Bussard, Gazelle, Breman, Wiesbaden, Konigsberg and Coln class light cruisers

The Bussard class cruisers were some of the oldest warships still to be in service with the German navy at the start of the First World War.
The German Gazelle class was the first large class of modern light cruisers. This type of ship was designed to operate with the battle fleet, acting as scouts, leading torpedo attacks and defending the fleet against enemy torpedo boats and destroyers.
The Breman class light cruisers set a pattern for German cruiser design before the First World War in that they were slightly larger versions of the previous class, in this case the Gazelle Class
The two Wiesbaden class light cruisers were larger versions of the pervious Magdeburg Class, and were under construction at the start of the First World War
The second Königsberg class light cruisers were from the last pre-war German naval programme.
The Cöln class light cruisers were the last such ships built for the German navy during the First World War.

Karlsruhe, Graudenz and Pillau class light cruisers

The two Karlsruhe class light cruisers were longer, heavier version of the previous Magdeburg class, carrying the same armour and armament, but with an increase in loaded weight of 600 tons
The Graudenz class of light cruisers were enlarged version of the Magdeburg class, built under the 1911 naval construction programme.
The two Pillau class light cruisers had been ordered from Germany by the Russian Navy in 1912 but were siezed at the outbreak of the First World War

Madras and Penang raids, 1914

The raid on Madras of 22 September 1914 was typical of the daring that made the Emden the most famous German commerce raider of the First World War.
The raid on Penang of 28 October 1914 was one of the more daring incidents during the cruise of the Emden, the most successful German commerce raider of the First World War.

German Cruiser Classes, Konigsberg class

We add a list of German cruisers classes of the First World War
The Königsberg class light cruisers were enlarged versions of the Bremen class cruisers, themselves based on the Gazelle class, considered to be the first modern light cruisers.

Superfiring turrets

Superfiring turrets are a layout of naval guns in which one turret is placed just behind and above another turret allowing both to fire directly ahead (or the rear) and to both sides.

Nassau, Helgoland, Kaiser, König and Bayern class battleships

The Nassau class battleships were the first dreadnoughts built in German.

The Helgoland class battleships were the second class of dreadnoughts built in Germany. They were bigger and better armed than the previous class.

The Kaiser class of dreadnought battleships represented a major advance in German battleship design with an improved layout of the main guns.

The König class battleships were improved versions of the previous Kaiser class, with all of their main guns carried in turrets on the centre line.

The two Bayern class battleships were the only dreadnoughts to be launched and completed in Germany during the First World War

German battleship classes - First World War

The German battleship fleet of 1914 was both the cause and the product of the battleship race between Britain and Germany.
The Brandenburg class was the first class of modern battleships built in Germany.
The Kaiser class of battleships set the pattern for all succeeding German pre-dreadnoughts.
The Wittelsbach class of pre-dreadnought battleships were significant as the first such ships to be built under the First Naval Act of 1898.
The Braunschweig class battleships were a significant improvement over previous German pre-dreadnaughts. They were bigger, faster and better armed

Deutschland class battleships

The Deutschland class battleships were the last pre-Dreadnought type battleships to be built in Germany.

The German raid on the Yorkshire Coast, 15-16 December 1914

The German raid on the Yorkshire coast of 15-16 December 1914 saw the first civilian casualties on British soil since the French Revolutionary Wars. A squadron of German battlecruisers attacked Scarborough, Hartlepool and Whitby and then slipped past the British force sent to catch it.
The Scarborough Raid of 16 December 1914 was the most controversial part of the German raid on the Yorkshire coast of 15-16 December 1914.
The Hartlepool Raid, 16 December 1914, was the only part of the German raid on the Yorkshire coast of 15-16 December to come up against a defended port.
The Whitby Raid, 16 December 1914, was the final part of the German navy’s raid on the Yorkshire Coast of 15-16 December.

