to the right at the head of the column. She can just be seen in the left of the picture.
The 1911 summer cruise of the Hochseeflotte went to Norwegian waters at the end of June and into August. And the autumn maneuvers were once again held in the western Baltic and Kattegat. The flag of Commander Reconnaissance Forces, Vizeadmiral Gustav Bachmann, was hoisted aboard Von der Tann on 29 September, and she became the squadron flagship. On 26 June, 1912, Von der Tann sailed via the Skagen to Wilhelmshaven for machinery overhaul, and the remainder of the year was occupied with training and small unit maneuvering. February 1913 kicked off a busy year for the Hochseeflotte, with Scouting Group exercises focusing on the tactics and employment of the new battlecruisers. The exercise started in the Kattegat, then made a simulated combat deployment to the North Sea -- for the first time. The maneuvers continued into March, followed by gunnery exercises on the Baltic ranges at the end of April, and finally, fleet maneuvers in the North Sea (again) for three weeks in May. The latter half of July and the first week in August were spent on the summer cruise to Norway. The autumn maneuvers followed, beginning on 31 August – once the ships from the Baltic had assembled at Wilhelmshaven – some via the new extensions to the Kaiser Wilhelm I Canal, and some via the Skagen route. The final maneuver exercise was a simulated attack on the mouth of the River Ems, with SMS Seydlitz included among the Panzerkreuzer for the first time. October 1913 saw what appeared to be a mundane and quite ordinary movement in the chain of command. On that day, Konteradmiral Franz von Hipper hoisted his flag aboard SMS Seydlitz and assumed command of the 1st Scouting Group. Fate – in its’ unfathomable course – had brought together the man and the ships that would write some of the most stirring chapters in all of naval history. But that would come later.
SMS Seydlitz moored to buoys in Schillig Roads as she would have looked in 1913. Having just returned from five days of maneuvers, the ship is bustling with activity. A motor launch has come out from Wilhelmshaven – no doubt with mail and paperwork for the Kapitan.
Two Thor Class tugs have come alongside Seydlitz. The first one has a lighter filled with fresh provisions and the second one has two coal lighters to replenish the bunkers. An Esmeralda Class paddle tug stands off while waiting to unload two lighters with ship’s stores and dry goods.
Another view of SMS Seydlitz. Ahead and astern of the battlecruiser are “”battleship buoys”. They are actually just mooring buoys we settled on after doing a bit of research. I prefer to use these with the big ships and keep the “barrel buoys” for the smaller ships. The green buoy in the center foreground is a “starboard channel marker” (port markers are red). The buoy marks the inshore limits of the offshore dredged channel.
With the exception of the landscape, everything in the picture is the talented work of @AP. The battlecruiser, three tugs, lighters, small boats, the motor launch, buoys, and the channel marker – all done by “AP”.
The early months of 1914 involved unit training (usually in divisions rather than squadrons) until Spring fleet maneuvers in both the Baltic and North Sea in April and May. On 28 June, the Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand (heir to the throne) was assassinated in Sarajevo. Regardless of rising political tensions, on 13 July, the fleet put to sea for the Norwegian summer cruise – the last peacetime cruise the Imperial Navy would undertake. German squadrons from the Baltic and North Sea rendezvoused in the area of Skagen and exercises commenced. On 25 July the ships ran into various fjords for a break in routine, but by evening of the 26th, they had quit their anchorages. Austria-Hungary had delivered an ultimatum to the Serbians and the political situation was becoming explosive. The Hochseeflotte rendezvoused at the latitude of Cape Skudenes on 27 July, and on orders of the Kaiser, the ships returned to their home ports and assumed an increased state of readiness.
A close-up of Von der Tann. A small boat is attempting to “hook-on” the battlecruiser’s starboard side. The activity on the mole would be a natural sight around any boat landing. The boats are always kept handy in case of emergency, and the green and red “channel marker buoys” were left by a work boat. The black sausage-shaped objects are “Atlantic Fenders” – courtesy of “AP” from his seagoing days. They are placed between a ship and the pier to act as “cushions” against the movement of moored ships and boats, and can be found everywhere in harbors. The beautiful model of Von der Tann is worth another look – the gun turrets, alone, are works of art with a wealth of detail – from Barroco Hispano.
