A Better Rifle at Halloween

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27th August 1914,

The Cossacks had arrived this morning, their units setting up a sort of screen around the defences of Konigsberg. No attempt was made to challenge the German trench line, the Germans who had superior numbers of machine guns and artillery fired on any groups or clusters of Russian troops which seemed to be worth the shot. Neither side was being overly aggressive, the Russians seemed content to bottle up the Germans, the Germans seemed content to defend perhaps hoping to draw the Russians into a fight such as their compatriots had encountered in Liege.
General Samsonov, who had seen first had the challenges of attacking strongly fortified positions was not interested the kind of bloodletting that would be needed to break into the city.
The German general, though he had been goaded by his staff officer Max Hoffman was not interested in offensive action. His army was already at the back of the cue for reinforcements and supplies and with the war in the west demanding even more men and supplies than the worst-case planning had estimated. Von Prittwitz didn’t think that any significant reinforcements would be coming his way, at least not until the capture of Paris.

 

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27th August 1914, Aarschot.

The reprisals had begun almost immediately on the death of the brigade commander Colonel Jenrich, he had replaced Colonel Stenger who had died in the siege of Liege. He had been shot on the balcony of the Mayor’s house by Belgian Francs-Tireurs. Many houses had been burnt, civilians of all ages shot or bayoneted.
The mayor, his son aged 15 and his brother had been shot along with other hostages, the total death toll in the town stood at 350. The son of the mayor was accused of shooting at the Germans from the cellar of the house, he was not the only child to be shot that day.
The Brigade had come through the assault on Liege with significant casualties, they had lost the original commander and over 300 men killed with a further 850 wounded. This was a significant fraction of the brigade’s strength, they had had that made up with men from the reserves transferred in, but the heavy Belgian resistance had frustrated the brigade, Their training was drawn from the experience of the Prussian Army in the Franco Prussian war, which stressed the harm done by civilian resistance and standing orders allowed for reprisals, hostage taking and shooting Franc-Tireurs out of hand. The men who had been shot had been gathered in the square and shot in batches, their bodies left as a warning. The village priest, deacon and two sub-deacons had joined the hostages in exchange for other men.
The escalating resistance was proving problematic, the Belgian Army was largely withdrawn from the fray, retiring back on Namur and Antwerp, but Belgian Cavalry and Garde Civique units were still contesting the German advance. Worse and in an unplanned and unsanctioned manner it seems that many Belgian patriots had been emboldened by the defence of Liege, unofficially they had joined the fighting, seldom taking on the advancing infantry units but taking every chance to strike a blow against the supporting units. The German commanders from Army down knew that they had to engage with the main enemy France, before they got completely bogged down.
The damage caused by the destruction of Liege was severely delaying railway transport, already over 10,000 men had been impressed to repair the tracks, bridges and other infrastructure, temporary lines were being planned to bypass the damaged sections, but it was not known how long that would take. Spare rail track was being sourced from all over the German Empire, the foundries and rolling mills were working as quickly as they could to produce more. But the real damage was the loss of the specialised parts of the railway network such as the turntables those items could not be fabricated quickly and the Belgians had ensured their total destruction prior to the fall of the city.

 

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28th August 1914, Namur.

The morale of the Belgian troops defending Namur was excellent, they had seen glorious stand of Liege. The time those men had purchased with their lives was being put to good use, the defences had been significantly upgraded with more barbed wire, more sandbags and deeper trenches.

The rumours of what had happened in Aarschot had reached Namur that morning, adding to the rumours that civilians found under arms in Liege had also been shot. To better prepare the city for siege and in light of suffering of the civilians, and with the additional time made available by the siege of Liege. The evacuation of the city had been largely carried out, some civilians had remained but they were mainly men impressed for labour and those associated with the hospitals.

The King had broadcast a strident warning to the Germans that any German soldier found to have executed Belgian Civilians would be tried if captured and shot if found guilty. This was seen by many as a sign of truth of the stories of German atrocities for the Belgian state had effectively abolished the death penalty years prior with the last execution taking place in 1863.

General Lanzerac at the head of his 5th Army had arrived in Namur two days ago, his initial unwillingness to advance into Belgium had been overcome by the dogged defence of Liege and the blunt warning from Joffre that if he did not he would join General Louis Bonneau. In response he had deployed the I Corps to Dinant, the 2nd infantry division moving to hold Dinant with its critical crossing over the Meuse. At the same time X Corps was moved up to Namur with the 20thinfantry division moving into the Defences to directly support them. Aware of the risk of a gap opening between the I and X Corps, Lanzerac had gained the 3rd Cavalry division from the Cavalry Corps, it was to ensure that there would be no gap. With I and X holding Dinant and Namur the rest of the 5th army was moved up to hold the line from Namur to Charleroi. Sordets Cavalry Corps was holding the gap between the BEF and Charleroi, with the BEF holding the Mons-Condee Canal either side of Mons.

 

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28th August 1914, Hasselt.

Colonel General Von Kluck was the commander of the most powerful army possessed by Germany in the west. The delays to the capture of Liege caused by the stronger and more effective Belgian resistance had already caused his collegue Von Bulow to be replaced by Hindenberg, the fall of the fortress had enabled the advance to resume. Brussels would fall soon, the bulk of the Belgian army was occupying the defences of Antwerp with the remainder holding Namur. Apart from Belgian cavalry and Garde Civique forces, no formed units were contesting the centre of Belgium. A small number of German troops would screen the Belgians in Antwerp, the rest of the army would wheel on Brussels and push west south west towards Arras and Amiens. The key task now was to move with as much speed as possible to dislocate the French.
Hindenberg was going to attack Namur and was moving every heavy gun available to ensure that the forts defending it could be destroyed as quickly as possible. It was thought that this would focus the French on the Meuse river and draw reinforcements into the battle. One lesson which had been learnt was that attacks on fortresses backed by strong and well dug infantry required heavy artillery preparation. Germany had the guns to destroy the fortresses and their defenders.
One thing that was unknown was the strength and the location of the British Army, British troops had been reported to be in Ghent, but also in Mons and around Mauberge. Von Kluck and the whole of the higher command doubted that the British would split their small army in two to send significant forces to both Belgium and France. Von Kluck was of the view that the British troops in Ghent likely were only a division at most and were there to secure the Belgian Coast. Britain seemed to be afraid of its own shadow, he remembered a review of the “The Riddle of the Sands” which was supposed to be about a German plot to invade Britain. It was thought in army circles that this popular fear and the well-known contempt of some British Officers for their own reservists would keep a large part of the British Army at home. Why Britain with the world’s largest navy, would think Germany would risk invading it, with France and Russia on its own borders was never something which he could understand.
Irrespective of the actions and positions of the British Army, Von Kluck doubted that they would have much real impact, they were an effective colonial force but not configured for a major war against a European Power.

