The First U-Boat Disaster - Sinking of Aboukir, Hogue and Cressy 1914

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  • Опубліковано 3 тра 2024
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    Sources:
    Robert Massie, Castles of Steel
    www.navy.gov.au/sites/default...
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КОМЕНТАРІ • 746

  • @historigraph
    @historigraph  2 роки тому +89

    Visit curiositystream.com/Historigraph and use the code 'Historigraph' to get a years membership for just $14.99
    More videos you might like:
    Battle of Jutland: ua-cam.com/video/JbWGRNoxGt8/v-deo.html
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    Dreadnought: The Battleship that Changed Everything: ua-cam.com/video/iFZXdyGlJy0/v-deo.html
    Battle of Coronel: ua-cam.com/video/9kSgltDuc6c/v-deo.html
    Battle of the Falkland Islands: ua-cam.com/video/cBCCnqiVOUk/v-deo.html
    Battle of Taranto: ua-cam.com/video/dqko_tiX24E/v-deo.html
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    • @Thomas-rk4rl
      @Thomas-rk4rl 2 роки тому +1

      I have to ask, were you using Rule the Waves/Rule the Waves 2 for the ship models? They look incredibly similar to the ones in game.

    • @historigraph
      @historigraph  2 роки тому +3

      @@Thomas-rk4rl nope, the ship models are vectors that wee custom made for the video

    • @TremereTT
      @TremereTT 2 роки тому +1

      Where was this a U-Boat-desaster? Wasn't more like a U-Boat-blessing or U-Boat-accomplishment, while it also was a Brittish-cruiser disaster? Also an astonishing display ineptitude of the three captains for a country with such a gloryous naval tradition. How did they become captains?

    • @Thomas-rk4rl
      @Thomas-rk4rl 2 роки тому +1

      @@historigraph Thank you for the response!

    • @sicknote1558
      @sicknote1558 Рік тому +1

      @@historigraph what happened to the captains of the 3 cruisers did they make it back alive just found your channel your videos are really interesting

  • @fabianzimmermann5495
    @fabianzimmermann5495 2 роки тому +4264

    There was one british sailor, that was sunk three times during that incident. He was sunk on Aboukir, got on Hogue, was sunk again, reached Cressy and was promptly sunk a third time. He survived the war.

    • @MrNicoJac
      @MrNicoJac 2 роки тому +419

      What a legend!
      (or plot armor?🤔)

    • @roum22
      @roum22 2 роки тому +285

      You wouldn't want to serve with him, he was obviously a "Jonah"😂

    • @rob5944
      @rob5944 2 роки тому +151

      @@roum22 or stick right by his side, depending on your point of view....

    • @FutureCanadaBlue
      @FutureCanadaBlue 2 роки тому +263

      He went on to return to the service in World War II and reach the rank of Commander, and passed away at the ripe old age of 90 in 1989. Midshipman Wenman Humfrey "Kit" Wykeham-Musgrave.

    • @TheLesserWeevil
      @TheLesserWeevil 2 роки тому +132

      I can't decide whether he is the luckiest man alive or the unluckiest man alive.

  • @RodrigoFernandez-td9uk
    @RodrigoFernandez-td9uk 2 роки тому +1644

    I'd say it was a cruiser disaster. For the U-Boat it was a great day.

    • @Cat-up6hb
      @Cat-up6hb 2 роки тому +82

      best day of their lifes probably lol

    • @joeldb
      @joeldb 2 роки тому +5

      A shameful day

    • @JesseDishner
      @JesseDishner 2 роки тому +84

      Yes exactly!! I thought this was going to be about a U-Boat disaster at first.

    • @jeddkeech259
      @jeddkeech259 2 роки тому +6

      Such is war

    • @matthewstahler6525
      @matthewstahler6525 Рік тому +78

      It's amazing how deep propaganda runs when you describe a successful military operation as a disaster. "Disaster" has a connotation of unitentionality. War is very intentional. Some people cheered this event and some people were obviously hurt by it. That's the disgusting nature of war, and to suggest otherwise is propaganda imo.

  • @ryanelliott71698
    @ryanelliott71698 2 роки тому +439

    The moment he mentioned these reservists were mostly from the same area I knew this was gonna be one of the pals battalions stories where a village, town, city’s male population just drops.

    • @vinnyganzano1930
      @vinnyganzano1930 2 роки тому +25

      One of the most well known stories of a pals battalion up here in Scotland is the story about the Heart of Midlothian football club. I'm not a Hearts fan but it bears remembering.