On 31 July, Von der Tann and the light cruiser SMS Coln sortied as far west of Wilhelmshaven as the island of Juist, in support of a reconnaissance line established there by the light cruisers Mainz, Kolberg, and Stralsund. The battlecruiser lingered in the area for a time then returned to Schillig Roads and anchored with Moltke and Seydlitz. As an interesting point, the German Naval High Command had established the “Mainz reconnaissance line” on the edge of territorial waters to intercept a presumed British “surprise attack” on Wilhelmshaven. It had long been their belief the Royal Navy, in the spirit of Horatio Nelson, would attempt to “Copenhagen” the Hochseeflotte. The idea came from some rash comments Fisher made before he left the Admiralty in 1910, and was based on the 1801 Battle Of Copenhagen, where the Royal Navy made a preemptive attack on the Danish fleet in their anchorage. But Britain’s declaration of war came and went on 4 August and everything remained quiet. So much so, that Von der Tann went into Wilhelmshaven’s floating dry dock on 20 August for a quick bottom-cleaning and painting.
FIRST BATTLE OF HELIGOLAND BIGHT
On 28 August 1914, Von der Tann was riding at anchor in Wilhelmshaven Roads with the cruiser Kolberg, battlecruiser Seydlitz (flagship, Scouting Forces), and seven dreadnoughts of the I and III Battle Squadrons. Around 09:20 wireless reports began coming in regarding enemy light forces in the Heligoland Bight. Konteradmiral Franz von Hipper (commander, Scouting Forces) gave orders to raise steam with all haste. The Admiral’s eagerness to engage the enemy was very commendable – but the timing was all wrong.
When the Jade Estuary had been selected as a naval base, it was the age of sail – not the age of giant steel dreadnoughts with a 30-foot draft. The entire Jade Bay is a mass of shallows and mud flats with several dredged channels leading to the various small ports along its shores. The Imperial Dockyard is a dredged harbor and roadsted at the end of a dredged deep-water channel leading past Schillig Roads and out to sea. Wilhelmshaven can only be entered through ship locks designed to keep the harbor water level at a sufficient depth to accommodate the big warships. Therefore the ship locks could only be operated when the tide was IN. The only other safe, round-the-clock, anchorage was Schillig Roads. Along the deep-water channel, beyond Schillig Roads, the Jade empties into the North Sea. All freshwater river currents slow down and dissipate where they empty into the ocean -- dumping silt and creating a sandbar across the river mouth. The Jade is no exception.
On 28 August, SMS Moltke was assigned to picket duty and was lying at anchor in Schillig Roads – making her the only big ship with ready access to deep water. But it would have been unwise to send a single battlecruiser into an unknown situation west of Heligoland Island. By 11:55, tidal conditions had improved, and Von der Tann upped anchor, passed through the locks, and ran out to Schillig Roads to join Moltke and await further orders.
At 13:10 a wireless from the light cruiser Mainz came in – “Am chased by enemy battlecruisers.” Hipper instantly ordered – “Von der Tann and Moltke immediately move to support – Seydlitz to follow.” (The flagship was not quite ready for sea as repairs to one of her condensers was in progress.) The two battlecruisers sortied as ordered, but were unable to safely cross the “bar” at the mouth of the Jade until 14:10. Steaming northwest at 24 knots, the burning hulk of the light cruiser SMS Ariadne was sighted about 15:25. Explosions were seen aboard her from time to time as ready-use ammunition cooked-off. Nearby, the light cruisers Stralsund and Danzig were rescuing survivors, but there was nothing else to be seen. As ordered, the two battlecruisers waited in the vicinity for Seydlitz. Ariadne capsized at 15:57 and sank around 16:05. SMS Seydlitz appeared over the horizon five minutes later, and the battlecruisers set off north-by-northwest in search of the enemy. After a half hour, Hipper realized the British had sprung their ambush on the German light forces, overwhelmed them with five battlecruisers, sank the German light cruisers Mainz, Coln, and Ariadne, and the destroyer V-187 – and were now long gone. The Panzerkreuzer turned back and came to anchor in Schillig Roads around 20:20 that night. The British had taken the Germans completely by surprise – and so ended the First Battle Of Heligoland Bight.