 

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28th August 1914, Mons-Condee Canal.

Sir Douglas Haig had responsibility for the command of the British 2nd army, which was made up of the original II Corps comprising 3rd and 5th divisions and a new Corps (IV) made up of two territorial divisions, the North Midland Division and the Home Counties Division. 2nd Army was responsible for holding almost 16 miles of frontage between Mons and Trazegnies. Haig’s initial plan had been to hold the line with only his regular troops but that would have resulted in each division being required to hold 8 miles of Line. Instead he intended to have IV Corps hold the line from Trezegnies along the Canal to La Louviere, whilst II Corps would hold the line from La Louviere to Mons. Every effort would be made to deny any crossing points to the Germans, already the bridges and locks on the canal were wired for destruction. The Territorial Engineers were just as keen to blow things up as their regular counterparts.
They had not yet encountered the Germans, but British Cavalry squadrons both Regular and Yeomanry were scouting forward of the defensive line, both to tackle the wide ranging German Cavalry and also to provide the most up to date information to their commanders that they could.
In the air the Royal Flying Corps was also active, it had aircraft operating as far forward as practicable, they were reporting directly to the BEF commander Smith-Dorien. From BEF command the reports were disseminated down to Army commands and Corps Command, the system was a relient on motor cycle couriers as it was on the French and Belgian Telephone system but it did give the BEF a fair idea on when to expect first conflict with the German Army.
From the British Perspective the key to holding the line was the performance of the French troops holding Charleroi, Namur and Dinant, if they held the Germans the British right would be secure, if they failed the British army would have to retire towards Maubeuge.
The Cavalry Corps was forming, the 1st and 2nd Cavalry Divisions had already deployed to France, the 3rd Cavalry Division was in Belgium. The Yeomanry had also sent 3 Divisions to war, 1st and 2nd Mounted Divisions were to operate in Belgium, whilst the newly formed 3rd Mounted Division was to join the 1st and 2nd Cavalry Divisions in the Cavalry Corps. Sufficient Yeomanry regiments remained to form one additional division and one independent brigade, these units would be retained in Britain along with the remaining 8 Territorial Infantry Divisions which were continuing to train and would deploy to France as they were able.
Haig was reasonably confident that the Territorials would fight well in a defensive battle, his main concern was their poor artillery and also the overall fitness both of the officers and men. He had every unit that was not in the line undertaking rigourous training to bring them up to the highest standards possible, he was also pushing the officers hard, once battle was joined he knew he would have to replace many of them but he would see who was fit to fight and who would be better positioned in the rear. Training battalions required officers as did they myriad of other administrative units already springing up.
One area in which Haig and his fellow senior commanders had no complaints was stores and supplies. Girouard, who had been placed appointed Lieutenant General and given command of the Rear Echelon for the BEF was working miracles. The steady transfer of munitions and equipment from Britain to France and Belgium was taking place. The French railways were operating under joint control in the British sector and it was anticipated that as more men joined up the British would run their own train companies to ensure that the Logisitics situation did not worsen.
2nd Army of the BEF and it’s commander Sir Douglas Haig were as ready as they could be, all that was needed was someone to fight, and that someone was marching through Belgium with blood in their eye.

 

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29th August 1914, Liege.

Colonel General Helmuth von Moltke was surveying the ruins of Liege, Liege was to have been the key. It was a critical node that would enable his armies to sweep through Belgium and on into France. But with Liege destroyed that node was absent. The railways beyond Liege had been damaged but that could be made right, the damage to Liege could be made right as well but that would take time. Limited options, single tracked and slow existed to get around Liege but they were only able to move a tithe of what was needed. His armies needed food, petrol, ammunition, and most of all they needed fodder, the horses had to be feed or they would not be able to pull the thousands of carts that hauled everything else. The need to use horses instead of railways reduced his mobility to that of a Napoleonic army, his men were requisitioning everything they could from the Belgians, but it was not anywhere what he needed. In addition, it had made his army an enemy of everyone in the country, farmers had started to burn crops standing in the fields, hay in its ricks rather than see it taken for his men. Already it had been necessary to deploy more men to control the Francs-Tireurs than he had initially planned for, this was another drain on manpower and supplies that he did not need.
The 1st army was heading headfirst into a great salient, with the Belgians holding Antwerp, the British Ghent and the French and Belgians Namur. Von Moltke was starting to think the plan had failed. If Namur could be captured then the way might be open to move more supplies, but this was dependent on the Franco-Belgian defence collapsing.
The goal was to either keep trying to outflank the French and their allies by continuing to swing through Belgium or to find another gap through which his army could strike, to get behind the French and open the door to Paris. If the right wing could not do it without risking defeat and capture perhaps, it should be the left wing. Already the French armies had been bloodied and pushed back from their abortive Alsace and Lorraine campaigns, weakened by defeat, they might be the best target.
If the Entente continued to focus on Belgium and particularly Namur they would draw ever more reinforcements to the North and West. An attack by the 4th and 5th armies aimed at Sedan and Verdun might enable the pincer to cut through pocketing the French 5th army and the BEF.
Von Moltke would gather his staff and begin planning, he sent orders to Hindenburg, Von Kluck and Hausen that they were to focus their efforts on pinning the French defences on the Meuse and Sambre. Hindenburg was to continue his advance but he was to ensure that he kept his flanks secure and not get over extended.
To the commanders of the 4th 5th and 6th armies he sent orders to prepare for attacks on Sedan and Verdun.

