Raid on Scarborough, Hartlepool and Whitby facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Raid on Scarborough, Hartlepool and Whitby
Part of the First World War
Remember Scarborough! Enlist Now!, Edith Kemp-Welch
Date 16 December 1914 Location Scarborough, Hartlepool, Whitby 56°N 03°E / 56°N 3°E / 56; 3 (North Sea) Result German victory
Belligerents
Germany	United Kingdom
Commanders and leaders
Franz Hipper Friedrich Ingenohl	George Warrender David Beatty
Strength
4 battlecruisers 1 armoured cruiser 4 light cruisers 18 destroyers	2 coastal batteries 6 dreadnoughts 4 battlecruisers 4 armoured cruisers 4 light cruisers 2 scout cruisers 7 destroyers
Casualties and losses
8 sailors killed and 12 wounded 1 armoured cruiser damaged 2 light cruisers damaged	122 civilians killed and 443 wounded 5 soldiers killed 2 sailors killed 14 military personnel wounded in total 1 scout cruiser damaged 3 destroyers damaged

The Raid on Scarborough, Hartlepool and Whitby was a surprise attack by the Imperial German Navy on British towns during World War I. On December 16, 1914, German warships shelled the coastal towns of Scarborough, Hartlepool, and Whitby. This attack caused many deaths and injuries among civilians. It made people in Britain very angry at the German Navy for attacking innocent towns. They were also upset with the Royal Navy for not stopping the attack.

Why the Raid Happened

The German Navy wanted to find ways to attack smaller parts of the British Grand Fleet. The Grand Fleet was the main British naval force. The Germans hoped to trap and destroy these smaller groups of ships. A previous small raid on Yarmouth didn't do much damage. But it showed that fast German ships could quickly attack British waters.

On November 16, 1914, a German admiral named Franz von Hipper suggested another raid. He commanded a group of powerful warships called battlecruisers. These ships were very fast and carried big guns. A German submarine, U-17, checked the British coast near Scarborough and Hartlepool. Its captain reported that there were not many defenses on land. He also said there were no mines close to the shore.

The Germans also thought that some British battlecruisers had left to fight in South America. This made the Germans feel safer about attacking. Admiral Hipper led a group of battlecruisers and other warships. These included SMS Seydlitz, Von der Tann, Moltke, and Derfflinger. He also had an armoured cruiser called SMS Blücher and several light cruisers and destroyers.

British Spies and Secret Messages

The British Grand Fleet was much larger than the German High Seas Fleet. So, the Germans usually tried to avoid big battles. The British ships had to patrol all the time, which wore them out. German ships could stay safe in port and choose when to attack.

Unknown to the Germans, the British had captured their secret codebooks. A special group of British code breakers, called Room 40, could read German messages. They could often read these messages within a few hours. By December 14, the British knew that German battlecruisers were leaving port. But they didn't know that the entire German High Seas Fleet might also be involved.

Getting Ready for the Attack

Admiral John Jellicoe, who commanded the Grand Fleet, sent out several groups of ships. These included battlecruisers led by David Beatty. He also sent modern dreadnought battleships led by Sir George Warrender. Other light cruisers and many destroyers were also sent.

The British planned to let the German raid happen. Then, they would ambush the German ships as they returned home. Admiral Jellicoe was worried that his force might not be strong enough if the entire German fleet showed up. So, more armoured cruisers were added to the British force. The British ships gathered near the Dogger Bank in the North Sea.

The Raid Begins

Map of the North Sea

Admiral Hipper's ships left Germany early on December 15. During the night, one of his destroyers, SMS S33, got lost. It used its radio to ask for directions, which risked giving away the fleet's position. Hipper ordered it to be silent. The destroyer then saw four British destroyers and reported them. Hipper also noticed British radio messages, which made him worry. The weather was also getting worse. On December 16, Hipper sent his destroyers and three light cruisers back to Germany. Only the Kolberg stayed, as it had mines to lay.

The remaining German ships split up. Seydlitz, Blücher, and Moltke headed for Hartlepool. Derfflinger, Von der Tann, and Kolberg went towards Scarborough.

Attacks on Scarborough and Whitby

At 8:15 AM, the Kolberg started laying mines off Flamborough Head. At 8:00 AM, Derfflinger and Von der Tann began shelling Scarborough. They hit Scarborough Castle, the Grand Hotel, churches, and other buildings. People rushed to the railway station and tried to leave town. At 9:30 AM, the two battlecruisers stopped firing. They then moved to nearby Whitby. There, they shelled a coastguard station. They also accidentally hit Whitby Abbey and other buildings in the town.

