Land of Hope and Glory - a 20th century timeline

[Ferd42]

Hello,

I have decided to have a go at writing a timeline. Hopefully it goes alright! (on the other hand do not except to much or too regular updates)

So, the plan is for a timeline set in the 20th century. I am British and so there might be a bias as to who get covered. I might also end up writing a bit of a 20th century as I wish it had gone, but clearly this does not mean I agree or endorse that which happens. Furthermore, there will likely be more detail with areas which I know more about. Pointers on areas which I have missed will be gratefully received and considered.

The PoD will be a more successful battle of Dogger Bank for the British, and will go on (and outward in level of detail) from there. Thank you to all at WI : Greater British Victory at the Battle of Dogger Bank for the ideas.

I have used Wikipedia for research.

 

[Ferd42]

On the 23rd of January 1915 the British Admiralty became aware of a German plan to attack the British fishing fleet. The first and second battle-cruisers squadrons, the Harwich force and the 1st light cruiser squadron. At 7:35 the Germans caught sight of the smoke of the British Battlecruisers and attempted to withdraw. At 08:52 HMS Lion, the British Flagship opened fire, with the other British ships opening fire as soon as they came within range. HMS Tiger fortunately did not assume that she should fire at Seydlitz, but followed instructions to fire at Molke, keeping it under pressure. At 09:43 HMS Lion hit the Seydiltz at knocked out her rear turrets in a fire and forced the flooding of the magazine to prevent the total loss of the Ship.

The Germans change course towards the the North East, at the same time the German Torpedo destroyers fired torpedoes. V 5 managed to to score a hit against HMS New Zealand. She began to list badly and fell out of line and at 10:44 she finally sunk.

At 10:02 HMS Tiger hit Mokle and manage to penetrate the Turret, leading to a fire spreading through out the ship to the magazine before it could be flooded. It explored taking all hands except 6.

At 10:18 Deffinger hit Lion, damaging her engine and starting flooding, forcing her to fall behind.

At 10:30 Princess Royal successfully damaged Blucher and forced her to slow down to 17 knots. Beatty ordered the Indomiatable to persue her.

The Indomitable went in persecute of of Blucher, rest of the British carried on in persecute of the German fleet. At 11:04 the Princess Royal did significant damage to the Deffinger, knocking out her engine and also reducing her speed. Mean while the indomitable successfully engaged the Blucher and after a hard fight started to sink.

While the Tiger and Princess Royal engaged the Deffinger, the Seyditz ordered a torpedo attack to divert the British and made away to the the South East with the hope of returning to port. The Deffinger finally sank at 11:23, bringing the battle of Dogger Bank to an End.

 

[Ferd42]

Having lost Seyditz, the British fleet returned home. Lion was taken down to Portsmouth for repairs and all others were repaired at Rosyth. Beatty was hailed as a hero. Once news imerged of Scheer’s fleet being in the area an (incorrect) perception sprang up that Beatty had taken the German Battlecrusiers under the Battleships nose.

The Germans were reduced to only 2 BattleCrusiers, one of which was out of action for repairs. There was hence no way that they would be able to sortie until the numbers were made up for. They had another one due to be commission shortly and more under construction, they might be able to in the future, but they would be outnumbered. For the meantime, they would have to continue unrestricted submarine warfare.

 

[Some Bloke]

Perhaps a bloodier dogger bank exposes problems with British gunnery earlier, maybe earlier considerations on alternaative armour schemes.

 

[Ferd42]

Perhaps a bloodier dogger bank exposes problems with British gunnery earlier, maybe earlier considerations on alternaative armour schemes.

I am conserned that RN will think that their Gunnery works fine?
There maybe more Armour needed. They will also think that battlecruisers/fast battleships are the bee's knees and so it maybe gunnery which will lose out?
Thank you for showing an interest!

 

[Ferd42]

Author’s note – I am going to say that for 1915, unless something is mentioned as going differently, it happened OTL. If you want to know what happened in 1915 OTL I suggest looking at the wikipedia page on the subject.

The next key change is that ITTL after the sinking of the Lustinia, the Germans realise that they are either going to continue with unrestricted submarine warfare, or go to battle sooner, as they are under more pressure.

The Queen Elizabeth class is completed as planned, save that more secondary turrets are fitted, with the hope this will help protect them agaist torpedo attacks. Most British planers are of the opion that the loss of the New Zealand by Torpeado was likely a fluke. It was desided that the new fast battleships would be part of Beatty’s command, thank to his success at Dogger Bank.

 

[Eternity]

++Snip++

The Germans change course towards the the North East, at the same time the German Torpedo destroyers fired torpedoes. V 5 managed to to score a hit against HMS New Zealand. She began to list badly and fell out of line and at 10:44 she finally sunk.

++Snip++

Nooooooo Was the captain not wearing his skirt and pendant (Gifted to the ship on her tour pre-WWI???) Sacralidge having her sunk!!!

