War at sea
Front
(300)1914
August
- 04
- Goeben and Breslau bombard ports in AlgeriaOn the morning of 4 August 1914 the German warships Goeben and Breslau shelled the French ports of Philippeville and Bône in Algeria, flying Russian colours.
- Auxiliary cruiser Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse sails for the AtlanticOn 4 August 1914 the converted liner Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse sailed from Bremerhaven as a German auxiliary cruiser to attack merchant shipping.
- 06
- HMS Amphion sunk by a mineOn the morning of 6 August 1914 the cruiser HMS Amphion struck German mines off the English coast and sank. She was the first Royal Navy ship lost in the war.
- Franco-British naval conventionOn 6 August 1914 France and Britain concluded a naval convention in London. A French admiral took command of the Allied forces in the Mediterranean.
- HMS Bristol clashes with the cruiser Karlsruhe in the West IndiesOn 6 August 1914 the British cruiser Bristol fired on the German cruiser Karlsruhe in the West Indies. The faster German ship managed to escape.
- Auxiliary cruiser Prinz Eitel Friedrich sails from TsingtaoIn early August 1914 the armed liner Prinz Eitel Friedrich left the German base of Tsingtao in China to join Admiral von Spee's squadron.
- Admiral von Spee's squadron leaves PohnpeiOn 6 August 1914 Admiral von Spee's German East Asia Squadron sailed from Pohnpei in the Carolines. Its odyssey across the Pacific had begun.
- 09
- British air patrol over the English ChannelOn 9 August 1914 the British began air patrols over the English Channel to protect the troop transports sailing to France.
- HMS Birmingham sinks the submarine U-15On 9 August 1914 the British cruiser Birmingham rammed and sank U-15 off Fair Isle. It was the first U-boat sunk by a warship.
- 26
- Loss of the cruiser SMS MagdeburgOn 26 August 1914 the German cruiser Magdeburg ran aground at the entrance to the Gulf of Finland. The Russians captured her codebooks.
- HMS Highflyer sinks Kaiser Wilhelm der GrosseOn 26 August 1914 the British cruiser Highflyer attacked the German auxiliary cruiser Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse off the coast of Río de Oro.
September
- 22
- Aboukir, Hogue and Cressy are sunkOn 22 September 1914 the German U-9 sank three British armoured cruisers in about an hour. Almost 1,500 sailors were killed.
- Von Spee shells PapeeteOn 22 September 1914 the cruisers Scharnhorst and Gneisenau shelled Papeete on Tahiti. The French burned the coal stocks before the Germans could seize them.
- Emden bombards MadrasOn the night of 22 September 1914 the German cruiser Emden shelled Madras and set its oil tanks ablaze. The attack caused panic on India's east coast.
October
- 17
- Battle off TexelOn 17 October 1914 the British cruiser Undaunted and four destroyers sank four German torpedo boats off Texel that were on their way to lay mines.
- British submarines enter the BalticOn 17–18 October 1914 the British submarines E1 and E9 forced their way through the Sound into the Baltic. They were to support the Russian fleet.
- Alarm at Scapa FlowOn 16–17 October 1914 an alarm over a supposed U-boat was raised at the Grand Fleet base, Scapa Flow. The fleet put to sea, though no submarine was ever found.
November
- 01
- British begin hostilities against TurkeyOn 1 November 1914 British warships attacked the Turks in the Gulf of Smyrna and at Aqaba, although war had not yet been declared on the Ottoman Empire.
- Battle of CoronelOn 1 November 1914 off Chile Admiral von Spee's squadron sank two British armoured cruisers. Admiral Cradock and about 1,600 sailors were killed.
- 03
- German raid on YarmouthOn 3 November 1914 Hipper's German battlecruisers shelled the coast near Yarmouth and laid mines. The British submarine D5 sank on one of them.
- Grand Fleet returns to Scapa FlowOn 3 November 1914 the Admiralty ordered the Grand Fleet back to Scapa Flow from Ireland. The battleships arrived on 7–9 November, though the base had no booms.
- 04
- Loss of the cruiser KarlsruheOn 4 November 1914 an internal explosion tore apart the German cruiser Karlsruhe on her way to attack Barbados. About 260 men died, including her captain.
- Sinking of the cruiser YorckOn 4 November 1914 the German armoured cruiser Yorck strayed in fog onto German mines at the mouth of the Jade and sank. Several hundred sailors died.
- 09
- The end of the EmdenOn 9 November 1914 the Australian cruiser Sydney destroyed the German raider Emden off the Cocos Islands. The most famous raid of this war was over.
- Internment of the gunboat Geier in HonoluluAt the beginning of November 1914 the Americans interned the German gunboat Geier and her accompanying collier Locksun in Honolulu.
- 17
- Germans bombard LibauOn 17 November 1914 German warships shelled Libau for several hours and sank ships at the harbour entrance to close it to submarines.
- Sinking of the cruiser Friedrich CarlOn the night of 17 November 1914 the German armoured cruiser Friedrich Carl struck Russian mines off Memel and sank. Seven or eight sailors were killed.