 

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30th August 1914, Brussels
Von Kluck was furious, his army the great sword that was to defeat France and secure for the German Empire their rightful role as the Hegemon on Europe was to put back in its scabbard. Von Moltke had visited Liege and had lost faith in the plan. Brussels had fallen, its mayor had offered the surrender the day before and already his troops had advanced well beyond the city. No effort to defend it had been made instead the defenders and many other civilians had tried to flee before his army. His uhlans and other cavalry regiments had enveloped the city, he was happy to see the civilians flee but the Garde Civique units were to be captured or destroyed where possible.
Fortunately, the speed of his advance had been sufficient to prevent significant damage to the railway infrastructure of Brussels and once Liege was repaired, he would again be connected back to Germany by rail. But Von Moltke orders stood, he was to ensure that he remained in contact with the 2nd and 3rd army, whilst also screening against Antwerp and Liege. To that end he had new orders to issue to his own army, IV Reserve Corps was to screen the Belgian defences of Antwerp, III Reserve Corps was to advance on Ghent and screen the British troops there. IX Reserve Corps was to garrison Brussels and to provide reinforcements to III and IV Corps should they be attacked by the British and Belgian forces.
IX Corps was to maintain contact with III Reserve Corps, whilst attacking towards Courtrai. II, III, IV Corps were to attack towards Tournai. Von Kluck had also gained control of the II Cavalry Corps as the infantry marched toward Courtrai and Tournai he would use the cavalry with their superior mobility to attack towards Lille.

 

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30th August 1914, Namur.

Colonel General Von Hindenburg was as unhappy as Von Kluck, his army was moving on Namur and he expected the siege to be bloody. He would use the three Reserve corps to hold the line between 3rd army and Mons, his siege guns and other heavy artillery would begin preparing Namur for storming, the actual assault was to be by the Guards Corps under the command of Von Plettenberg. The remaining two corps would attack to the west of Mons aiming for Valenciennes, the Guards Reserve Corps would screen the 4 divisions of the British Expeditionary Corps centred on Mons pinning them in place and enabling VII and X Corps to outflank them to the west crossing the Mons-Condee Canal in the region of Pommeroeul. The other advantage of outflanking the British forces was that it would separate them from the channel ports and their sources of supply forcing them to fight.

 

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30th August 1914, Rochefort.

Colonel General von Hausen was surprised by the sudden change in plans, his 3rd Army was moving up along the line of the Meuse river. The French and Belgians had not threatened his advance and he was still planning on forcing the river at Dinant. His four corps were spread out with the Army Heavy artillery supporting the attack on Namur, XI Corps was holding the southern bank of the river Meuse. With XIX Corps holding the line of the river as far south as Givet, the bridge at Givet had been blown up as soon as the Germans arrived. A number of locks existed along the river between Givet and Dinant and they may prove suitable places to force a crossing of the river. If a crossing could be forced his army would be able to get behind Namur forcing the French Fifth army to either retreat or be captured.

 

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German and Entente positions as at 30-08-1914

 

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31st August 1914, London.

Percy Ludgate was having a meeting with Harald Taylor, Sir Frederick Tudor and Sir Percy Scott, they were discussing gunnery and the challenges of ballistics calculations in general. The four men, two civilians the others career Naval Officers all shared a common love of mathematics and a fine appreciation of the challenges and pleasures of solving a technical challenge. Harold Taylor had examined the Ludgate device and could see its application for a new calculating table to control the gunnery of both Battleships and Battlecruisers. The same system suitably modified could be used on smaller vessels, down to cruisers and potentially destroyers. At the moment they were planning what steps would need to be taken to ensure that the device could developed for Director Firing and what manufacturing and navalisation modifications would need to be made to make it viable. Once a development plan had been established, they moved swiftly onto developing a similar system for firing torpedos both for ships and submarines. Currently calculations for firing torpedos relied almost entirely on either slide rules or dead reckoning, ongoing range improvement research needed a matched improvement in firing calculations to utilise the improved range.
The next area of discussion was one which was of much more interest to the two Percys it was using the device for ballistics calculations and specifically for determining the optimum shape for Artillery shells in order to maximise their range. Currently artillery shells were fairly blunt their Ogive was on the order of 1.5 to 2 crh, it was understood that lengthening this would give improved ballistic performance but testing and optimisation was expensive. Instead work would be undertaken to use a mathematical model to determine the optimum shape for new shells using the Analytical Engine. Once a number of shell profiles had been designed they could be fabricated and tested, a new Ordinance testing range was to be built at Morecombe Bay which would enable the shells to be recovered after firing for examination.
It was decided that Thwaites and Reed would be contacted to undertake the mass production of the Analytical Engines for the Royal Navy, with other contractors to be called on as required. Ludgate would continue his design work and prototyping in Dublin but a number of additional research assistants and engineers would join his group, they would initially be based at Trinity College with access to their excellent laboratories and workshops.

 

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31st August 1914, Brixton Prison.
The young economist had just been arrested; his solicitor had advised him of the severity of the punishment which he would face if he was convicted. He had been remanded by a Justice of the Peace and was to be held at Brixton Prison prior to his trial which would take place at the Middlesex Sessions. He had just resumed a role at the treasury connected with the war, he would be immediately dismissed from that work; the scandal was more than the Government would endure. Forlorn and alone he stared at the rough blanket on the hard bed of his cell and then at the bars which screened the tiny window of his cell. His revery disturbed by hoarse screams, his movements became mechanical as though he was controlled by an outside force.

 

