HMS Indomitable had
remained in the Mediterranean after the unsuccessful pursuit of the German battlecruiser SMS Goeben and the light
cruiser SMS Breslau at the outbreak of War. Serving on-board, deep in the engine
room, was my Great grandfather in law, Stoker 2nd Class Robert Harris.
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| HMS Indomitable |
On 3 November 1914, 100 years ago today, Churchill ordered
the first British attack on the Dardanelles following the declaration
hostilities between Turkey and Russia the previous day. The attack was carried
out by HMS Indomitable and Indefatigable, as well as the French
pre-dreadnought battleships Suffren and Verite.
The intention of the
attack was to test the fortifications and measure the Turkish response. The
results were deceptively encouraging. In a twenty minute bombardment, a single
shell struck the magazine of the fort at Sedd El Bahr at the tip of the Gallipoli peninsula,
displacing (but not destroying) 10 guns and killing 86 Turkish soldiers, Total casualties during the attack were 150, of which forty were
German.
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| The fort at Sedd El Bahr (photo actually taken in 1915 during the Gallipoli landings) |
The most significant consequence however was
that the attention of the Turks was drawn to strengthening their defences and
they set about expanding the mine field in the straights.
The attack actually took
place before the formal declaration of war had
been made by Britain against the Ottoman Empire which didn't happen until the 5th November.
HMS Indomitable was ordered to return to England in December
where she joined the 2nd Battle Cruiser Squadron.
References
Wikipedia
Robert Harris Navy Service Record (Personal Collection)
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