HMS Patrol

HMS Patrol was a Pathfinder class scout cruiser, designed to work with the destroyer flotillas. She was present at Hartlepool during the German raid of 16 December 1914, and was heavily damaged during the fighting.

Sentinel, Pathfinder, Forward and Adventure scout cruisers

The two Sentinel class scout cruisers were built to operate with the increasingly important Destroyer Flotillas, to act as scouts, lead attacks and take on enemy Destroyers.
The two Pathfinder class scout cruisers were Cammell Laird’s contribution to the eight scout cruisers built in 1903-1905.
The two Forward class scout cruisers were the Fairfield dockyard’s contribution to the series of eight scout cruisers built in 1903-1905.
The two Adventure class scout cruisers were Armstrong’s contribution to the series of eight scout cruisers built in 1903-1905.

Morval, Thiepval Ridge and the Transloy Ridges

The battle of Morval, 25-28 September 1916, was a continuation of the battle of Flers-Courcelette (15-23 September), designed to capture those objectives of the earlier battle that had not been secured during the successful advances on its first two days.
The battle of Thiepval Ridge, 26-30 September 1916, was part of the first battle of the Somme. It saw the British attack Thiepval Ridge in preparation for an attack on the Ancre.
The battle of the Transloy Ridges, 1-20 October 1916, was part of the first battle of the Somme. It was the last officially acknowledged battle fought by the Fourth Army (Rawlinson) although fighting continued on that front into November.

Albert, Pozières Ridge, Guillemont and Flers-Courcelette

The battle of Albert, 1-13 July 1916, is the official name for the British efforts during the first two weeks fighting of the first battle of the Somme. As such it includes the first day of the Somme, the most costly day in British military history and one that has coloured our image of the First World War ever since
The battle of Pozières Ridge, 23 July-3 September 1916 was part of the first battle of the Somme. It was the official name given to fighting between the River Ancre and the village of Bazentin le Petit, with the village of Pozières in the centre of the line.
The battle of Guillemont, 3-6 September 1916, was the official name given to the fighting that captured the village of Guillemont during the first battle of the Somme.
The battle of Flers-Courcelette, 15-22 September 1916, was the third main phase of the battle of the Somme. It is best known as the first tank battle in history

Bazentine Ridge, Delville Wood, Fromelles, Ancre Heights and the Ancre

The battle of Bazentine Ridge, 14 July-17 July 1916, was the start of the second phase of the battle of the Somme, designed to break into the German second line.
The battle of Delville Wood, 15 July-3 September 1916, began as part of the battle of Bazentine Ridge, itself part of the first battle of the Somme.
The battle of Fromelles, 19-20 July 1916, was a minor British attack launched close to Aubers Ridge in order to prevent the Germans moving troops from their quiet sectors to the battle of the Somme.
The battle of the Ancre Heights of 1 October-11 November 1916 was part of the wider first battle of the Somme. It was fought on the left of the British line of the Somme, with the aim of pinching out a German salient on the Ancre River created by the limited British advances further along the line.
The battle of the Ancre, 13-19 November 1916, was the final phase of the first battle of the Somme. It involved an attack on the German front line as it crossed the Ancre River, a sector of the front that had first been attacked on the first day of the battle without success.

Blonde class scout cruisers, HMS Blonde, HMS Blanche

The Blonde class scout cruisers were improved versions of the Boadicea class, built at the same dockyard in Pembroke.
HMS Blonde was the name ship of the Blonde class of scout cruisers. She was designed to operate with destroyer flotillas, and did spend 1911-1912 in the Mediterranean as Senior Officer’s ship of the Seventh Flotilla
HMS Blanche was a Blonde class scout cruiser, originally designed to operate with destroyer flotillas. She began her service career with the First Destroyer Flotilla (1911-1912), but was not really fast enough for this role