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31st August 1914, Ghent.
The Duke of York’s Own Loyal Suffolk Hussars were maintaining a screen in front of the main British line. The regimental headquarters in a big farm surrounded by woods ½ a mile out of Gontrode, HQ was 2 miles or so behind the edge of the screen. A, C and D squadrons were providing the screen, B squadron was standing by near regimental headquarters both to provide a reserve and to give some additional security to the headquarters. The Machine gun section was also attached to B Squadron to give some additional punch. Each Squadron headquarters was likewise positioned back from the edge of the screen with one troop attached to the squadron and the other 3 troops forward. Each troop had made every effort to ensure they were well concealed, whilst most of the men had never faced battle a few were veterans of the Boer War. They had learnt the hard way the value of concealment and they passed on these hard-earned lessons to their comrades. One such man was Major Walter Guinness, he had served in South Africa with the Imperial Yeomanry serving with distinction, having been Mentioned in Dispatches. He was commander of A Squadron and his squadron was based on a farm to the north of Gontrode overlooking the Brussels-Ghent Railway line.
Major Guinness had already checked the positions his men were occupying, he had ensured that they had clear fields of fire and good escape routes, their job was to provide advance warning to the infantry divisions behind them and to blind any German scouting units trying to gain intelligence on their positions. They had not seen any action yet, a near continuous stream of Belgian refugees had been seen fleeing the advancing armies. They were already causing havoc in the rear areas and placing the civilian infrastructure under great strain, blocking roads, virtually destitute they were begging for food and other support, the cruelty of this war was crystal clear to every British soldier, regular or territorial. The refugees brought rumours of German war crimes, of shooting the survivors of Liege and executing men, women and children. Guinness had heard these tales, he discounted most of them, he knew that war abounded in rumours, in lies and in propaganda, to read the Boer propaganda in the South African campaign it was to have your stomach turned. It had been a hard and cruel war but not the charnel house many described it as.
As he pondered that campaign and the absolute difference with the war he was about to fight, he heard a familiar sound the crack of rifle fire. Intelligence had placed the Germans approximately 5 miles to his north, obviously those estimates were wrong. Guinness was inclined to move forward, but the closer he got to the front the harder it would be to respond to the needs of his other units. The rifle fire was not from his men, the sound was wrong. The crack of the Mauser rifles, he knew so well from the veldt was the sound of the German army, but duller boom was something else. There were no regular Belgian units between him and the Germans but it was possible indeed probable that the firing he could hear was a Garde Civique unit retreating from Aalst toward Ghent. What he had seen of the Garde Civique gave him no confidence that they would hold the Germans, but they were certainly brave men and many of the Garde had died already, some in action but many in German reprisals as they rounded up those they viewed as little better than Francs-Tiruers. The obsolete equipment they carried was no help, he had seen one unit in Bruge standing guard over the railway station equipped with single shot breech loaders like the old Martini Henry he remembered from cadets at Eton all those years ago. He looked across at his own men, they carried the Lee Enfield Mk1*, not the more recent SMLE but firing the same 303 round as the rest of the Army.
With the firing continuing and if anything growing in intensity, Guinness felt it was likely that his men would shortly be in action. He gave a quick order for his Officers, Squadron Sergeant Major and Gallopers to join him. He ordered one galloper to ride for regimental HQ and inform them of firing to his front, he then sent a galloper forward to each of the three troops forward of his HQ. They were ordered to hold in place and try to remain concealed for as long as possible, sending back information on the disposition of the German units as soon as possible.
As a mounted infantry unit his men were trained to fight on foot but use their horses for mobility, the problem with this was one man in four was required as a horse holder, reducing the strength in the line. While he waited for more information Guinness considered his options, his orders were to form part of the screen and ensure that no German reconnaissance units penetrated his line.
The main road from Aalst was wide enough for two carts to pass side by side, with hedges on either side, the land was flat with a variety of crops, interspersed with shallow drainage ditches, with small hamlets or clusters of brick built houses every half mile. The going of the roads and tracks was soft and not suited to wheeled vehicles, the Guinness expected the Germans to keep to the roads. If they did, he might be able to ambush at least some of them. Whilst he waited the firing seemed to die down, he did not hear his own troops engage the Germans, instead quite descended.
After 20 minutes the Galloper that he had sent to First Troop returned saying, “I passed on your orders, the Troop is standing to, observing and reporting”
With that Guinness decided that he should get up to the front and see what was happening.
He reached the Troop Commander an enthusiastic young man from Felixstowe, his father owned a Cannery but the young man more than passed for a gentleman and was a good young officer as well. If anything on exercises he was a little inclined to think he was a cavalry man, not mounted infantry. When the Squadron had been called on to volunteer for overseas service he had virtually jumped out of his skin with enthusiasm, he had deployed with a massive cavalry sword of some antiquity that had, according to the story he told been carried by some ancestor of his mother during the Napoleonic wars.
Just now though he was giving a competent briefing to his squadron commander as they observed the enemy, the young man being of more than adequate means had equipped himself with a fine pair of binoculars currently being used by his commander as he spoke. “the firing we could hear was a troop of German Hussars engaging some Garde Civique that had been trying to escape down the main road. The Cavalry have paused about 800 yards from our lines, they seem to be holding waiting for further orders and are not making any particular effort to advance further down the road.”
As they watched them the Germans seemed to shake out of their torpor, the cavalry remounted their horses and formed back up, shaking out into open order what appeared to be a full squadron then began to trot down the road directly towards First Troop. Guiness ordered up Four Troop in response, they arrived within minutes, occupying some houses that overlooked the road. As the German Cavalry came down the road, they were not making any efforts to secure their flanks or scout ahead, they were behaving as if on parade. The enemy squadron was a loose mass of men stretching over about 160 yards, their formation was as lax as their scouting. They were not a compact mass of horses and men that could use shock to punch through an ambush nor spread out sufficiently to ensure that they could maneuvere against one when it was initiated.
Guinness would wait until the enemy squadron was within 100 yards before initiating the ambush. With two troops available he could put 50 rifles into the firing line. The horse holders were 100 yards back from the firing line and out of direct sight. As the Germans got closer and closer their fatigue became apparent, half the men seemed asleep and their horses looked in poor condition with staring coats and worn equipment.
Guinness issued his last orders as the enemy continued their oblivious advance, “aim for the horses” “Fire”
With that a steady rattle of aimed rifle fire broke out, 10-15 rounds per man, virtually volley fire to begin with but settling down within a minute or so to individual aimed shots as the cavalry squadron was virtually shot to pieces. By aiming at the horses to begin with they choked the road with carcases, panicked the horses and totally disrupted any order within the enemy ranks. Plus horses are a nice big target for territorial soldiers to shoot at. Once they had initiated the ambush section commanders, sergeants and troop commanders began to direct the firing in a more systematic and methodical manner. They had been careful to make sure that the back markers were also brought under fire, this precluded retreat and sewed even more chaos.
The German cavalry with rifles slung and totally unprepared were virtually destroyed, a few men managed to shoot back but they lacked the rifle drill that was the hallmark of the British soldier and they were drastically out numbered.
With the ambush a success Guinness sent word back to regiment of what had been achieved, he also sent forward a small patrol to gather any intelligence and take any survivors prisoner. His own losses were one man slightly wounded, he had been hit by a chunk of brick from a near miss and had bruising and cuts to the head.

 

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31st August 1914, Namur.