- Russians shell TrebizondOn 17 November 1914 the Russian Black Sea Fleet shelled Trebizond, a key supply port for the Ottoman army in the Caucasus. Mines were laid there at night.
December
1915
January
- 24
- Battle of Dogger BankOn 24 January 1915 Beatty's battlecruisers intercepted Hipper's squadron in the North Sea. The German cruiser Blücher was sunk; the other Germans escaped.
- Airship PL 19 shot down off LibauAt the end of January 1915 the German airship PL 19, damaged after a raid on Libau, came down in the Baltic. Seven airmen were taken prisoner by the Russians.
February
March
- 15
- British squadron leaves SmyrnaOn 15 March 1915 the Admiralty recalled Admiral Peirse's squadron from Smyrna. The battleships went to the Dardanelles; smaller ships now blockaded the port.
- First aircraft attack on a merchant shipOn 15 March 1915 a German seaplane dropped bombs on the British steamer Blonde off the Kent coast. None hit, and the ship got away safely.
April
- 03
- Turkish raid on OdessaOn 3 April 1915 the Turkish cruiser Mecidiye struck a Russian mine off Odessa and sank. Goeben and Breslau, covering the raid, escaped the Black Sea Fleet.
- Completion of the barrage in the Strait of DoverIn early April 1915 the barrage of mines and nets in the Strait of Dover came into full operation. The Germans soon forbade their U-boats this route.
- 26
- Internment of the Kronprinz WilhelmOn 26 April 1915 the German auxiliary cruiser Kronprinz Wilhelm, the last Kaiserliche Marine raider then at large on the oceans, was interned at Newport News.
- Sinking of the cruiser Léon GambettaDuring the night of 26–27 April 1915 the Austro-Hungarian submarine U-5 sank the French cruiser Léon Gambetta at the mouth of the Adriatic. 684 men died.
May
- 26
- Italy declares a blockade of the Austro-Hungarian coastOn 26 May 1915 Italy declared a blockade of the whole Austro-Hungarian coast and of neutral Albania. Neutral ships were given time to leave the zone.
- British squadron assembles at MaltaFour British battleships withdrawn from the Dardanelles assembled at Malta. On 26 May 1915 Rear-Admiral Cecil Thursby led them out to Italy.
- 27
- British squadron joins the Italian fleetOn 27 May 1915 Rear-Admiral Thursby's four British battleships entered Taranto and joined the Italian fleet. The light cruisers were sent to Brindisi.
- Explosion of the minelayer Princess IreneOn 27 May 1915 the minelayer Princess Irene blew up on the Medway off Sheerness. About 350 people died, including several dozen dockyard workers.
June
July
- 11
- Destruction of the cruiser KönigsbergOn 11 July 1915 the British monitors Severn and Mersey, directed from an aircraft, wrecked the cruiser Königsberg in the Rufiji delta. Her crew blew her up.
- Italians occupy PelagosaOn 11 July 1915 Italian sailors landed on the Austrian islet of Pelagosa in the middle of the Adriatic and set up an observation and signal post there.
August
- 19
- E1 torpedoes the battlecruiser MoltkeOn 19 August 1915 the British submarine E1 torpedoed the German battlecruiser Moltke in the Baltic. The ship did not sink, but was out of service for a month.
- Attack on the submarine E13On 19 August 1915 German torpedo boats shelled the British submarine E13, aground in Danish waters in the Sound. Fifteen British sailors were killed.
- Sinking of the ArabicOn 19 August 1915 U-24 torpedoed the liner Arabic off Ireland without warning. 44 people died, Americans among them, setting off a new crisis with the USA.
- Baralong sinks U-27On 19 August 1915 the British Q-ship Baralong sank U-27. Her crew shot the submarine's survivors, which became a notorious affair.
- 21
- Lifeboats of the Ruel fired onOn 21 August 1915 a German U-boat sank the British steamer Ruel and fired on the lifeboats with the crew. One seaman was killed and the master wounded.
- End of the German attack on the Gulf of RigaOn 21 August 1915 German ships left the Irbe Strait. They had broken into the Gulf of Riga but neither destroyed the battleship Slava nor mined Moon Sound.
September
October
November
- 07
- Sinking of the cruiser UndineOn 7 November 1915 the British submarine E19 torpedoed the light cruiser Undine, escorting a ferry to Sweden, north of Rügen. About 24 men were killed.
- Sinking of the AnconaOn 7 November 1915 a submarine flying the Austro-Hungarian flag shelled and sank the Italian liner Ancona off Sardinia. About 200 died, Americans among them.
December
- 29
- Austro-Hungarian raid on DurrësOn 29 December 1915 the cruiser Helgoland and five destroyers raided Durrës. Two destroyers sank on mines and the rest barely escaped pursuit.
- Möwe sails on her first cruiseOn 29 December 1915 the auxiliary cruiser Möwe, disguised as a freighter, put to sea from Wilhelmshaven to lay mines and sink Allied ships.
