Royal Navy
Tag
(182)1906
1914
July
August
- 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.
- 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.
September
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.
- 18
- British ships shell the Belgian coastOn 18 October 1914 Admiral Hood's flotilla backed the Belgians on the Yser from the sea, shelling the Germans on the coast between Nieuport and Ostend.
- Grand Fleet leaves Scapa FlowOn 18 October 1914, fearing U-boats, the Grand Fleet began moving from Scapa Flow to Lough Swilly in Ireland and Loch na Keal on the island of Mull.
- 30
- Wreck of the hospital ship RohillaOn 30 October 1914 the British hospital ship Rohilla was wrecked in a storm off Whitby. The rescue lasted three days. About 85 people died.
- Fisher returns to the AdmiraltyOn 30 October 1914 the 73-year-old Admiral John Fisher became First Sea Lord again. He replaced Prince Louis of Battenberg.
- 31
- Sinking of HMS HermesOn 31 October 1914 U-27 torpedoed the British seaplane carrier Hermes in the Strait of Dover. More than 20 sailors were killed.
- Admiralty orders hostilities against TurkeyOn 31 October 1914 the British Admiralty ordered its ships to begin hostilities against Turkey at once, although war had not yet been declared.
- Königsberg found in the Rufiji deltaAt the end of October 1914 the British found the German cruiser Königsberg hidden in the Rufiji delta in East Africa and blockaded her.
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.
- First bombardment of the DardanellesOn 3 November 1914 British and French ships shelled the forts at the mouth of the Dardanelles. A magazine blast wrecked Sedd el Bahr but warned the Turks.
December
1915
January
February
March
April
May
- 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.
- Sinking of the battleship MajesticOn the morning of 27 May 1915 U-21 torpedoed the British battleship Majestic off Cape Helles. It was the second battleship Hersing had sunk in three days.
- Churchill leaves the AdmiraltyAt the end of May 1915 Winston Churchill ceased to be First Lord of the Admiralty. Blamed for the Dardanelles, he became Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster.
- 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.
- 28
- Arthur Balfour becomes First Lord of the AdmiraltyIn late May 1915 the former prime minister Arthur Balfour replaced Churchill at the Admiralty. He was the only Conservative with real influence on the war.
- Henry Jackson becomes First Sea LordAt the end of May 1915 Admiral Henry Jackson, a wireless pioneer and planner of overseas expeditions, succeeded Fisher as professional head of the Royal Navy.
June
July
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.
- 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.
September
October
November
December
1916
January
February
April
- 24
- Voyage of the JulnarOn the night of 24/25 April 1916 the steamer Julnar, with 270 tons of food, tried to break through to Kut. At Magasis she fouled a cable and fell to the Turks.
- Mine barrage off the Belgian coastOn 24 April 1916 Admiral Bacon's ships laid a double line of mines and a belt of mine nets off Zeebrugge against the submarines from Flanders.
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
1917
January
- 23
- Harwich Force clashes with German torpedo boatsOn the night of 23 January 1917 the Harwich Force tried to intercept the German 6th Flotilla bound for Flanders. It damaged V69 but lost the destroyer Simoom.
- Arabs capture WejhOn 23 January 1917 Arab rebels and sailors landed near Wejh in the Hejaz and forced their way into the town. Faisal made the port the revolt's new base.
February
March
April
May
June
July
September
October
November
December
1918
January
February
March
April
May
August
September
October
November
- 09
- Occupation of AlexandrettaOn 9 November 1918 British and French warships entered the Gulf of Alexandretta. Mustafa Kemal wished to defend the port, but Constantinople made him yield.
- Sinking of HMS BritanniaOn 9 November 1918 UB-50 torpedoed the battleship Britannia at the entrance to the Strait of Gibraltar. About 50 sailors died; more than 700 survived.