The siege guns were lined up wheel to wheel, every heavy gun on the western front was ready to open fire. Fort Cognelee was the primary target of the Second Army, whilst the guns of Third Army were directed on Fort Maizeret. It was known from the siege of Liege that the fortifications themselves were only of limited value, their guns being fairly short ranged and the fortresses being unable to withstand the weight of fire that could be brought against them. The problem for the German Army was the positions between and anchored on the forts, the Belgians had used the available manpower to improve the defences of Namur, the time won by the heroes of Liege was not squandered.
The fortress positions remained occupied by Belgian troops, the defensive lines which had been constructed were defended by soldiers of both Belgium and France, The 20th Infantry division which had 2 brigades of 3 regiments had joined the Belgian 4th Division and the regular fortress garrison units. The additional division brought the strength of the defences up from 37,000 to 53,000 men.
This reinforcement was enabled in part by the holding the fortress, which was the key to all the positions in the angle between the Meuse and the Sambre. Most important from the perspective of Lieutenant General Michel was the additional machine guns and heavy artillery which the French brought with them.
The German bombardment was to be stunningly heavy, and unlike Liege no hasty infinity attacks would take place, instead a continuous bombardment was being made. This bombardment was to last for 4 days, to maximise the destruction of the Belgian Fortifications and the hasty defences between the fortresses. After the preparatory bombardment the infantry attack would go in, led by the Guards Division with the Guards Reserve Division to provide the follow on forces.
Von Hindenburg was prepared happy to blast his way into the Franco-Belgian defences, his army had a clear advantage in both howitzers and heavy guns, they would be able to use that weight of fire to neutralise the French 75mm guns.
If the attempts to do this failed, the rapid fire and battlefield mobility of the 75mm would enable the French to cut his attacking columns to pieces. To assist the Second Army, the Imperial German Flying Corps had reinforced its reconnaissance flights, focusing their efforts on Namur and its fortifications, particularly on the heavy guns the French had supplied to the defence.
With the First Army continuing its advance into Belgium, the Second Army was to secure the hinge of the wheeling thrust and tie down as many French units as possible, so that an attack centred on Sedan by the 4th 5th and 6th armies could again pry open the gates of France for a replication of the glorious victory of 1870. To that end additional reinforcements that had been intended for the east and even units screening Denmark and the Netherlands were to be transferred for the next great thrust.
Satisfied that all that could be done had been done and that the supply units had absolute priority, Hindenburg gave the order for the shelling of Namur to commence.

 

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1st September 1914, Krishouten.

Lieutenant Commander Samson had taken a Rolls Royce car out to scout the German lines and to recover a downed Short S.41 aircraft, this aircraft had been undertaking reconnaissance when it had gone down. The report from one of the outlying cavalry squadrons had been telegraphed through to the R.N.A.S. base near Ghent and Samson had set off immediately to find the Aircrew and recover them.
He was aware of the presence of German Cavalry units in the vicinity, so he took a pair of cars, he had managed to acquire a pair of Belgian Hotchkiss guns. These guns were mounted in the cars so that they could be used by a man stood in the passenger compartment of the car and fired whilst on the move.
Their initial mission had been highly successful, they had recovered the Pilot, Observer and the camera which the observer was using to take photographs. Unfortunately as they attempted to return they found their way blocked by advancing German Cavalry units.
This necessitated a long detour to get in front of the advancing Germans before returning to the British lines, their detour had been made more complex by the huge numbers of Belgian civilians still fleeing on foot away from the German advance.
They had finally outpaced the invader as they entered Krishouten, there they found the Belgian Garde Civique had constructed a barricade across the main road. After convincing them that they were British and not German, a task assisted by the White Ensign which they were flying from the lead vehicle and the horrible schoolboy French of Lt Commander Sampson. They agreed to assist the Belgians with the initiation of an ambush on the first German unit to enter the town. With that in mind they positioned the two cars on the edge of an adjacent wood, this position gave them the ability to enfilade the Germans as they shook out of marching order to attack the town when they encountered the barricade. They did not intend to stay for long, the Belgians would be routed and in keeping with the brutal methods which the Germans had adopted, likely any survivors would be shot. But in this war, anything which delayed the seemingly unstoppable flood of German units across Belgium was worthwhile.
A unit of German Lancers had appeared and was trotting forward on the road into Krishouten, the road made a sharp turn by the old church, which was the centre of village life. Hidden from view by the church and the turn in road, the barricade was of relatively sturdy construction, it consisted of several farm wagons which had been overturned, timber baulks and piles of bricks had also been piled up as breastworks behind the wagons. The Garde Civique unit which consisted of 35 men, had most of them on the barricade itself, a number however had chosen the bell tower of the church as a position from which to fire, whilst a few more were concealed in the buildings which overlooked the barricade.
The Lancer unit, which was in approximately squadron strength paused before the village, a few horsemen peeled off from the column and road to the nearby farmhouses to check for threats. A single troop, then trotted forward into the village, their nonchalant entrance was met by heavy gunfire and the rapid retreat of many of the horsemen and riderless horses.
The squadron commander gave an order, and the column began to advance with half the cavalry riding to enter the town and the other half clearly moving to out flank the defenders by riding between the town and the wood. This would place them astride both the gardes line of retreat but also and more importantly that of Lt Commander Sampson and his party. Fortunately for Sampson as the cavalry split they were in such a position as to be easily fired on by his two machine guns. This commenced with the Hotchkiss guns sending bursts of fire down range onto the German cavalry. The first fire had taken them completely by surprise and had been devastating more than 15 horses had been downed and their pain could be heard over the hammer of the guns. The flanking unit seemed unsure of where the fire was coming from, the village or the wood, they wavered, an opportunity to reload both guns, firing as they did from 24 round strips this was something that would be required many times in this brief engagement. The fire resumed and the more cavalrymen fell. Determining them not to be a threat with a third their number unhorsed or dead Sampson directed the fire be moved onto the other column. They had bunched up before the Belgian defenders, trying to deal with the Garde Civique, they had not noticed the ambush of their compatriots nor the sound of the machine gun firing. Their position was well chosen, the cavalry had taken cover from the barricade and were tying down the Belgians effectively, small groups of cavalry were also trying to work around the defenders in the buildings but clearly they were going to rely on the other column taking the Belgians in the rear. The machine guns began firing on them, the first group to be taken under fire were the horse holders that were on the edge of the village. Soon they were down, shot or kicked by panic horses, Sampson could not tell but the guns had done a fearsome execution amongst both horse and man. The next target was the cavalry taking cover from the barricade, their positions for the most part were effective against the Garde Civique but did not consider what was on their flanks, and the pounding of the heavy machine guns were soon to be heard. Like the flanking column the attacking cavalry began to retreat, almost immediately retreat became rout, leaving the dead and wounded scattered on the road way.
Returning to fire on the flanking column, Sampson worked them over again before he ordered his men to retire, they packed up and drove off. Leaving one of the leading units of the German First Army bleeding in their wake.
The return to the British lines was uneventful after that, though petrol was running short by the time they got back to Ghent. Sampson sent a brief report to his HQ and included a copy for the 3rd army intelligence officers to consider.
He reviewed the action in his own mind, taking the view that whilst they had managed to damage the Germans out of all proportion to their numbers, had they run into a well-positioned machine gun they would have been destroyed. He also took the view that had he had a wireless unit, he could have provided intelligence on the positions of the German units he encountered rapidly, rather than after he returned to the British lines.