1916
January
February
- 08
- Britain asks Japan for naval helpOn 8 February 1916 the Admiralty framed a request for Japanese warships. Tokyo refused to send destroyers to Europe but stepped up patrols in the Indian Ocean.
- Sinking of the cruiser Amiral CharnerOn 8 February 1916 Otto Hersing's U-21 torpedoed the French cruiser Amiral Charner off Lebanon. She sank in minutes; only one sailor survived.
- 29
- Action between Alcantara and GreifOn 29 February 1916 the armed merchant cruiser Alcantara fought the German raider Greif off Shetland. Both ships sank and more than 200 sailors died.
- Germany will not postpone submarine warfareAt the end of February 1916 Berlin told Washington it would not defer its orders against armed ships. Intensified submarine warfare took effect from 1 March.
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
- 23
- Hospital ship Braemar Castle damagedOn 23 November 1916 the British hospital ship Braemar Castle, carrying wounded from Salonika, struck a mine off Mykonos. Four died and the ship was beached.
- Möwe sails on her second cruiseOn 23 November 1916 the raider Möwe set out on her second cruise, to break through the British blockade into the Atlantic again. It was her most successful.
- 26
- German destroyer raid off the Suffolk coastOn the night of 26 November 1916 German destroyers from Flanders approached the Suffolk coast, sank the armed trawler Narval and took her crew prisoner.
- Sinking of the battleship SuffrenOn 26 November 1916 the German U-52 torpedoed the French battleship Suffren off Portugal. The ship blew up and sank within seconds with all hands.
December
1917
January
February
- 01
- Unrestricted submarine warfare beginsOn 1 February 1917 German submarines began sinking ships without warning around the British Isles. Neutral shipowners kept their ships in port.
- Norway changes its submarine rulesOn the eve of unrestricted submarine warfare Norway eased its ban on foreign submarines entering its waters. It was the price of a settlement with Germany.
- 25
- Sinking of the LaconiaOn 25 February 1917 U-50 sank the liner Laconia off Ireland. Twelve died, including two American women, and the US asked whether this was a cause for war.
- Raid on Margate and BroadstairsOn the night of 25 February 1917 German torpedo boats from Flanders shelled seaside towns in Kent. According to the Admiralty a woman and a child were killed.
March
- 16
- Sinking of the raider LeopardOn 16 March 1917 north of the Shetlands the cruiser Achilles and the steamer Dundee sank the raider Leopard, formerly Yarrowdale. None of over 300 men survived.
- Baltic Fleet mutinyOn the evening of 16 March 1917 the battleship crews mutinied at Helsingfors. Baltic Fleet sailors killed dozens of officers, and the next day its commander.
- 18
- Raid on Ramsgate and BroadstairsOn the night of 17/18 March 1917 German torpedo boats from Flanders sank the destroyer Paragon in the Strait of Dover, then shelled Ramsgate and Broadstairs.
- Sinking of three American shipsBetween 16 and 18 March 1917 German submarines sank the ships Vigilancia, City of Memphis and Illinois. Fifteen men died on the Vigilancia.
April
May
June
- 14
- Destruction of airship L 43On the morning of 14 June 1917 a British flying boat from Felixstowe shot down the naval airship L 43 near the island of Vlieland. The whole crew was killed.
- Admiralty approves the convoy systemOn 14 June 1917 Admiral Jellicoe formally approved the plan of the Convoy Committee. Regular convoys from America did not begin, however, until early July.
July
August
- 02
- Seeadler wreckedOn 2 August 1917 the German sailing ship Seeadler was wrecked on the reef of Mopelia atoll in Polynesia, ending the cruise of Felix von Luckner's raider.
- Mutiny in the German fleetOn 2 August 1917 about 600 sailors of the battleship Prinzregent Luitpold went ashore without leave at Wilhelmshaven, demanding the release of arrested men.
September
October
- 17
- Attack on the Norwegian convoyOn 17 October 1917 the German cruisers Brummer and Bremse smashed a convoy from Norway east of Shetland. Two British destroyers and 9 ships were sunk.
- Sinking of the battleship SlavaAt Moon Sound the dreadnought König crippled the Russian battleship Slava. Drawing too much water for the shallow channel, she was blown up by her crew.
- Hospital ship Goorkha damagedOn 17 October 1917 the British hospital ship Goorkha struck a mine off Malta. All 360-odd people on board survived and the ship was towed into port.
November
December
- 12
- Second bombardment of FunchalOn 12 December 1917 the German U-cruiser U-156 shelled Funchal on Madeira. In 20 minutes it fired 52 shells and killed several of the town's residents.
- Sinking of HMS PartridgeOn 12 December 1917 four German destroyers wrecked a convoy from Lerwick off Norway. The destroyer Partridge, six ships and four trawlers were sunk.
1918
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
- 05
- Italians in FiumeOn 4 November 1918 Italian warships led by the battleship Emanuele Filiberto entered the port of Fiume. The city, however, was still governed by the Croats.
- Sinking of HMS CampaniaOn 5 November 1918 Campania, a former liner converted into a seaplane carrier, sank in the Firth of Forth. Torn from her anchorage, she rammed two warships.