Boadicea class scout cruisers, HMS Boadicea, HMS Bellona

The Boadicea class scout cruisers were built to operate with destroyer flotillas, to provide slightly heavier ships that could scout ahead of the flotilla and provide protection against enemy destroyers.
HMS Boadicea was the name ship of the Boadicea class of scout cruisers. These ships had been designed to work with the destroyer flotillas, and the Boadicea served as the senior officer’s ship with the 1st Flotilla from 1909 to 1912.
HMS Bellona was a Boadicea class scout cruiser, originally built to work with the destroyer flotillas. In 1909 she became the Senior Officer’s ship of the 2nd Flotilla, made up of 25.5kt River class destroyers, and was already only just fast enough to cope

Lowestoft Raid, 25 April 1916

The Lowestoft Raid of 25 April 1916 saw elements of the German High Seas Fleet bombard the east coast port of Lowestoft and threaten Yarmouth.

HMS Dreadnought

When she was completed, in December 1906, HMS Dreadnought was the most powerful battleship in the world. She was the first all-big-gun battleship to enter service, and the first battleship to be powered by Parsons turbines

Gallieni, Foch and Joffre

Joseph Gallieni was a French general most famous for the incident of the taxis of the Marne, which saw him move troops from the garrison of Paris to the front line in a fleet of Paris taxis.
Ferdinand Foch was a French general of the First World War, who was appointed as the first supreme commander of all Allied troops during the German offensives of early 1918 and who masterminded the great series of Allied attacks that eventually ended the war
Joseph Joffre was the French commander in chief at the start of the First World War, responsible for the French victory on the Marne in September 1914.

Castelnau, Maistre, Mangin, Langle de Cary and Dubail

Édouard de Castelnau was a French general of the First World War, partly responsible for the aggressive French strategy at the start of the war.
Paul Maistre was a French General who came to prominence late in the First World War. As commander of the Sixth Army he helped to restore morale after the disastrous spring offensive of 1917.
Charles Mangin was a French general who first made his name in the French colonial empire, before gaining a reputation as an aggressive but costly commander during the First World War.
Fernande de Langle de Cary was a French general who performed well during the first battle of the Marne, and during 1915, but who was made a scapegoat for the early failures at Verdun in 1916
Auguste Dubail was a French general who commanded the Eastern Army Group from the start of 1915 until he was made a scapegoat for German successes at Verdun in March 1916

Race to the Sea, battles of Picardy, Albert and Artois

The Race to the Sea of September-October 1914 was a series of battles that eventually decided the route of the Western Front although they were fought in an attempt to find an open flank.
The first battle of Picardy, 22-26 September 1914, was part of the Race to the Sea, the series of encounter battles that decided the location of the Western Front during the First World War.
The battle of Albert, 25-29 September 1914, was part of the Race to the Sea. It was a clash between the French Second Army (de Castelnau) and the German Sixth (Crown Prince Rupprecht), towards the end of the wider first battle of Picardy (22-26 September)
The first battle of Artois, 27 September-10 October 1914, was part of the Race to the Sea, a series of encounter battles that set the line of the Western Front for most of the First World War

Battle of the Grande Couronne of Nancy

The battle of the Grande Couronne of Nancy, 25 August-11 September 1914, saw the French defeat a German counterattack from Lorraine.

Minotaur Class, HMS Defence, Black Prince, Duke of Edinburgh and Audacious

HMS Audacious was a King George V class battleship that became the first British battleship to be sunk during the First World War.
HMS Duke of Edinburgh was the name ship of the Duke of Edinburgh class of first class armoured cruisers, a class that consisted of the Duke of Edinburgh and her sister ship the Black Prince
HMS Black Prince was a Duke of Edinburgh class first class armoured cruiser sunk at the battle of Jutland after coming face to face with the main German battle fleet during the night
The Minotaur Class first class armoured cruisers were the last British first class cruisers built with mixed armament
HMS Defence was a Minotaur class first class armoured cruiser, sunk at the battle of Jutland with all hands when she came too close to the German battle ships

Zulu Impi

The word Impi is often associated in English with a Zulu regiment but in fact it just refers to any group of armed men, with the Zulu word for regiment being ibutho. This article will look at Impi in the British context as referring to a Zulu regiment

HMS Queen Mary and HMS Tiger

HMS Queen Mary was a British battlecruiser based on the Lion class, but with significant internal changes.
HMS Tiger was the last British battlecruiser laid down before the start of the First World War.