 

[diesal]

2nd September 1914, Namur.

Each shell burst like a horrifying flower, one heavy shell per minute was striking Fort Congelee, the German range advantage over the old Belgian black powder guns again proving invaluable. Aerial reconnaissance had identified the French heavy guns that were in range, they too were getting as much fire as could be accurately directed on them.
Fixed balloons were positioned just behind the German lines providing accurate targeting information, equipped with telegraph transmitters and powerful observation equipment they were providing gunnery corrections as the shells fell. Already they had been able to observe working parties and formed bodies of troops moving behind the Franco-Belgian lines and direct fire on them with devastating results. Their effectiveness was highest in daylight, they were manned continuously though, and frequent use of star shells had made the night much more dangerous.
The German Second Army was husbanding its transport capacity as much as possible, munitions were being given absolute priority. The Belgian countryside was being gleaned for every resource that could be used, this was causing hardship and suffering for the Belgian people but suffering for an enemy that hid francs-tireurs amongst its population was to be expected. It was not just food and material that was being used, countless Belgian civilians were being impressed into ad hoc labour battalions, repairing the railroads and bridges but even being used as porters. Many had fled impressment joining the streaming flows of refugees struggling to keep ahead of the German army as it advanced. Their number causing havoc behind the Entente lines as they required food and medical care and further straining local resources. Shiploads of Belgian refugees had already started leaving from the coastal ports to Britain, makeshift camps and temporary housing being found for them. Whilst those who had useful skills were being recruited into industry, for any men who lacked crucial skills but were old enough, toting rifle was to be their lot. The plight of the refugees was being spread far and wide, with journalists from Britain and America delighting in recording their tales of suffering. These stories were bearing fruit, with angry letters to the editor demanding America support Belgium from the "Brutal Hun" appearing across the nation.

 

[diesal]

3rd September 1914, Liverpool.

Professor Alfred Lodge was meeting at Liverpool University with Percy Ludgate, Hertha Ayrton and Brigadier General William Cleeve, the discussion was on uses of the Ludgate Analytical Engine. Ludgate had explained to Lodge how the machine performed calculations for Addition, Subtraction and Multiplication.
Lodge, Cleeve and Ayrton were impressed by Ludgate’s development. Each digit in a number was converted into an index value using the first table, the index values were then added together to produce a second index value which is then used in a second lookup table. The calculated value is then multiplied by the two column values 1 for column 1 10 for column 2 etc.

Thus
1x1

The first value digit pair was 1 (index value 0) + 1 (index value 0) = second index value 0 lookup table 2 value 1 * Column(A)*Column(B)

=1*1*1

or
23 x 45

1st digit pair
3 (index value 7) + 5 (index value 23) = second index value 30 lookup table 2 value 15 * Column(A)*Column(B)
=15*1*1

+

2nd digit pair
2 ( index value 1)+ 5 ( index value 23) = second index value 24 Lookup Table 2 value = 10 * Column(A)*Column(B)
=10*10*1=100

3rd digit pair
4 ( index value 2)+ 3 ( index value 7) =second index value 9 Lookup Table 2 value = 12 * Column(A)*Column(B)
=12*1*10=120

4th digit pair
2 ( index value 1)+ 4 ( index value 2) = second index value 3 Lookup Table 2 value = 8 * Column(A)*Column(B)
=8*10*10=800

15+100+120+800 =1035
23 x 45 = 1035

One of the first tasks being discussed was to calculate Artillery tables, this was to be done for all the common artillery shells and calibres. The tables would be improved by allowing for additional variables including high altitude wind speed and barometric pressure. These improvements to the tables would not be possible without the use of vast numbers of human computers to perform the individual calculations, the analytical machine would enable rapid calculation of these tables.
Once they had worked out how these table calculations could be performed, the total number of analytical machines required were determined, orders would be placed for the required numbers.
The conversation then moved on from artillery tables to the real purpose of the meeting, improving shell design. Cleeve, Lodge and Ayrton began to discuss mathematical means of calculating the drag forces on different artillery shells, it was recognised that the current shell designs were fairly inefficient and that improving the ballistic co-efficient of the shells would reduce the drag and increase range. Simultaneous with the theoretical work the three of them would carry out with assistants recruited as required, the Royal Artillery under the supervision of the Master General of the Ordinance would also be carrying out physical experiments at the new range to be built near Morecambe Bay.
Ludgate excused himself from the meeting as it turned to theoretical ballistics and the mathematics required.
Already 18 machines had been ordered, a new company had been formed of which he was sole shareholder, it was called the Irish and Imperial Calculating Company. His company had been paid by the British government 5000 pounds for the design of the first Analytical machine and he was to receive a further 500 pounds for every machine produced of that design. He was already thinking of ways of improving the machine and he planned to have a new design available within 6 months. He was a wealthy man now and he intended to grow his business further, to that end he was going on something of a hiring spree, he wanted to have more people working machine design, so that his ideas could be further challenged and refined.

 

[diesal]

3rd of September, Tournai.

