Trading a Queens

The Germans iprior to WWI put a lot of resources into the Fleet and in the war had very little real return. In 1918 they essentially surrendered (but scuttled) this investment. But what if the Kaiser was willing to risk the fleet to stop the BEF in 1914?

If the High Sea Fleet sorties into or near the channel doesn't the transport of the BEF to France have to be halted? Particularly if an 'invasion' fleet of empty transports or cargo ships are sent with the fleet?

As I recall the RN concentrated in Northern Scotland but left light units in the channel in 1914. They would have to fall back leaving the channel ports open to shelling - further disrupting the BEF transit to France.

Of course the channel is narrow and the HSF can't stay there long or will risk a battle of annilation. But how long is enough? How long till the British fleet can move South. I would think the transit or raid into it would disrupt the sending of the BEF for at least a week. Accompanied by an invasion scare or a false landing in Eire perhaps two?

Thoughts?
(Its good to be back - Gemellus)
 
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If you look at a map, the distance from Wilhelmshaven to the Channel is about the same distance as Scapa Flow is from the Channel. All a sortie of this type would accomplish is getting the High Seas Fleet destroyed for nothing, and allowing the British to use the bulk of their fleet for offensive purposes.
 
But the point is not for the HSF to win a victory but to keep the BEF from sailing, and for how long that would be. The German Fleet was not a significant factor in the war because it was kept bottled up. Even a crippling defeat in or near the channel would have keep the transports hugging the port or more likely fleeing out of the Channel and heading North to Belfast, or even Scotland. Then good luck getting them back in time to move the BEF over in any sort of order.
 
Yes but the Germans don't know that the BEF is going to be instrumental in anything. They don't have hindsight, and in their opinion its an army corps or so that's neither here nor there. They don't expect it to hinder them greatly and they certainly don't expect a war lasting much longer than a few months. Thus, why risk the fleet simply to DELAY the sailing of the BEF, since thats what any sortie would achieve ? The transports would turn back if at sea and under threat, whilst the HSF's units would be faced with the Dover, Chatham and Harwich based units in addition to the Grand Fleet and could end up annihilated for nothing

Best Regards
Grey Wolf
 
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