Hundred Days, Cambrai-St. Quentin and Selle

The Hundred Days, 18 July-11 November 1918, was the final Allied offensive of the First World War on the Western Front.
The battle of Cambrai-St. Quentin, 27 September-9 October 1918, was the main British contribution to Marshal Foch’s all out attack on the Hindenburg line (the Hundred Days). It saw three British and one French army force the Germans out of their strong defensive line and back to the River Selle.
The battle of the Selle, 17-25 October 1918, saw the British force the Germans out of a new defensive line along the River Selle that they had been forced to take up being forced out of the Hindenburg Line.

Drake, Monmouth, Devonshire, Duke of Edinburgh and Warrior class cruisers

The Drake Class first class armoured cruisers were armoured versions of the earlier Powerful class.
The Monmouth Class first class armoured cruisers were designed to be significantly cheaper than the previous Drake class cruisers, while still reaching the same high speeds as that class.
The Devonshire Class first class armoured cruisers were an improved version of the Monmouth class ships with increased firepower.
The Duke of Edinburgh class first class cruisers were the first ships of that type designed by Phillip Watts, the designer of HMS Dreadnaught
The Warrior Class first class armoured cruisers were the second ships of that type designed by Phillip Watts and corrected some of the problems in the earlier Duke of Edinburgh design

Edgar, Powerful, Diadem and Cressy Class first class cruisers

The Edgar Class first class protected cruisers were the oldest British first class cruisers to see active service during the First World War.
The two Powerful Class first class protected cruisers were built in response to the public reaction to the rumoured capacity of two new Russian cruisers, the Rurik and the Rossiya.
The Diadem Class first class protected cruisers were smaller, more successful, versions of the Powerful class ships.
The Cresy Class first class armoured cruisers represented an important step in the process that eventually led to the production of the battlecruiser.

Invasion of Serbia, 1915

After defeating two Austrian invasions, Serbia fell to a combined German, Austrian and Bulgarian invasion in October-December 1915

Admiral Sir Christopher Cradock

Admiral Sir Christopher Cradock was the British officer commanding at the battle of Coronel, the first British naval defeat for a century

British Battleship and Monitor Classes of the First World War

We add lists of British Monitor Classes of the First World War and British Battleship Classes of the First World War

Senussi Uprising and the battle of Agagia

The Senussi Uprising of 1915-1917 saw the British come under attack in Western Egypt.
The battle of Agagia (or Aqqaqia), 26 February 1916, saw the defeat of the Senussi Uprising along the Egyptian coast.

Weymouth Class Light Cruisers

The Weymouth Class light cruisers of 1910-1912 directly followed on from the Bristol Class, and were only the second class of light cruisers designed for the Royal Navy since the Highflyer class of 1896-7
HMS Dartmouth was a Weymouth class light cruiser, completed in October 1911. She spent most of the First World War serving in the Adriatic, from a base at Brindisi.
HMS Falmouth was a Weymouth Class light cruiser that took part in the battle of Jutland, before being sunk by U-boats in August 1916.
HMS Yarmouth was a Weymouth Class light cruiser that spent most of the First World War with the Grand Fleet after starting the war on the China Station.
HMS Weymouth was the name ship of the Weymouth Class of light cruisers. During the First World War she took part in the hunt for the Emden, the blockade of the Königsberg in East Africa, served with the Grand Fleet and finally in the Adriatic.

