Battle of Dogger Bank 100 -- January 24, 2015

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The First Battle of Dogger Bank took place 100 years ago today, on 24-January-1915.  The British decoded German intercepts and knew that a squadron had sailed to bombard defenseless British towns.  The British battlecruiser squadron under Admiral David Beatty surprised Admiral Franz Hipper's squadron.  The British destroyed armored cruiser SMS Blücher. The Germans badly damaged Beatty's flagship HMS Lion.

GERMANS LOSE TWO BATTLE CRUISERS

London Reports that a four-funneled German cruiser, badly damaged, was sighted off Holland coast early today, strengthened the growing conviction here that Germany's losses in yesterday's North sea battle were greater than indicated by the admiralty's official statement.  This said the cruiser Bleucher had been sunk and two other cruisers injured, but that these two got away safely.

Dutch reports said crippled cruiser, apparently of type of Strassburg or armored cruiser Roon, was limping at half speed toward island of Borkum off the mouth of Ems river. That the German warcraft was one of lighter cruisers engaged by British destroyers after Bleucher had been sent to bottom was belief in naval circles here. Admiralty today had no details of this supplementary engagement, but expressed confidence that German casualties would be increased materially in additional reports.

Two more German battle cruisers that attempted to dash toward British coast are reported badly pounded by British guns. No reports from German sources of loss of life aboard German cruisers that sought refuge behind mine area have been received here, but admiralty is confident that casualty lists are large. So far as is known only 123 of Bleucher's crew of 885 were saved.

Exulteration (What a word! - JT) over England's naval victory here today took form of a demand that England now "wipe out the German navy." That Germany anticipates just such a move is indicated in dispatches from Copenhagen. They report great activity at German naval base at Kiel and evidence of preparation to meet an English raid.

"We have humiliated the baby killers who shelled unprotected English coast towns," declared one English paper today. "It is now duty of our navy to finish work."

Sinking of Bleucher particularly aroused wild enthusiasm here because the Bleucher, according to best reports, was one of German battleships which bombarded Scarborough and other English coast towns. 

Vice Admiral Beatty was England's hero today. His rout of German raiding fleet off Holland coast yesterday, coupled with his victory off Heligoland on Aug. 28, have marked his as the most brilliant British naval commander of the war.

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I was sad to learn of the death of Mr Cub, Ernie Banks.  Let's play two.  I'm sorry he didn't live to see the Cubs win a World Series.