Battle off Noordhinder Bank
Encyclopedia
The Battle off Noordhinder Bank on 1 May 1915 was a naval action between a squadron
of four British naval trawler
s supported by a flotilla
of four British destroyers, and a pair of German torpedo boats from the Flanders Flotilla. The battle
began when the two torpedo boats were sent on a search and rescue mission and ran into a British patrol. The Germans fought with the patrolling trawlers until a heavier force of British destroyers from Harwich Force
came to their aid and sank the German vessels.
The battle greatly demoralized the German flotilla at Flanders
, as the boats that were sunk had just been launched shortly before the battle. The action off Noordhinder Bank helped bring attention to the German high command that the Flanders Flotilla was to inadequately armed to protect the coast it was assigned to defend let alone harass British shipping in the channel. Eventually, after other similar defeats, the small torpedo boats such as those used off Noordhinder Bank were relegated to coastal patrol and heavier units were finally transferred to even the balance of power in the English Channel
.
, German naval authorities were reluctant to commit any further forces for offensive operations off the coast of Flanders. Despite this, the commander of Marine Corps Flanders, Admiral Ludwig von Schroeder, kept pressure on the German naval command for a transfer of a force of submarines and torpedo boats to his command. After several months of resisting Schroeder's demands, the Kaiserliche Marine
finally relented and decided to send him a force of light torpedo boats and submarine
s. Although these forces were greatly inferior in armament and displacement to those he had requested, Admiral Schroeder put his newly acquired forces to use as soon as he received them. He formed the Flanders Torpedo Boat Flotilla made up of 15 "A"-class torpedo boat
s under the command of Korvettenkapitan Hermann Schoemann.
Three days later on 1 May 1915, two German seaplane
s reported a squadron of four trawlers off Noordhinder Bank. One of these seaplanes was forced to make an emergency landing
, and Schoeman was dispatched with boats and to rescue the seaplane's crew and destroy the trawlers. Meanwhile, while patrolling off the Galloper lightship near Goodwin Sands
, was sunk by the German submarine UB-6
. Recruits consort—Brazen—as well as the four trawlers the German seaplanes had spotted began searching for Recruits attacker. A2 and A6 caught the trawlers off the Noordhinder Bank at 15:00. The trawlers Columbia, Barbados, Chirsit, and Miura were under the command of Lieutenant Sir James Domville onboard Barbados. Armed with a single 3-pounder gun each, the trawlers were outgunned by the German torpedo boats, which were both armed with two torpedo tubes as well as a four-pound gun.
Upon being attacked, the trawlers had alerted Harwich Force
of the situation, and as a result a squadron of four "L"-class destroyer
s were dispatched to rescue the trawlers. The dispatched squadron—consisting of , , , and from Harwich Force—managed to gain sight of the German boats soon after arriving on the scene. The German boats, heavily outgunned, attempted to make for the safety of the Flanders coast but were pursued by the British destroyers. Once the British managed to catch up to the torpedo boats, they were engaged in a running fight that lasted nearly an hour. By the end, both torpedo boats were destroyed with many of the Germans, including the new commander of the Flanders Flotilla, going down with their ships while British destroyers took no casualties.
The battle showed Admiral Schroeder the severe limitations of the "A"-class torpedo boats. Too poorly armed for raiding, the boats were delegated to coastal patrol. Defeat at Noordhinder allowed Schroeder's pleas for reinforcements to finally be heard by the German admiralty and he was sent heavier vessels to complement the forces he already possessed. The next engagement involving an "A"-class torpedo boat would reinforce the perception that the class was to weak for service, and several of the newly-constructed boats were put in reserve as soon as larger and more capable boats were transferred to the Flanders Flotilla..