British Cruiser Classes of the First World War

We start with a a list of British Cruiser Classes of the First World War

HMS Liverpool, Newcastle and Gloucester

HMS Liverpool was a Bristol class light cruiser that spend most of the First World War in the Adriatic.
HMS Newcastle was a Bristol class light cruiser that served in a wide variety of theatres during the First World War, from China to the Adriatic.
HMS Gloucester was a Bristol class light cruiser. During the First World War she took part in the early hunts for German commerce raiders and was present at the battle of Jutland.

HMS Invincible and the Battlecruiser

The battlecruiser was a type of warship poised dangerously between the true battleship and the cruiser. They carried the big guns of the battleship, but without the armour needed to take on similarly armed ships.
HMS Invincible was the name ship of the Invincible class of battlecruisers, despite being laid down and completed last of the three. She was one of three British battlecruisers sunk at the battle of Jutland.

HMS Bristol

HMS Bristol was a Bristol Class light cruiser that was present at the battle of the Falklands, 8 December 1914

Warsaw, 1914, Ginchy, 1916, Meuse-Argonne and Megiddo, 1918

The second battle of Warsaw, 7-25 November 1914, was a German offensive launched to prevent a Russian invasion of Silesia in eastern Germany.
The battle of Ginchy, 9 September 1916, was part of the first battle of the Somme (1 July-18 November 1918), launched in advance of the main September offensive, the battle of Flers-Courcelette
The battle of Megiddo, 19-25 September 1918, was the climactic battle of the British invasion of Palestine of 1917-1918. It is also famous as the last great cavalry victory.
The Meuse-Argonne offensive, 26 September-11 November 1918, was the southern part of the great triple offensive that broke the German lines on the Western Front. It was also the biggest battle fought by the American Expeditionary Force during the war

Bristol Class light cruisers

The Bristol Class light cruisers were built to fill a gap left in the Royal Navy by the adoption of the battlecruiser

Remus von Woyrsch

Remus von Woyrsch was a German general of the First World War who fought on the Silesian border and in southern Poland

Amiens, Bapaume and Epehy, 1918

The battle of Amiens, 8 August-3 September 1918, is often seen as the turning point on the Western Front. The Germans were forced out of the Amiens salient and all the way back to the Hindenburg Line
The battle of Bapaume, 21 August-3 September, was the second phase of the battle of Amiens, the British offensive often taken to be the turning point of the First World War on the Western Front.
The battle of Epehy, 18-19 September 1918, was a short battle fought in preparation for the great Allied attack on the Hindenburg line

Lake Naroch, Vardar, Kovel-Stanislav/ Brusilov Offensive

The battle of Lake Naroch, 18-26 March 1916, was an unsuccessful Russian offensive launched around Lake Naroch in the hope of recapturing Vilna, one of the most important towns in the Russian Baltic provinces.
The battle of Kovel-Stanislav (or the Brusilov Offensive), 4 June-20 September 1916, was the best planned Russian offensive of the First World War
The battle of the Vardar, 15-29 September 1918, was the decisive battle on the Balkan Front of the First World War.

Hans von Beseler, Otto von Below

Hans von Beseler was a German General and staff officer who is best known for his role in the siege of Antwerp but who went on to serve as governor general of Poland
Otto von Below was a German General of the First World War who served in a senior capacity on four different fronts – in East Prussia, Macedonia, Italy and on the Western Front.

Grierson's Raid, Red River Campaign

Grierson's Raid, 17 April- 2 May 1863, was probably the most effective cavalry raid of the entire American Civil War.
The Red River Campaign was a minor Union campaign in Louisiana early in 1864 that ended in near-total failure

Milliken's Bend, Fort Wagner, Fort Pillow 1864

The Battle of Milliken’s Bend, 7 June 1863, was a failed Confederate attempt to relieve the siege of Vicksburg
The Battle of Fort Wagner, 11 and 18 July 1863, was a failed Union attack on the defences of Charleston, famous for being the first serious action of the 54th Massachusetts Regiment
The Fort Pillow Massacre, 12 April 1864, was a Confederate victory tainted by a massacre of black prisoners after the battle.

