Bombardment of the Hartlepools

Bombardment of the Hartlepools. . , It was thought that a buoy which the German fleet used as a guide had been moved further inland and the nearness of the German ships to the coast was the salvation of the batteries. A longer range would have given a trajectory bringing a dropping fire upon the ports with certain destruction. Many shells from the enemy ships fell on the promenade and the cliffs below due to the low trajectory. A camouflage extension screen erected on the top wall of the battery, by order of Lieutenant Colonel Lancelot Robson, gave the illusion of the wall being higher and therefore made it difficult to 'locate' the battery guns from seaward. This also meant the shells went over the top of the battery into the houses or country beyond. , The Bombardment was an unequal dual between the batteries and German battle cruisers both in arms and equipment, enemy gun power was overwhelming. According to reports discovered later the intention of the German fleet was to "cause as much damage as possible to shipbuilding and engineering works". Damage was confined to any one part of the two towns; it was indiscriminate in the Hartlepools and the surrounding countryside. Although the damage was severe and not widespread it could have been so much worse. Many of the shells fired by the German battle cruisers failed to explode but still did considerable damage. Houses, schools, churches, libraries, meeting halls, public houses and the Old Cemetery were hit, to name a few. , Although the odds were stacked against the British fleet and batteries the brave men were unrelenting in their defence of the Hartlepools and were instrumental in saving the towns. Apparently the German brief was to "bombard the towns for one hour", but after approximately fifty minutes they sailed away. The last rounds were fired at approximately 8.52 am and the three German ships disappeared into the mist. , For 40 minutes the town had been under fire from three of the most powerful battle cruisers in the German's new navy and there was great pride in the men in the batteries who ‘stood firm and fast'. In the days afterwards word spread about the dreadful deed the Germans had committed and men rushed to the recruiting offices and queued to sign up and "get at the Germans". , Great Britain demanded that the following German Admirals Tirpitz, Behncke, Muller and Ingenohl should be branded as war criminals and charged with the bombardment of the towns of Hartlepool, West Hartlepool, Scarborough and Whitby. , The story boards are in memory of the brave Sailors and Soldiers who gave their lives in the Great War defending the Hartlepools on Wednesday 16th December 1914. They are a tribute to their patriotism and valour and we respectfully dedicate them to those brave Sailors and Soldiers. , HMS Doon , Lt-Cdr H McLeod-Fraser , E-class, old destroyer damaged by German shell fire. She was straddled by three salvoes with one near miss by an 11 inch shell grazing the after edge of the foremost funnel. The shell damaged a Berthon collapsible lifeboat, before going overboard and bursting on impact with the water. She suffered splinter damage and had her wireless, aft gun and torpedo tube put out of action. She suffered one dead and 11 wounded, two died of wounds later. , Died , Fraser, James, Stoker 1st Class, SS 109383 (Ch) , Wounded , Bodiam, Albert, Victor, Leading Seaman, 222793 (Ch), slightly wounded , Credland, Harold, Able Seaman, 177695 (Ch), DoW next day , Gale, Clifford Alfred, Stoker 1st Class, K 12925 (Ch) , Hawkridge, Frederick William, Mate , Horne, William Frederick, Able Seaman, J 6275 (Ch) , Jacob, Edward Charles, Leading Seaman, 234400 (Ch) , Maver, Renwick Graham, Able Seaman, 181417 (Ch) , May, Frederick George, Stoker 1st Class, K 3570 (Ch) DoW later , Milne, James, Stoker 1st Class, 291911 (Ch), slightly wounded , Moynihan, John, Stoker 1st Class, K 9032 (Ch) , Watts, Wiliam, Stoker 1st Class, K 14524 (Ch), slightly wounded , HMS Waveney , A Hawthorn Leslie type river-class destroyer and part of the 9th Destroyer Flotilla. Undamaged in the raid and no casualties. , HMS Moybn A Laird-type river-class destroyer and part of the 9th Destroyer Flotila commanded by Lieutenant C. C. Taylor. Damaged by shell splinters from German shell fire in the raid, there were no casualties. , HMS Patrol , Captain Alan Bruce - Hartlepool's Senior Naval Commander , Pathfinder-class scout cruiser, leader 9th Destroyer Flotilla. Worked her way out of the tidal harbour, under heavy fire, with HMS Forward and HMS C9 submarine, once clear she was hit by two 8.2in shells from 'SMS Blucher'. Ran hard aground near South Gare breakwater, probably saved from destruction by the shore batteries, badly holed but reached the Tees safely. , Died , Cummings, Ernest C, Able Seaman, J 8662 (Ch) - DoW , Martin or Flynn, George M (real name Flynn, but served as George M Martin), Armourer's Crew, 345449 (Ch) - lost overboard , Hook, Ralph W, Leading Seaman, 224557 (Ch) , Sheridan, Patrick J, Engine Room Artificer 1st Class, 280091 (Ch), Wounded , Gilbert, Charles, Stoker 1st Class, K 12645 (Ch) , McClure, Robert, Shipwright 2nd Class, 344936 (Ch) , Pace, William James, Leading Seaman, 227986 (Ch) , Richmond, Robert Henry, Engine Room Artificer 3rd Class, M 1367 (Ch) , HMS Test , A Laird-type river-class destroyer and part of the 9th Destroyer Flotilla. Undamaged in the raid and no casualties. , HMS Forward , Forward-class scout cruiser , HMS Hardy , Lt-Cdr L. Crabbe , Acasta-class destroyer which saw action in the Dogger Bank area in the early stages of the raid on the Hartlepools. She was badly damaged having the wireless shot away, holed on the waterline, the bridge wrecked by 0600, with the steering gear disabled she had to turn out of line and managed to proceed at 0620 and limped into port escorted by HMS Spitfire. Three of the crew were killed but only two are recorded here. , Died , Rigsby, Harold H, Leading Seaman, 212189 (Po), DoW , Woolgar, George W, Able Seaman, J 5689 (Po), Wounded , Adlam, Henry James, Able Seaman, 209445 (Po) , Atkins, George, Stoker 1st Class, (RFR B 9628), SS 107000 (Ch) , Bailey, James Albert, Stoker Petty Officer, 290613 (Po) , Belton, Philip John, Leading Seaman, 228011 (Po) , Chapple, Edwin John, Leading Signalman, 212392 (Po), severely wounded , Goulding, Wiliam, Able Seaman, J 5417 (Po) , Greiffenhagen, Rider M W, Sub Lieutenant , Johnson, John Walter, Signalman, J 6110 (Po). Received the Distinguished Service , Medal. For services rendered in action off the coast of Hartlepool on 16th December 1914. , Ledley, Alfred William, Able Seaman, J 12133 (Po) , Lewis, Jesse Gordon, Able Seaman, 217891 (Po) , Manser, Thomas George, Able Seaman, J 11678 (Po), severely wounded , Myers, John, Stoker 1st Class, SS 111735 (Po) , Niven, W J, Engine Room Artificer, RNR, 119% E A, slightly injured , Plackett, Samuel Sidney, Stoker 1st Class, SS 111988 (Po) , Watts, Edward Charles, Able Seaman, 205399 (Po) , HMS C9 Submarine , Forward-class scout cruiser., HMS Forward and HMS C9 Submarine along with HMS Patrol attempted to leave harbour under heavy enemy shell fire. HMS C9 submerged but hit a sand bank and was only able to get free towards the end of the battle. Because of the heavy German shell fire HMS Forward was unable to get out of harbour and when she did the German ships were disappearing into the mist. She was ordered to pursue them but they managed to slip away.