GULF OF RIGA in the Baltic Sea  August 1915

Played April 5^th 2016

Length: 12 minutes

As the British bottled the German High Seas Fleet up in the Heligoland in the North Sea, the Germans did to the Imperial Russian Navy in the Gulf of Riga in the Baltic. Like the Germans in the Heligoland, the Russians closed the Gulf of Riga off with a barrier of mines backed up by patrolling battleships and armored cruisers. Two things changed in the summer of 1915 though.

       One the German army advance had reached the Baltic States and the German High Command wanted the Sea ward flank of the army covered. The Second was the completion of four Russian dreadnoughts being added to the Saint Petersburg Fleet.

The Germans tried to Force the Minefield and immediately in the first 6 minutes they lost two Destroyers. Then the SMS Moltke was crippled by a torpedo hit by a Russian picket submarine. The German commanders relized that they were going to lose a dreadnought and that the objective wasn't obtainable at that point. They then spent the last 12 minutes retreating back out of Russian gunnery range and then returned to Kiel. German gunnery did get them a few consolation prizes as it covered their retreat. Since no dreadnoughts were lost on either side the battle was considered inconclusive in the strategic terms of the campaign.

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