The Escape of the Goeben and Breslau

View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk 7brought m to />7 you by CORE [I V\// a ) > ( (/^ ) provided by Istanbul Sehir University Repository o re t h a n f o r t y - f iv e y e a r s after the outbreak of the First World War, The Escape Mthere still exists under the Turkish flag, the battle cruiser Yavuz, once known as Goeben. This ship is the last survivor of the great rival dreadnought fleets, British and of the Goeben German, that confronted each other in 1914. She is also the last surviving warship to have taken part in the Dardanelles campaign; and Breslau indeed, her escape to Turkish waters in the early days of August 1914, almost certainly AUGUST 1914 caused that campaign to be fought when and as it was. In view of the effect of the Dardanelles The presence of these two ships in the campaign upon the rest of the war—and not Mediterranean at the opening of the ably upon the fighting on the Western Front and upon the affairs of Russia—it is not sur First World War gave the Germans prising that Sir Julian Corbett, British official a dangerous advantage. Their escape naval historian of the First World War and author of standard works on the campaigns of to the Dardanelles had a manifold Nelson and of Drake, described the despatch of the Goeben to Constantinople in the following influence on Allied strategy. terms: “ It is not too much to say that few naval decisions more bold and well-judged were ever taken.” In fact, no single ship has ever had By DAVID WOODWARD such a profound influence in modern warfare. Pursued by a much superior British naval force, Goeben, and her small satellite, the light Accordingly, the Turkish government had cruiser Breslau, had a series of narrow escapes asked the signatories of the Treaty of Berlin to in the first hours of the war; later on, under the provide an international fleet to protect the Turkish flag, Goeben was mined twice, twice inhabitants of the city from the consequences damaged by bombs from the air, stranded of a Bulgarian occupation. The action of the badly at the entrance to the Dardanelles, Germans in sending a battle cruiser to the attacked by enemy battleships and submarines, Mediterranean was a great embarrassment to and, as Jane’s Fighting Ships comments: the British Admiralty, which had been con “ probably had more narrow escapes from centrating all its heavy ships in home waters to destruction than any other dreadnought or meet the threat of the new German fleet. Now, battle cruiser.” In peace time, when refitting, in order to deal with the Goeben, it was neces she also survived the collapse of a floating dock sary to divert three battle cruisers—Indomi beneath her. table, Inflexible, Indefatigable—as well as The Goeben—named after a general of the smaller ships, to the Mediterranean. Franco-Prussian War—was first sent, with the Under the original Franco-British naval Breslau, to the Mediterranean in November agreement made after the conclusion of the 19 12; at that time she was brand new, working Entente Cordiale, it had been decided that up after her trials, and her equipment was by the British battle fleet should concentrate in the no means really complete. There was a sudden North Sea, while the French should look after emergency, however, at Constantinople, for the Mediterranean. The Goeben, however, was in the opening days of the First Balkan War not only more powerfully armed, but also much the Turkish forces in Europe had very nearly faster than any of the French battleships and collapsed, and the Turkish capital was being cruisers; the only ships in the world that stood invested by the Bulgarians and might soon fall. a chance of catching her, and sinking her when 232 W V U t f No Allied ship could hope to catch her or outgun her, except battle-cruisers detached from the British Home Fleet; the Goeben steaming, 1914 caught, were the British battle cruisers, and sent to the Austrian naval base of Pola, cancel therefore, although they were badly needed in led his crusing programme and arranged to be the Home Fleet, they had to be sent to the at Pola to meet the new tubes when they Mediterranean. arrived. When the murder of the Archduke Francis While the fitting of the tubes was in pro Ferdinand took place, Breslau was at Durazzo gress, Souchon considered the political situa with other foreign warships, helping to support tion, which was far from clear; in theory, under the very shaky throne of Prince William of Wied, the terms of the Triple Alliance, Germany, the nominal king of Albania. The British unit Austria and Hungary and Italy were to be allies of this international force was for a time the against France, Russia and perhaps Britain. light cruiser Gloucester, and water polo matches But it soon began to look very much as though between the two ships were a regular occur Italy would be neutral, while the Austrian navy rence. Six weeks after the last match, the two seemed to Souchon more likely to be a handicap ships were in action against each other. Goeben, than a help. The first plan worked out by the flying the flag of Rear Admiral Souchon, was at German and Austrian naval staffs was to send Haifa, and Souchon learned of the Sarajevo the principal units of the Austrian fleet out of affair at a party given by the German consul. the Adriatic through the Aegean and into the ' His first thought was for his boilers, which, on Dardanelles, where it was hoped that their account of the haste with which Goeben had been arrival would persuade Turkey to declare war sent from Germany, were in so bad a state that on Russia. Admiral Haus, the Austrian com- the ship was only capable of seventeen knots, as mander-in-chief, however, stated that this move against a designed speed ten knots faster. would be impossible and Souchon was there Souchon signalled Berlin asking that new boiler fore left to operate on his own with the two tubes, and dockyard workers to install them, be German ships as best he could. He had one 233 immediate target, the French transports in the some three days while convoys were formed, Mediterranean, by which the Nineteenth Army instead of the ships being sailed independently Corps was to be moved from North African and unescorted. This might have made an ports to Marseilles on the way to its position important difference to the mobilization plans on the Western Front. of the French army, but does not, in fact, In pursuance of his plan, on August 3rd, appear to have done so. After the bombard after coaling at Messina, Souchon sailed. On ment, Souchon turned his ships eastward again ; the way from Messina to the Algerian coast, he although the Goeben’s boilers were much im received a wireless signal from Berlin ordering proved by the repairs at Pola, some were still him to go at once to the Dardanelles since an leaking, which meant that it was necessary to alliance had been concluded that morning be coal once more at Messina before making the tween Germany and Turkey. Souchon, never dash for the Dardanelles. theless, decided to hold to his original intention Just after ten o’clock on the morning of the of bombarding two of the Algerian ports. Next 4th, as she headed back to Messina from morning—August 4th—flying a large Russian Philippeville, Goeben sighted two of the three ensign, Goeben appeared off the port of Philippe- British battle cruisers—Indomitable and Inde ville and opened fire, while Breslau similarly fatigable—steaming towards her. Britain had attacked Bone, their object being to disrupt any not yet declared war on Germany and all that arrangements that might have been made to the British ships could do was to let Goeben sail troop transports from either harbour. Little pass them—to get between her and the French was achieved by this move, except that the sail transports, and then turn around and follow ing of the French transports was delayed for her at full speed. When the preliminary warn 234 ings of the danger of war had gone out from the would, therefore, be entitled to a salute from Admiralty on July 27th, the British Mediter the Germans. This situation presented some ranean Fleet under Admiral Sir Berkeley Milne difficulty because all the guns of the German was at once concentrated at Malta to coal and ship had been re-loaded with live ammunition to make itself completely ready for war, in the at the end of the bombardment; Souchon event of which its first task would be to protect thought for a moment of sending a signal the French transports from the Goeben. explaining his predicament but finally decided The German ships had coaled at Brindisi on against it. The dilemma was solved, however, August 1st and Rear-Admiral Troubridge, for Souchon’s flag was not flying, and so there second-in-command to Admiral Milne, took was no need for a salute from the British, while Indomitable and Indefatigable, three armoured the senior British officer, Captain F. W. cruisers (including his own flagship Defence), a Kennedy in Indomitable, was not of flag rank light cruiser and eight destroyers to the mouth and therefore not entitled to a salute from the of the Adriatic; the German ships slipped round Germans.

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