Squadron (naval)
A squadron, or naval squadron, is a unit of 3-4 major warships, transport ships, submarines, or sometimes small craft that may be part of a larger task force or a fleet...
of four British naval trawler
Naval trawler
A naval trawler is a vessel built along the lines of a fishing trawler but fitted out for naval purposes. Naval trawlers were widely used during the First and Second world wars. Fishing trawlers were particularly suited for many naval requirements because they were robust boats designed to work...
s supported by a flotilla
Flotilla
A flotilla , or naval flotilla, is a formation of small warships that may be part of a larger fleet. A flotilla is usually composed of a homogeneous group of the same class of warship, such as frigates, destroyers, torpedo boats, submarines, gunboats, or minesweepers...
of four British destroyers, and a pair of German torpedo boats from the Flanders Flotilla. The battle
Battle
Generally, a battle is a conceptual component in the hierarchy of combat in warfare between two or more armed forces, or combatants. In a battle, each combatant will seek to defeat the others, with defeat determined by the conditions of a military campaign...
began when the two torpedo boats were sent on a search and rescue mission and ran into a British patrol. The Germans fought with the patrolling trawlers until a heavier force of British destroyers from Harwich Force
Harwich Force
The Harwich Force was a squadron of the Royal Navy, formed during the First World War, that went on to play a significant role in the war.-History:...
came to their aid and sank the German vessels.
The battle greatly demoralized the German flotilla at Flanders
Flanders
Flanders is the community of the Flemings but also one of the institutions in Belgium, and a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France and the Netherlands. "Flanders" can also refer to the northern part of Belgium that contains Brussels, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp...
, as the boats that were sunk had just been launched shortly before the battle. The action off Noordhinder Bank helped bring attention to the German high command that the Flanders Flotilla was to inadequately armed to protect the coast it was assigned to defend let alone harass British shipping in the channel. Eventually, after other similar defeats, the small torpedo boats such as those used off Noordhinder Bank were relegated to coastal patrol and heavier units were finally transferred to even the balance of power in the English Channel
English Channel
The English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
.
Background
After the 7th Torpedo Boat Half Flotilla was lost during the Battle off TexelBattle off Texel
The Battle off Texel, also known as the Action off Texel or the Action of 17 October 1914, was a naval battle off the coast of the Dutch island of Texel during the First World War where a British squadron consisting of one light cruiser and four destroyers on a routine patrol encountered the...
, German naval authorities were reluctant to commit any further forces for offensive operations off the coast of Flanders. Despite this, the commander of Marine Corps Flanders, Admiral Ludwig von Schroeder, kept pressure on the German naval command for a transfer of a force of submarines and torpedo boats to his command. After several months of resisting Schroeder's demands, the Kaiserliche Marine
Kaiserliche Marine
The Imperial German Navy was the German Navy created at the time of the formation of the German Empire. It existed between 1871 and 1919, growing out of the small Prussian Navy and Norddeutsche Bundesmarine, which primarily had the mission of coastal defense. Kaiser Wilhelm II greatly expanded...
finally relented and decided to send him a force of light torpedo boats and submarine
Submarine
A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...
s. Although these forces were greatly inferior in armament and displacement to those he had requested, Admiral Schroeder put his newly acquired forces to use as soon as he received them. He formed the Flanders Torpedo Boat Flotilla made up of 15 "A"-class torpedo boat
A class torpedo boat
The A class torpedo boats were a class of German single-funnelled torpedo boat/light destroyer designed by the Marineamt for operations off the coast of occupied Flanders in the First World War...
s under the command of Korvettenkapitan Hermann Schoemann.
Three days later on 1 May 1915, two German seaplane
Seaplane
A seaplane is a fixed-wing aircraft capable of taking off and landing on water. Seaplanes that can also take off and land on airfields are a subclass called amphibian aircraft...
s reported a squadron of four trawlers off Noordhinder Bank. One of these seaplanes was forced to make an emergency landing
Emergency landing
An emergency landing is a landing made by an aircraft in response to a crisis which either interferes with the operation of the aircraft or involves sudden medical emergencies necessitating diversion to the nearest airport.-Types of emergency landings:...