SMS Moltke – circa 1912 – but much as she would have appeared in 1914. Three Nordwind Class tugs are nudging her into her berth alongside a “Replenishment Pier”, while two Passat Class tugs adjust the bow and stern angles. In the lower left, you see two old sailing ships moored off the Replenishment Piers, which brought in cargo from commercial shippers. Moored in front is the barque Seehund – in back is the clipper Cutty Sark (AP and I are big fans of Cutty Sark and couldn’t resist the temptation to put her into the game.) This model of SMS Moltke is courtesy of Barroco Hispano – while we have another fine model of her by “AP” that you will see later. The tugs are also by “AP” – as are the beautifully rendered sailing ships – true works of art!
In September, Von der Tann spent five days in Wilhelmshaven Dockyard for boiler maintenance and repair – a periodic fact of life. And in November she sortied with the 1st Scouting Group on the Great Yarmouth Raid. (See Chapter 11 for details.)
During this period of the Great War at sea, the duties of the Imperial battlecruisers mainly consisted of lying at anchor in Wilhelmshaven Roads, and performing “picket duty” in Schillig Roads with steam up and ready to put to sea. The occasional exercise was also carried out in the “safe waters” of Heligoland Bight – between scheduled maintenance trips to the dockyard. In December 1914, Von der Tann once again sortied with 1st Scouting Group for the Bombardment of Scarborough, Whitby, and Hartlepool. (See Chapter 12 for full details.)
Immediately after the Scarborough Raid, Von der Tann went into the dockyard for repairs and remained there until 21 December. The Naval High Command immediately began planning another raid, but a period of poor weather set in and the operation was postponed until February, 1915. Von der Tann again went into the dockyard for repair and maintenance and was out of service until 3 February – thereby missing the Battle Of Dogger Bank. (Details in Chapter 13.)
SMS Von der Tann in the floating dock at Wilhelmshaven. This presents an excellent view of the smooth and graceful lines of the hull. It can be seen that the bilge keels have not yet been fitted amidships. Note the scaffolding suspended from the upper decks – you can just see the bow torpedo tube below the first scaffold, and the beam torpedo tube below the second net boom. You get a pretty good view of the secured torpedo nets as well.
From the end of February, the bulk of 1915 was spent in reconnaissance operations, providing support for minelaying sorties, escorting commerce raiders out to sea, training and gunnery practice in the Baltic, scouting sweeps of the lower North Sea, more maintenance – including a stretch in the Wilhelmshaven floating dock -- and the usual picket duty. Most historians give the impression the Hochseeflotte spent the war safely at anchor, but that is not the case. While there might not have been regular fleet engagements, there were certainly many operations and sorties into the North Sea.
In August 1915, the 1st Scouting Group (Seydlitz, Moltke, and Von der Tann) transited the Kaiser Wilhelm I Canal for a brief training period at Kiel before providing heavy support for an operation to break into the Russian-held Gulf Of Riga (Gulf Of Riga Operation). On 8 August, while at sea, the mission was changed and Von der Tann was ordered to proceed independently and bombard Uto Island, where a Russian warship had been sighted lying behind a headland. At 05:40, Von der Tann identified the Russian as the armored cruiser Bayan and opened fire. The headland partially obscured the target, but as soon as the big shells began to fall around her, Bayan shifted her berth to avoid them. A few minutes later, shore batteries on Uto Island opened on Von der Tann. One 6-inch shell struck her in the forward funnel mantle housing. The battlecruiser shifted fire to the land batteries and quickly silenced them with well-aimed direct fire. In the meantime, the secondary battery had opened fire on two Russian torpedo boats withdrawing at high speed into the inlets and fjords of the mainland. The main battery shifted back to Bayan as she, too, withdrew into the fjords. With the enemy now hidden from view, Von der Tann rejoined 1st Scouting Group and they set course for Putziger Wiek (Danzig Bay) to replenish coal.