Battle Hymn of the Republic, Contraband

A brief history of the Battle Hymn of the Republic along with the words used at the time of the American Civil War
The concept of Contraband was used to provide a legal framework for the status of ex-slaves who escaped to Northern lines during the American Civil War

Nathaniel Banks and Andrew Foote

Biography of Nathaniel Banks, 1816-1894, one of the more succesful political generals of the civil war
Biography of Andrew H. Foote, 1806-1863, Union naval commander, famous for his achievements at Fort Henry and Fort Donelson early in the Civil War.

C.S.S. Sumter, U.S.S Carondolet, U.S.S. Galena

The C.S.S. Sumter was a short lived Confederate commerce raider
The U.S.S. Carondolet was one of the most famous Union ironclad riverboats during the American Civil War
The U.S.S. Galena was one of three ironclad warships built for the Union after news of the Confederacy's progress on the C.S.S. Virginia reached Washington.

Focke-Wulf Fw 200, Arado Ar234, Sikorsky S-64

The Focke-Wulf Fw 200 Condor was a long range passenger aircraft that became a dangerous anti-shipping weapons during the Second World War
The Arado Ar234 Blitz (Lightening) was the world's first turbojet bomber and the second jet aircraft to enter Luftwaffe service.
The Sikorsky S-64 Skycrane (CH-54 Tarhe) was an American heavy list helicopter of the 1960s

Battles of the Jerusalem campaign 1917

The affair of Huj, 8 November 1917, was one of the more dramatic incidents of the British pursuit of the Turkish armies retreating after the third battle of Gaza (31 October-7 November)
The action of El Mughar, 13 November 1917, was part of the wider battle of Junction Station, which saw the British capture the railway junction that linked the Turkish Seventh Army around Jerusalem with the Eighth Army on the coast.
The battle of Junction Station, 13-14 November 1917, saw the British defeat a Turkish attempt to defend the line of the railway to Jerusalem.
The battle of Nebi Samwil, 17-24 November 1917, was the first British attempt to capture Jerusalem during their 1917 invasion of Palestine.
The fall of Jerusalem, 7-9 December 1917, saw the British achieve their main objective in Palestine after a campaign that had begun six weeks earlier at Gaza
The battle of Jaffa, 21-22 December 1917, was a minor engagement during the British invasion of Palestine of 1917 which saw the British push the Turks further away from the port of Jaffa
The defence of Jerusalem, 26-30 December 1917, was the last significant action during the British invasion of Palestine in 1917.

Battles of Rafa, 1st 2nd and 3rd Gaza and Beersheba

The battle of Rafa, 9 January 1917, was a minor British victory that ended the Sinai campaign of 1916.
The first battle of Gaza, 26-27 March 1917, saw the British come close to capturing Gaza before a lack of information forced the attack to be cancelled.
The second battle of Gaza, 17-19 April 1917, was the second British attempt to capture Gaza in under a week.
The third battle of Gaza, 31 October-7 November 1917 saw the British under General Allenby finally force the Turks out of their strong positions around Gaza.
The battle of Beersheba, 31 October 1917, was the first part of the wider third battle of Gaza. The British victory was secured by an Australian cavalry charge

Suez Canal, Romani, Qatia and Magdhaba

The battle of the Suez Canal, 3-4 February 1915, saw the defeat of a Turkish attack on the British position in Egypt.
The action of Qatia, 23 April 1916, was a minor Turkish victory over the British in the Sinai Desert
The battle of Romani (or Rumani), 3-9 August 1916, saw the defeat of a Turkish army that was attempting to come within artillery range of the Suez Canal.
The action at Magdhaba, 23 December 1916, was a minor British victory during their advance across the Sinai in 1916.

siege of Maubeuge, 25 August-7 September 1914

The siege of Maubeuge, 25 August-7 September 1914, saw the Germans capture the French fortress of Maubeuge on the Sambre after their main armies swept past.