, and Schoeman was dispatched with boats and to rescue the seaplane's crew and destroy the trawlers. Meanwhile, while patrolling off the Galloper lightship near Goodwin Sands
Goodwin Sands
The Goodwin Sands is a 10-mile-long sand bank in the English Channel, lying six miles east off Deal in Kent, England. The Brake Bank lying shorewards is part of the same geological unit. As the shoals lie close to major shipping channels, more than 2,000 ships are believed to have been wrecked...
, was sunk by the German submarine UB-6
SM UB-6
SM UB-6 was a German Type UB I submarine or U-boat in the German Imperial Navy during World War I. The submarine was interned after running aground in neutral Dutch waters, and was scuttled by her crew at Hellevoetsluis....
. Recruits consort—Brazen—as well as the four trawlers the German seaplanes had spotted began searching for Recruits attacker. A2 and A6 caught the trawlers off the Noordhinder Bank at 15:00. The trawlers Columbia, Barbados, Chirsit, and Miura were under the command of Lieutenant Sir James Domville onboard Barbados. Armed with a single 3-pounder gun each, the trawlers were outgunned by the German torpedo boats, which were both armed with two torpedo tubes as well as a four-pound gun.
Battle
As soon as the trawlers were spotted by Schoeman's boats, they were engaged. Rather than attempt to flee the commander of the squadron of trawlers, Lieutenant Domville, decided to try to fight his way out. A2 and A6 both made torpedo runs against the trawlers, but of the four torpedoes launched, only one hit its target, sinking Columbia and killing the British commander. Outgunned, the trawler Barbados resorted to ramming A6, damaging it enough that the Germans decided to withdraw from the action. Before withdrawing, the Germans managed to rescue a lieutenant and two deckhands from Columbia making them prisoners of war.Upon being attacked, the trawlers had alerted Harwich Force
Harwich Force
The Harwich Force was a squadron of the Royal Navy, formed during the First World War, that went on to play a significant role in the war.-History:...
of the situation, and as a result a squadron of four "L"-class destroyer
Laforey class destroyer (1913)
The Laforey class was a class of 22 torpedo boat destroyers of the Royal Navy, twenty of which were built under the Naval Programme of 1912 - 1913 and a further two under the War Emergency Programme of 1914. As such they were the last pre-war British destroyer design. All served during World War I...
s were dispatched to rescue the trawlers. The dispatched squadron—consisting of , , , and from Harwich Force—managed to gain sight of the German boats soon after arriving on the scene. The German boats, heavily outgunned, attempted to make for the safety of the Flanders coast but were pursued by the British destroyers. Once the British managed to catch up to the torpedo boats, they were engaged in a running fight that lasted nearly an hour. By the end, both torpedo boats were destroyed with many of the Germans, including the new commander of the Flanders Flotilla, going down with their ships while British destroyers took no casualties.
Aftermath
When the battle ended British losses included Columbia sunk, Barbados damaged. Columbia suffered 16 dead with only one surving deckhand being recovered after the action. The Germans suffered much worse, losing both A2 and A6 along with 13 killed and 46 captured. Among the German dead was the commander of the German forces, Hermann Schoemann. Controversy erupted after it was discovered from the captured Germans that the three men taken from the sinking Columbia had been locked away below decks on one of the torpedoboats and left to die when the German vessel started to sink. The Germans reported that they did not have enough time to get to the British prisoners and barely were able to escape the sinking hulk themselves.The battle showed Admiral Schroeder the severe limitations of the "A"-class torpedo boats. Too poorly armed for raiding, the boats were delegated to coastal patrol. Defeat at Noordhinder allowed Schroeder's pleas for reinforcements to finally be heard by the German admiralty and he was sent heavier vessels to complement the forces he already possessed. The next engagement involving an "A"-class torpedo boat would reinforce the perception that the class was to weak for service, and several of the newly-constructed boats were put in reserve as soon as larger and more capable boats were transferred to the Flanders Flotilla..