 

[Ferd42]

Nooooooo Was the captain not wearing his skirt and pendant (Gifted to the ship on her tour pre-WWI???) Sacralidge having her sunk!!!

I did not know about the pendant when I wrote that. Let it stand then that he was not.

Rest assured I will (when I get round to it) make it up to the Royal New Zeal navy

 

[Eternity]

I did not know about the pendant when I wrote that. Let it stand then that he was not.

Rest assured I will (when I get round to it) make it up to the Royal New Zeal navy

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_New_Zealand_(1911)#First_World_War

Top paragraph there

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Māori_traditional_textiles#Piupiu
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hei-tiki

Legend has it that both were worn at Jutland and while she did receive a direct hit to a gun turret (The armour chunk blown off is in the Auckland Navy Museum) there were no injuries or death and the ship survived otherwise intact

 

[Ferd42]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_New_Zealand_(1911)#First_World_War

Top paragraph there

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Māori_traditional_textiles#Piupiu
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hei-tiki

Legend has it that both were worn at Jutland and while she did receive a direct hit to a gun turret (The armour chunk blown off is in the Auckland Navy Museum) there were no injuries or death and the ship survived otherwise intact

Thanks, I had heard about it but, only after I wrote the loss of NZ. Given the exreme bad luck seen her, I am fairly sure that the pendant was left ashore.

 

[Ferd42]

By November 1915 the Germans had only Three battlecruisers, hence they were forced to integrate armoured cruisers into the scouting force. However, with the risk of unrestricted submarine warfare considered too great at the time, it was considered that another attempt to sortie must be made.

The plan was laid that the Germans would send out submarines, to catch the Grand Fleet as it moved south to intercept with submarines.

It was the 21st of November that the British became aware that the Germans appeared to be preparing for a mission, based on their positioning of their submarines.

On November the 22nd Room 40 discovered that the German Battlecruisers had left port, and as a result both the British Grand Fleet and the British Battlecruisers left port. Once the German High seas fleet left port the code in the signal was sent in changed, meaning that Room 40 did not figure out that the German High Seas fleet had left port until Jellicoe had already been informed incorrectly and desided to delay the rendezvous.

 

[Ferd42]

“What would Nelson give to be here?” – Cuthbert Collingwood

Ships at Jutland and there fate :

British

Battlecruisers and Queen Elizabeth class Battleships

Ship Fate

Lion C.24 hours to repair

Tiger Cordite charges exploded at 11 :43.

Queen Mary C.24 hours to repair

Princess Royal C.24 hours to repair

Indefatgiable Cordite charges exploded at 12 :02.

Queen Elizabeth Rudder jammed, forced to sail round in circle before the whole or the German main battlefleet, sunk at 13 :31.

Warspite C.48 hours to repair

Barham c.48 hours to repair

Mayala c.48 hours to repair

Invisicible c.24 hours to repair

Inflexable c.24 hours to repair

Indomintable Cordite charges exploded at 12 :23.

Battleships

Ship Fate

King George V c.1 hour to repair

Ajax No damage

Centurion No damage

Erin Torpedoed- c. three months to repire

Orion No Damage

Monarch No Damage

Conqurer No Damage

Thunderer No Damage

Iron Duke c.1 hour to repair

Royal Oak C.12 hours to repair

Superb No damage

Canada c.6 hours to repair

Benbow No Damage

Bellerophon No Damage

Temeraire No Damage

Vanguard No Damage

Colussus No Damage

Collingwood Sunk by U 43’s Torpedeo at 09 : 50

St. Vincent No Damage

Neptune No Damage

Marlbourogh No Damage

Revenge No Damage

Hercules No Damage

Agincourt No Damage


German

Battlecruisers and Armoured crusiers

Ship Fate

Lutzow Began sinking at 12 :32

Seyditz Began sinking at 11 :42

Von der Tann 1 month to repair

Makensen Began sinking at 15 :21

Graff Spee 2 months to repair

Scharnhorst Ammonition explotion at 11 :45

Gnesiensue Began Sinking at 14 :21


Battleships

Ship Fate

Friedrich der Grosse 1 week to repair

Konig 2 weeks to repair

Grosser Kurfürst 1 week to repair

KronPrinz 1 week to repair

Markgraf 2 weeks to repair

Kaiser 1 month to repair

Prinzregent Luitpold Began sinking at 16:24

Kaiserin 3 weeks to repair

Ostfriesland Ammunition exploded at 13:54

Thüringen 2 months to repair

Helgoland Began Sinking at 14:31

Oldenburg 1 month to repair

Posen 2 moths to repair

Rheinland 1 day to repair

Nassau c.1 hour to repair

Westfalen No damage

Deutschland Sunk at 15:32

Hessen Withdrawn from service

Pommern Sunk at 13:43

Hannover Ammunition exploded at 14:54

Schlesien Non damage

Schleswig-Holstein 1 month to repair