On 15 August, 1st Scouting Group resumed support operations in the Gulf of Riga. During the operation, on 19 August, at 07:19, SMS Moltke was torpedoed by the British submarine E-1, 20 miles south of the Saritcheff light vessel. The torpedo struck abreast the bow torpedo flat, killing eight men, and damaging several stored torpedoes. Fortunately, the damaged torpedoes did not detonate – and it was only the bow torpedo flat (The smaller of the two.), so the ship only took on 430 tons of water. The 1st Scouting Group then altered course to return to Putziger Wiek at Moltke’s best speed of 15 knots – where the torpedo damage would be accessed. Staying only long enough to take on additional coal, Seydlitz and Von der Tann proceeded north to continue their support mission, while Moltke was detached to proceed for repairs at Blohm & Voss in Hamburg. The battlecruisers remained off Riga until 21 August, then returned to Kiel. Von der Tann spent five days in Kiel – coaling, taking aboard provisions, and making repairs to the forward funnel. On 29 August, she entered Holtenau canal lock at 04:13 and made fast at berth A-4 in Wilhelmshaven around 21:40 that night.
A close-up of SMS Moltke – 22,979 tons – 29.3 knots – 10x11 inch guns – 12x5.9 inch guns – 12x3.5 inch guns – 4x19.7 torpedo tubes – 11 inch belt armor.
She was meant to be a sister-ship of Von der Tann, but financial constraints delayed her construction order and the Reichsmarineamt choose to upgrade her design features to keep ahead of the British. Though remarkably similar, you will note that a superfiring turret has been added aft.
The remainder of 1915 was spent in various tasks: support for minelaying operations – covering reconnaissance operations by torpedo boat flotillas – an advance into the North Sea with elements of the I Battle Squadron – anti-aircraft gun test shoot off Heligoland Island – training in the Baltic – and a brief fleet advance into the German Bight in December.
The third year of the war started quietly enough for Von der Tann, but 1916 would be a challenging year for the Kaiserliche Marine. In January, the battlecruiser spent some time at the fitting-out docks, followed in February by a search of the German Bight for the missing airship L-19. Kapitan zur See Hans Zenker assumed command of Von der Tann in the same month. The pace of operations picked up with the appointment of Vizeadmiral Reinhard Scheer as Commander-In-Chief of the Hochseeflotte. (Vizeadmiral Hugo von Pohl retired due to ill health and died of liver cancer a month after relinquishing command.) Von der Tann sortied in support of torpedo boat flotillas sweeping as far as Dogger Bank, and training in the German Bight. British submarines habitually lurked off the German naval bases and were frequently sighted during these missions – with equally frequent torpedoes fired at the big ships.
In March 1916, Von der Tann and the 1st Scouting Group participated in a major “fleet advance” into the “Hoofden” area of the “Broad Fourteens” as far south as Haarlem, Holland. The purpose was to either raid Allied shipping to the Continent, or, at the very least, cause serious disruption to the supply traffic. As usual, the major threat to the fleet was underwater weapons and many floating mines were sighted. As the battlecruisers were returning to the Jade, the British submarine E-5 fired a torpedo at SMS Seydlitz near Borkum Island, but missed.
THE LOWESTOFT RAID
German battlecruisers shelling Lowestoft. The warship pictured could be either SMS Seydlitz, or SMS Moltke. Of the first four battlecruisers, they (and SMS Goeben) were the only ones with superfiring (stacked) stern turrets.
