The Cuxhaven Raid was a British ship-based "air reconnaissance of the Heligoland Bight, including Cuxhaven, Heligoland and Wilhelmshaven ... by naval seaplanes" during which "the opportunity was taken of attacking with bombs points of military importance"^[1] in northern Imperial Germany. Cuxhaven beach at sunset Cuxhaven is a town in Lower Saxony, Germany, with about 55000 inhabitants. ... For the landscape in Norway, see Helgeland. ... Wilhelmshaven is a town in Lower Saxony, Germany. ... This article or section should include material from German Monarchy The term German Empire (the translation from German of Deutsches Reich) commonly refers to Germany, from its consolidation as a unified nation-state on January 18, 1871, until the abdication of Kaiser (Emperor) Wilhelm II on November 9, 1918. ...

Planning

The Zeppelin sheds in Cuxhaven were out of range of UK-based aircraft, so a plan was developed for three seaplane tenders (HMS Engadine, Riviera and Empress), supported by "Harwich Force", a group of cruisers, destroyers and submarines commanded by Commodore Reginald Yorke Tyrwhitt, to launch three seaplanes each from their station near Helgoland in the German Bight. The objective was to reconnoitre military installations in the area and, if possible, bomb the Zeppelin sheds at Cuxhaven. This is an article about Zeppelin airships. ... A seaplane tender (or seaplane carrier) is a ship which provides the facililites necessary for operating seaplanes. ... HMS Engadine was a seaplane tender which served in the First World War. ... USS Port Royal (CG-73), a Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruiser (really an uprated guided missile destroyer), launched in 1992. ... USS McFaul underway in the Atlantic Ocean. ... USS Virginia, a Virginia-class nuclear attack (SSN) submarine Alvin in 1978, a year after first exploring hydrothermal vents. ... Commodore has several meanings: Commodore International is a computer company Commodore 64 and Amiga were home computers Commodore (rank) is a naval rank Commodore (yacht club) is the senior officer of a yacht club The Holden Commodore is a type of car The Opel Commodore is a type of car... Heligoland during World War I. Heligoland (in German, Helgoland and in North Frisian, Lun, Hålilönj) is a small, German, triangular-shaped island approximately 2 km long, though a smaller island east of it is usually also included. ... Satellite view of the German Bight, Jutland to the right (east). ...

Execution

On Christmas Day, 1914, the first combined sea and air strike was executed by the Royal Navy, aimed at locating and if possible bombing the dirigible sheds housing German 'Zeppelin' airships, in a pre-emptive strike to prevent the airships from attacking the United Kingdom. December 25 is the 359th day of the year (360th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 6 days remaining in the year. ... This is a list of aviation-related events from 1914: Events January January 1 - The St. ... The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the oldest of the British armed services (and is therefore the Senior Service). ...

The air temperature was just above 0°C and of the nine seaplanes lowered to the water, only seven (three 100 hp Mono-Gnome Short Folders^[2], two 160 hp Short Folders and two further 'Folders', the 135 hp Short Admiralty Type 135 and the 200 hp Short Admiralty Type 136, all carrying three 20-pound bombs) were able to start their engines and take off.

Fog, low cloud and anti-aircraft fire prevented the raid from being a complete success, although several sites were attacked and a German warship (the battlecruiser SMS Von der Tann) suffered damage while taking evasive action.^[3] Nevertheless the raid demonstrated the feasibility of attack by ship-borne aircraft and showed the strategic importance of this new weapon. According to a telegram dated 7 January 1915, held in the "Churchill Archives Centre", at Churchill College, Cambridge, the "Admiralty Chief Censor intercepted message from Hartvig, Kjobenhaven to the Daily Mail, reporting that the British aerial raid on Cuxhaven [Germany] had forced the German Admiralty to remove the greater part of the High Seas Fleet from Cuxhaven to various places on the Kiel Canal."^[4] HMS Hood (left) and the battleship HMS Barham (right), in Malta, 1937. ... SMS Von der Tann was the first battlecruiser built for the German Kaiserliche Marine as well as Germanys first turbine powered major warship. ... is the 7th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1915 (MCMXV) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Thursday[1] of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Full name Churchill College Motto Forward Named after Sir Winston Churchill Previous names - Established 1966 Sister College Trinity College Master Sir John Boyd Location Storeys Way Undergraduates 210 Graduates 440 Homepage Boatclub Churchill College Churchill College was founded in 1960 as the national and commonwealth memorial to Winston Churchill. ... Geography Status City (1951) Region East of England Admin. ... German battlecruiser Derfflinger scuttled at Scapa Flow. ...

It is worth noting that the crews of all seven aircraft survived the raid, having been airborne for over three hours.^[5] Three aircraft, a 100 hp Short Folder (RNAS serial no. 811), a 160 hp Short Folder (RNAS serial no. 119), and the sole Admiralty Type 136 (RNAS serial no. 136), regained their tenders and were recovered; three others (one 160 hp and two 100 hp Short Folders) landed off the East Friesian island of Norderney and their crews were taken on board the submarine E11 (the aircraft being scuttled to prevent them from falling into enemy hands)^[6]; the seventh aircraft, the sole Admiralty Type 135 (RNAS serial no. 135) piloted by Flt. Lt. F.E.T.Hewlett, suffered engine problems, was seen to ditch into the sea some 8 miles off Helgoland and was posted as missing.^[7] However he was found by a Dutch fishing vessel which took him on board and returned him to the port of Ymunden in Holland, where he disembarked on [2 January] [1915],^[8] from whence he made his way back to England. Norderney is one of the seven populated East Frisian Islands off the coast of Germany. ... E11 torpedoes the Stamboul off Constantinople, 25 May 1915. ... Heligoland during World War I. Heligoland (in German, Helgoland and in North Frisian, Lun, Hålilönj) is a small, German, triangular-shaped island approximately 2 km long, though a smaller island east of it is usually also included. ...

Decorations ensuing from the action

For their part in the Cuxhaven Raid, Flight Commander Cecil Francis Kilner and Flight Lieutenant Charles Humphrey Kingsman Edmonds, R.N. were awarded the DSO; Chief Petty Officer Mechanic James William Bell and Chief Petty Officer Mechanic Gilbert Howard William Budds were awarded the DSM. A Flight Lieutenants sleeve/shoulder insignia Flight Lieutenant (abbreviated as Flt Lt and pronounced as flight lef-tenant, see Lieutenant) is a junior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many Commonwealth countries. ... DSO medal The Distinguished Service Order (DSO) is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other Commonwealth countries, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat. ... Chief Petty Officer is a non-commissioned officer or equivalent in many navies. ... The Distinguished Service Medal (D.S.M.) is a military decoration for courage. ...

References

• Barnes C.H. & James D.N. Shorts Aircraft since 1900. London (1989): Putnam, 560. ISBN 0-85177-819-4.