Like some Belgian towns Tournai had fallen without any significant fighting, the German soldiers who entered the town had immediately arrested the mayor and other notables as well as any men of military age. They would be used for two purposes, hostages in the first part but also as labourers to help the German army with all those tasks which men could be driven to perform. The garrison for Tournai would be men drawn from a Landwehr Brigade, these units were drawn from men who had completed both their active service duty and their reserve service. These men were not in the first flush of youth nor were they as well trained as their younger compatriots, but they were more than capable of pointing a rifle at a man and telling him to dig a trench or unload a train.
General Friedrich Sixt von Armin was the commander of the IV Corps of the First Army. His corps was the boundary unit with the Second Armies VII corps under the command of General Karl von Einem. Communications between IV and VII Corps had mainly been travelling via Army Headquarters but both Generals had agreed to use a number of motor cars as couriers, this was done to reduce the time delay which had seen messages take up to 12 hours to complete the journey. This delay was making co-ordination between the two Corps very difficult and had driven the unorthodox solution. At present the routing being used by the dispatch drivers was secured by the presence of cavalry screen and the lack of enemy activity. General von Sixt was planning to outflank the British and act as a shoulder for further penetration of the Entente line. Once the first army was astride their line of retreat they would role the BEF and the French Fifth army up.
It seemed that the British Army was content to squat astride the Mons-Condee Canal oblivious to the threat posed by First army, which was rapidly advancing and would soon be in a position, to threaten the lines of supply for the BEF.
Karl von Einem was intending to start a series of holding attacks against the BEF, his cavalry had already clashed inconclusively with that of the BEF with both sides drawing blood but not gaining any particular advantage. His goal was to engage the British whilst the First Army outflanked them. He reviewed the air reconnaissance reports, they also noted that the British appeared to have additional troops concentrated on the Mons Conde Canal line. What limited intelligence reports he had received from higher command indicated that the British had deployed territorial force units to Belgium and France, the British Territorials were nothing like his reserve units being comprised of men who had not ever done any active service for the most part but instead trained once per week, one weekend per month and 15 days of annual camp per year. Their equipment was reported to be obsolete, and he imagined their morale would be poor. Against his well-trained forces he did not imagine they would hold.
His orders were already going out to the subordinate units, the attacks would commence in the morning. His orders made clear that there were to be no massed charges against the British lines, his men were to use their artillery strength as much as possible to dislodge the British before any assaults. The goal was to pin them and disorient them.

 

[diesal]

3rd September 1914, London.

The Danish Ambassador to the Court of St James waited outside the office of the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs Sir Edward Grey. He had arrived slightly early and had been directed to a well furnished area adjacent to Sir Edwards office. He had spent his time reading the Daily Telegraph, which was full of an account of the actions of a Lt Commander Sampson of the Royal Navy who had apparently destroyed a German Cavalry regiment. The Ambassador wondered what a Royal Naval officer was doing fighting German Cavalry in Belgium, but recalling the depredations of the Royal Navy in his own country he was not surprised.
He would instruct his Defence Attache to find out more about what this Sampson fellow had done. His desire and that of his government was to stay out of any fight between Britain and Germany, both nations had triumphed against his and should Denmark wish to retain its independence and it’s colonies he would need to steer a careful path.
After only a brief interlude he was welcomed into Sir Edwards office, he was sat at a comfortable chair by the window, he stood strode over to the Ambassador and shook his had warmly. Saying “thank you for coming to see me, His Majesty wishes to convey his warmest greetings to his cousin. He hopes that Denmark is able to remain out of the fighting which has set Europe ablaze.” He paused then added “On behalf of His Majesties Government we note that you have chosen to emplace minefields within your territorial waters that hinder peaceful navigation and access to the Baltic. We recognise that you have been instructed to do this by the German Reich and that you are unable resist effectively should they attempt to compel you.”
“His Majesties Government will at this time take no action against Denmark for this action, however we are gravely concerned that the German Empire has been able to impose its will on Denmark in this matter” “Should this state of affairs persist and German control over Denmark become a threat to the British Empire and it’s allies we may be compelled to action” “We do not wish this to occur, to that end we suggest that Denmark acquire additional defensive weapons in order to preserve its independence, the Chancellor of the Exchequer is happy to extend a secret loan guarantee of up to £500,000 pounds for Denmark to purchase suitable defensive weapons and or to upgrade your fixed defences on the border with Germany”
The Ambassador was shocked, he would immediately convey this message to government and he would travel back to Copenhagen to communicate directly with the government on the matter. He was not sure what the British would do if Denmark did not take up the offer, but the Faroes, Iceland and Greenland would fall in days if the British wished it. He did not think that Britain was trying to bully Denmark but they obviously were not going to allow them to facilitate German actions in any way if they could prevent it.

 

[diesal]

4th September 1914, Thornton Bank.