On 24 April 1916, 1st Scouting Group, consisting of the battlecruisers Von der Tann, Moltke, Seydlitz (flagship), Derfflinger, and Lutzow, supported by six light cruisers and two torpedo boat flotillas, weighed anchor and steamed out of Schillig Roads. Konteradmiral Friedrich Boedicker was on the bridge of Seydlitz, temporarily in command while Admiral von Hipper was on sick leave. His mission was to bombard Lowestoft and Yarmouth in an attempt to draw out and ambush a portion of the Grand Fleet. Once clear of the Jade channel, they rounded Wangerooge Island and set course west-by-south at 18 knots. Smoke poured from the funnels of the light cruisers and torpedo boats as they raced ahead and to starboard to set up scouting screens. One torpedo boat flotilla was held back to screen the seaward flank of the big ships. Two hours later (13:40), Admiral Scheer put to sea with the heavy units of the Hochseeflotte, 2nd Scouting Group, and attending torpedo boat flotillas. It was Scheer’s intention to provide distant support for Boedicker’s raiding force. In addition, eight naval airships (Zeppelins) would make bombing attacks on Yarmouth and Lowestoft the night before the raid, then preform air reconnaissance for the fleet.
Admiral John Jellicoe, informed of the impending raid through wireless intercepts, dispatched the Harwich Force (Commodore Reginald Tyrwhitt) to intercept the German raiders, ordered the Battlecruiser Fleet south to assist, and took the Grand Fleet to sea in support at 19:30. (If these response times seem slow – it’s because ships at anchor usually keep steam up in two, three, or possibly four boilers for electrical needs. It can take up to 2 hours or more to fire-off twenty to forty boilers and raise steam to maneuver.)
Around 14:00, Boedicker’s battlecruisers came abreast of Norderney Island, and he ordered a turn to the northwest. It was his intention to avoid a known British minefield, as well as staying out of sight of Dutch observers on Terschelling Island (suspected of passing information to the British). At 15:38, Seydlitz struck a mine on the starboard bow abaft the broadside torpedo flat, blasting a 50 foot hole in her lower hull. She took on water fast – 1,400 tons -- and everything forward of “A” turret and below the armored deck flooded. (Coincidentally – that includes both torpedo flats.) The remaining battlecruisers immediately turned south to avoid further mines. Seydlitz also turned south and the torpedo boat V-28 came alongside to transfer Konteradmiral Boedicker to SMS Lutzow, where he raised his flag and continued the mission. Seydlitz set course for the Jade at reduced speed, accompanied by the torpedo boats V-69 and V-45. At 07:10, 25 April, she made fast at Wilhelmshaven’s berth A-4 and was moved into the floating dock for repairs the following day. It would be more than a month before the mine damage was made good.
SMS Derfflinger and Lutzow (sister-ships) moored at buoys in the outer roadsted. The Defflinger Class was the fourth generation of Imperial battlecruisers and the most handsome of them all. They were longer than previous classes, with a low freeboard, and smooth, clean lines. They possessed the most pleasing profile of all the Imperial battlecruisers.
The Derfflinger Class was designed to correct deficiencies found in previous classes. Their particulars were: 26,600 tons – 26.5 knots – 8x12-inch guns – 12x5.9-inch guns – 12x3.5-inch guns – 4x19.7-inch torpedo tubes – belt armor 11.8 inches. Note the red channel buoys marking the limits of the dredged deep water channel.
In this close-up, you can see the extremely efficient layout of the deck plan. The superstructure is neatly tucked-in between the main battery turrets and has been kept as low as possible to reduce the target profile. The superstructure, as a whole, has been designed to allow the widest possible firing arcs for the main battery guns. Derfflinger has begun to take on the layout and profile that would, with just a few changes, become common in a later war. This beautiful and highly detailed model is courtesy of Barroco Hispano.