Attack on Hartlepool

Hartlepool was a more important target than Scarborough. It had large docks and factories. The town was defended by three big naval guns on the seafront. These guns were manned by local soldiers. They were warned about a possible attack and given live ammunition.

At 8:10 AM, the German ships began shelling Hartlepool. British destroyers on patrol saw the German ships. One destroyer, Doon, fired a torpedo but missed. In the harbor, the British scout cruiser HMS Patrol tried to leave. But it was hit by two shells and had to be beached (run aground). Another scout cruiser, HMS Forward, couldn't move. A British submarine, HMS C9, also tried to leave but had to dive when shells fell around it. The German ships left at 8:50 AM.

The shore guns at Hartlepool fired back at the German ships. The German ships were so close that some shells didn't explode properly. The British gunners aimed at the masts and rigging of the German ships. Their aim was good enough to force the Blücher to move. Two of its guns were damaged, along with its bridge.

The Missed Battle

British and German Ships Meet

The British battleships and cruisers set out from Scapa Flow. Bad weather meant they couldn't take their destroyers. But Admiral Beatty brought seven destroyers with his battlecruisers. The two British forces met up later. They sailed towards their ambush spot near the Dogger Bank.

Early on December 16, a British destroyer, HMS Lynx, saw a German ship. A fight started between British and German destroyers and cruisers. The Lynx was hit and damaged. Another British destroyer, HMS Hardy, was badly damaged and caught fire. It still managed to fire a torpedo.

The German commander, Admiral Friedrich von Ingenohl, heard about the torpedo attack. He had brought the main German fleet (85 ships) to support Hipper. But he had strict orders from the Kaiser not to risk the main fleet. Fearing he had met the main British Grand Fleet, he turned his ships around and headed back to Germany.

This was a huge missed chance for the Germans. If Ingenohl had continued, his much larger fleet, including 22 battleships, would have met the British force of only 10 capital ships. The Germans would have had a huge advantage. Losing these British ships would have ended Britain's naval lead. Later, some people said the British ships were faster and could have escaped. But others believed the British admirals would have fought. Admiral Alfred von Tirpitz said, "Ingenohl had the fate of Germany in his hand."

Hipper's Escape

At 9:30 AM on December 16, Hipper's ships regrouped and sped home. His destroyers were far ahead. He learned that the main German fleet had already gone home. The British Grand Fleet was ordered to move south to search for the Germans. British submarines were sent to try and intercept German ships returning to port.

The British admirals, Warrender and Beatty, kept their ships apart. They wanted to cover different routes Hipper might take to avoid minefields. At 11:25 AM, the British light cruiser Southampton saw German ships. The weather was bad, with poor visibility. Southampton reported fighting a German cruiser and destroyers. Other British cruisers came to help.

However, due to confused signals, the British cruisers misunderstood orders and turned back. This meant they missed a chance to engage more German ships. Later, Warrender's battleships saw German cruisers and destroyers. One German cruiser, Stralsund, used a recognition signal it had just learned from a British ship. This bought it a little time.

Visibility was poor due to rain. The British battleships saw the enemy but couldn't get permission to fire quickly enough. The German ships disappeared into the mist. Hipper's damaged ship, Kolberg, was lagging behind. It saw smoke from the British ships but wasn't seen itself. Hipper and his ships managed to escape back to Germany.

The British Admiralty later received messages that the German fleet was returning to port. The Grand Fleet continued searching on December 17, but the German ships were safely in harbor.

What Happened Next

Casualties and Damage

The German ships fired 1,150 shells into Hartlepool. They hit steelworks, gasworks, railways, churches, and hundreds of houses. People tried to flee the town. In total, 122 civilians were killed and 443 were injured. Seven soldiers and two sailors were also killed. Private Theophilus Jones was the first British soldier killed by enemy action on British soil in 200 years. Eight German sailors were killed and 12 were wounded.

The raid caused great anger in Britain. It led to a strong push for more people to join the military. Posters were put up saying, "Remember Scarborough!" to encourage enlistment.

See also

• Raid on Yarmouth (1914)
• Bombardment of Yarmouth and Lowestoft (1916)

Photo gallery

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  Five members of the Bennett family were killed during the raid.

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  The damaged lighthouse at Scarborough.

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  A shell fragment from the raid.

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  An unexploded shell from the raid.

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  Further damage to the ruined Whitby Abbey.

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  Damage to The Grand Hotel in Scarborough.

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  A damaged house at Rugby Terrace.

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  A damaged house at Sussex Street.

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  A damaged house at Union Road.

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  Damage at St. Barnabas church.

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  Damage at Prissick Schools.