The sea fog was thick, with no wind to disturb it, 1st Battlecruiser Squadron, comprising HMS Lion, HMS Queen Mary, HMS Invincible and HMS New Zealand were sailing just off the Dutch coast. The ships had been alerted to a German sortie by a patrolling submarine, it had sighted the running lights of the German units as they made their way south hugging as close to the coast as they could whilst not straying into Dutch waters. The sortie itself was unexpected, the Royal Navy was not expecting the High Seas fleet to strike first, and its ships and men had been preparing for a raid of their own, prior to having to hurriedly raise steam and sail for the Belgian coast.
Commodore Keys and Commodore Tyrwhitt had been engaged in detailed planning for an attack on the patrolling German destroyers in the Heligoland Bight. That attack had been postponed by the need to secure the ports of Ostend and Zeebrugge, with the need to keep safe the passage of the many transports which plied the North Sea bringing men and equipment from Britain to Belgium. The plan however had not been rejected; the First Lord was insistent on the need for offensive action against the Germans.
The delay had had several benefits as far as the Royal Navy was concerned with additional ships and training time utilised. One division of First Battlecruiser squadron had been detached south to join the Harwich force, HMS Lion aboard which Beatty flew his flag and her sistership HMS Queen Mary. Along with the two battlecruisers, 1st Light Cruiser squadron had been deployed south.
The plan for the raid had been an attack into the Heligoland Bight by the four battlecruisers, six light cruisers and sixteen destroyers with the support of Keyes Submarines. That plan was now irrelevant, but the planning had not been wasted entirely as it gave Admiral Beatty and Commodore Tyrwhitt options for the upcoming fight.
With the movement of the British Army to Ostend and Zeebrugge, the Royal Navy had responded by deploying 1st Destroyer Flotilla and 7th cruiser squadron to Ostend. The recognition of the importance of Ostend and Zeebrugge combined with Dutch neutrality and the absence of a Belgian Navy, had required some ships be deployed for coastal defence. had ships operating in the area, as their operations base had changed to Ostend in line with the importance of the Belgian Ports.
The pre-dreadnoughts HMS Victorious and HMS Mars along with attached destroyers were making steam to engage the German ships should they divert to raid the East Coast. This motley squadron was based at Grimsby and so was too away and too slow to be able to intervene before the German Ships reached Belgian waters but may be able to intercept the Germans on their return.
The Grand Fleet was already sailing south from Scapa Flow to strike at the High Seas Fleet should they have also emerged from their base.
The German ships sailing south from Wilhelmshaven included SMS Seydlitz, SMS Moltke, SMS Von der Tann and SMS Blucher. They were accompanied by four light cruisers SMS Coln, Mainz, Kolberg and Augsburg, with eight modern V1 class destroyers provided a light escort. The raid had been the brainchild of Admiral Franz von Hipper, he had developed the idea of the raid as a way of damaging the British build up in Belgium.
His plan was a simple one, his ships would sail from Wilhelmshaven, keeping as close to the German coast as possible before skirting Dutch waters, they would brush aside the light forces reported by aerial reconnaissance as being based in the Belgian Ports. They would then fire on the ports destroying as much as possible before sweeping south towards Britain sinking any ships in the area and then retiring back to Germany as quickly as was practical.
Aboard HMS Lion Rear Admiral Beatty was waiting, his ships were making just enough steam to be able to reach full speed quickly whilst still minimising fuel burn. His goal was to engage the German ships at the closest range he could, his battlecruisers would need to close the range only HMS Queen Mary had a working fire control director, HMS Invincible was fitted with the equipment but it was not yet fully operational. His plan was to engage the German fleet with his heavy ships whilst his cruisers and destroyers attacked from the flanks, his orders on that subject were also clear, ships were to deliver their torpedo attacks from the closest range they could.
As he and his fleet at waited the fog slowly lifted, his ships had already come to action stations and as dawn broke reports flooded in of German ships to the Southeast of his position near the Thornton Bank, they were already within range of his ships at 18000 yards.
His orders went out quickly and efficiently, aided by their simplicity “make full steam and engage with all guns that bear”
With that the four battlecruisers settled onto their new course, all four ships in line abreast. Aboard HMS Queen Mary her gunnery director was working effectively, only her forward 2 turrets could fire but already they were tracking the leading German Battlecruiser. They would open fire with the rest of the squadron, aboard the other ships gunnery was down to the individual turrets and so close range was required for any sort of accuracy. Standing orders were too close to 12000 yards prior to opening fire.
The German Battlecruisers showed no such desire to close to close range, they swung slightly to the south to open enable their aft turrets to bear and opened fire.
Their fire was shockingly accurate, HMS Lion was almost immediately struck by a German shell, little damage was done but it was a warning that this battle would be bloody. With first blood to the Germans, Beatty gave the British Battlecruisers the order to open fire, instantly Percy Scott was proven right, German gunnery out-performed that of Royal Navy, with the majority of the British fire proving ineffective. HMS Queen Mary was the single British battlecruiser to be able to boast, her 3rd salvo bracketed SMS Seyderlitz, another followed as quickly as her well trained gunners could load the 13.5” guns. A heavy shell from that salvo smashed through Seyderlitz, piercing her deck armour and deflected downwards penetrated the barbette of a midships turret. The explosion when it came rippled down through the barbette and caused a charge being loaded into the hoist to deflagrate, this spread to ready charges awaiting loading, the resultant fire and explosion burst into the magazine, which detonated tearing her apart.
At almost the same time a pair of German shells did something virtually identical to HMS Lion, within minutes of battle being joined two battlecruisers were destroyed. Aboard HMS New Zealand the gunners had finally got the range of SMS Blucher and were steadily pounding her to pieces. HMS Queen Mary had now taken to firing on SMS Moltke whilst HMS Invincible was exchanging blows with SMS Von der Tann.
The light units of the Royal Navy were having a better time of it, the light cruisers had swung out to the south-east at maximum speed whilst the destroyers had headed east, both groups would attempt torpedo attacks on the German Battlecruisers. The German light units had moved to engage them, outnumbered they were forced onto the defensive. The destroyers were grossly outmatched both in weight of guns available and numbers, the British rapidly sinking six of the eight German vessels for the loss of two before the last two German destroyers broke off trailing smoke and sought the safety of the German battle line. The cruiser fight was more equal but like that of the destroyers it went badly for Germany, three cruisers were soon sinking for the loss of one British cruiser destroyer and one badly damaged.
The torpedo attacks which followed were largely unsuccessful, SMS Blucher was hit twice and slowed to 14 knots allowing HMS New Zealand to complete her destruction. Of the other remaining German ships SMS Von der Tann was hit once slowing slightly but to little other effect and SMS Moltke was saved by the surviving German Cruiser SMS Coln, straying into the path of a pair of torpedos, they detonated breaking her back and sending her to the bottom of the North Sea. The two surviving German Battlecruisers with the Destroyers reversed course and headed for Dutch Waters. Commodore Tyrwhitt, in command following the death of Rear Admiral Beatty, considered his options, signals from HMS Invincible indicated she was badly damaged, with an uncontrolled major fire in B turret.
Tyrwhitt ordered HMS Queen Mary and New Zealand to continue firing on the German ships till they reached Dutch waters but to break off and shadow them they were not to reengage unless the German ships came out to fight. His own flagship, three light cruisers and four destroyers provided an escort for them. The remaining British ships he ordered to assist HMS Invincible’s firefighting efforts or if required evacuation and the search for survivors.
The explosion when it came was shocking, HMS Invincible blew apart, shocked, Tyrwhitt realised that the fire must have been worse than he had thought. The sporadic fire from the fleeing German ships was being matched by the two British battlecruisers, HMS Queen Mary again proving the excellence of her gunnery by striking SMS Von der Tann, at least one shell must have struck her steering gear as she appeared to helm over suddenly, her path now taking her away from the other German ships. HMS New Zealand switched targets and soon both battlecruisers had Von der Tann under fire, as the range closed the shells were striking horizontally. Wreathed in smoke and with her only response fitful fire from her secondary batteries, her companions continued to flee, crossing the invisible line into safety. Tyrwhitt ordered his cruisers to close on the German Battlecruiser and torpedo her, this they did, the ship settled almost gracefully going down on an even keel, the water was shallow where she sank and parts of her upper works remained above water, with German sailors clinging to everything they could to remain safe. Soon the cruisers had dispatched boats to bring the survivors in.
The German survivors increased speed to their maximum and sped to the north-east, Tyrwhitt continued his pursuit with the Battlecruisers and Destroyers, he had been ordered to offer no insult to the Dutch by fighting in their waters and he was content to have the few surviving German ships which had begun this raid flee.
Both the Royal Navy and the German Navy had lost a pair of Battlecruisers and the Germans an armoured cruiser, but the German losses of light ships were catastrophic, four cruisers and six destroyers gone. Compared with British losses of one cruiser HMS Birmingham and two destroyers HMS Lark and HMS Liberty lost and one cruiser HMS Liverpool badly damaged. Almost all of the British ships had some damage apart from New Zealand who had managed to avoid any damage at all.