At 04:50 on 25 April, the German battlecruisers were closing on Lowestoft when the light cruisers Rostock and Elbing – covering the south flank – spotted the light cruisers and destroyers of the Harwich Force steering north at speed. Commodore Tyrwhitt went into the attack, then turned away in an effort to draw the German ships off their intended target. But Boedicker refused to be distracted and maintained course while directing his light cruisers and torpedo boats to engage the enemy. The battlecruisers trained their guns on Lowestoft and opened fire at 15,000 yards. A heavy mist and low fog hung in the air, trapping the funnel smoke of the big ships close to the water and making it difficult to pick out targets ashore. The squadron altered course slightly north, clearing their sights of smoke, and based their targeting information on the Empire Hotel. The main and secondary batteries destroyed two 6 inch shore batteries, then shelled the dock areas, a wireless tower, a mine-laying station, two swing bridges, and managed to damage some 200 dwellings in the process.
Around 05:20, the battlecruisers ceased fire and steered north, for Yarmouth, arriving at 05:42. The visibility was so poor, they fired a salvo apiece -- except Derfflinger, which fired 14 rounds of main gun ammunition. Boedicker then swung back to the south to find his detached cruisers and torpedo boats. When the battlecruisers hove into sight, Boedicker found a swirling melee in full progress and took the ships of the Harwich Force under fire at 13,000 yards. Tyrwhitt came under a heavy and accurate fire, and immediately put about. He broke off the action, running to the south – but not before HMS Conquest was severely damaged by a 12-inch salvo from Derfflinger. HMS Laertes was also damaged in the thirteen minute encounter. The battlecruisers gave chase, but there had been a “periscope sighting” moments before, and there were numerous British destroyers roaming the area, so Boedicker let the “little fish” go, and altered course eastward, for his rendezvous with the Hochseeflotte off Terschelling Bank.
And there, we must leave the story of SMS Von der Tann. She was a fast ship, with a “thick skin”, and a powerful punch – and her design concept had been vindicated in battle. As the first Imperial German battlecruiser, she was the very first of some of the finest warships built in the Age of the Dreadnoughts. As a “fast battleship”, she was far ahead of her time and foretold the future of the dreadnought. But Von der Tann was not the last battlecruiser commissioned into the Kaiserliche Marine – so the best was yet to come.
In a little over a month after the Lowestoft Raid, Von der Tann would put to sea yet again – this time bound for the Jutland coast. And that is, indeed, a story for another day.
SMS Von der Tann – port quarter view. Low and graceful, she rides at anchor in Schillig Roads – circa 1911. Just ahead of her can be seen the stern of SMS Blucher. The sea is unusually calm and smooth – a good day to be a sailor.
I hate to leave a story without a “finish”, but to go any farther would involve the Battle Of Jutland. “The Clash Of Dreadnoughts” – as the battle was called – was the largest fleet engagement of the 20th Century, and the largest since Trafalgar, in 1805. There were five Imperial battlecruisers involved in the battle – Von der Tann, Moltke, Seydlitz, Derfflinger, and Lutzow. The Imperial battlecruiser squadron did, in fact, bear the brunt of the battle – and preformed heroically. Yes – the dreadnought battleships were there – but, for the most part, they were merely supporting players – the “finale” for the larger performance. In the interest of doing the battlecruiser squadron proper justice, it only seemed logical to tell that story once all the “characters” (battlecruisers) had been introduced to the audience. Plus – the Battle Of Jutland splits itself rather neatly into phases – which means I can (maybe) keep the chapters short enough to actually read.
NEXT TIME……
THE
SECOND
GENERATION
MANY THANKS to @Barroco Hispano for his generosity in providing the beautiful warship models.
SPECIAL THANKS to my collaborating partner, @AP, for volunteering his considerable talents, time, and vivid imagination. I am eternally indebted to him.
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You may wish to visit these CJ’s as well……
SERIES I:
IMPERIAL DOCKYARDS: WILHELMSHAVEN
SERIES II:
IMPERIAL DOCKYARDS: CUXHAVEN
Appearing – Work In Publication
SERIES III:
IMPERIAL DOCKYARDS: BREMERHAVEN
Appearing -- ???
And please feel free to drop in at…
THE SIMTROPOLIS SHIPYARD
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