    • @vacciniumaugustifolium1420
      @vacciniumaugustifolium1420 2 роки тому +12

      @Gordon Freeman Newfoundland regiment 1st July 1916, lets never forget them

  • @oliverwilson11
    @oliverwilson11 2 роки тому +623

    It's crazy how quickly ships became obsolete back then. Nimitz is still active after 50 years but back then if a ship was 15 years old it was basically worthless

    • @TheDiloEmpire
      @TheDiloEmpire 2 роки тому +138

      Well between 1914 and 1945 there were the world wars which although being horrifying wars caused rapid technological development in terms of almost everything

    • @oliverwilson11
      @oliverwilson11 2 роки тому +162

      @@TheDiloEmpire
      The naval arms race from the 1890s to 1914 was faster than from 1914 to 1945

    • @TheDiloEmpire
      @TheDiloEmpire 2 роки тому +19

      @@oliverwilson11 ok, I didn't know that, thank you for telling me

    • @davhot4107
      @davhot4107 Рік тому +57

      Most people don't know but there are tons of engineers, scientists and designers stting 24/7 on chairs thinking: "How could we make "this" more lethal?". The same thins is happening now: Back in 2002 we had the Nokia 1100 as the top notch cell phone tech. Then just 20 yrs later...

    • @Cailus3542
      @Cailus3542 Рік тому +24

      @@oliverwilson11 There effectively was no development of battleships from the early 1920's to just before WW2, due to the naval treaties. The Japanese, British and Americans did continue with carriers in that period, however.

  • @Arclite02
    @Arclite02 Рік тому +232

    The U-9 was quite the historic vessel. Just two months prior to this, the U-9 became the first submarine EVER to reload their tubes while still submerged. This was THE ship that finally convinced the Admiralty to take submarines seriously. U-9 went on to sink HMS Hawke and became one of only two ships to be awarded the Iron Cross (alongside the SMS Emden).
    And to top it all off the U-9 survived the war, being surrendered to the British and broken up in 1919.

    • @todortodorov940
      @todortodorov940 Рік тому +16

      One have to admire the commanders of that u-boat. Respect!

    • @pelnapkins4379
      @pelnapkins4379 7 місяців тому +2

      Is that the same HMS Hawke that collided with RMS Olympic?

    • @Arclite02
      @Arclite02 7 місяців тому +2

      @@pelnapkins4379 the very same, yes.

    • @pelnapkins4379
      @pelnapkins4379 7 місяців тому +2

      @@Arclite02 quite the influence it had on history then!

    • @huey-fan8335
      @huey-fan8335 3 місяці тому +3

      Well, Not all survived the war, the commander of U9 then, Otto Weddingen died when the HMS Dreadnought rammed its new U-Boat, U29 in 1915! This was also the only time the Dreadnought was involved in sinking a maritime vessel

  • @marytica123
    @marytica123 Рік тому +17

    THE ARROGANCE of the British Admiralty was astounding. When serving there, Churchill sent thousands to their deaths during the Dardanelles Campaign, commenting that "we only lost some OLD ships" while never mentioning the sailors who died.

    • @DomWeasel
      @DomWeasel Рік тому +3

      When you've been undisputed masters of the ocean for a hundred years; arrogance is to be expected.
      Churchill was the worst though. His attitude in both World Wars was 'We will win because we're British!', regardless of factors like enemy troop strength, morale, weaponry etc and terrain.

    • @ihavegymnastics
      @ihavegymnastics Місяць тому

      Churchill was a real asshole.....

    • @Schimml0rd
      @Schimml0rd 16 днів тому

      "was"? 😅

  • @stevenda22
    @stevenda22 2 роки тому +490

    Another great video Josh, we’ll done. My wife had a relative who lost their life whilst serving on the Hogue, Chief Stoker Henry Thomas Mason. Thanks for bringing the story to life.

    • @touristguy87
      @touristguy87 2 роки тому

      "Thanks for bringing the story to life."
      ...sorry, the story was dead before he published this video?
      aren't you spoiled for attention

    • @millionelectricvolts6117
      @millionelectricvolts6117 2 роки тому +16

      @@touristguy87 🤡🤓🤡🤓🤡🤓🤡🤓🤡

    • @touristguy87
      @touristguy87 2 роки тому

      @@millionelectricvolts6117 I take it that you're feeling like a 5-year old who's been scared by a clown. Try Santa.

    • @andrewcorrie8936
      @andrewcorrie8936 Рік тому +1

      Think I had a great uncle on HMS Hogue: also a stoker; also died. Edit: great-great uncle who was armourer's crew.

    • @anthonysoprano9353
      @anthonysoprano9353 Рік тому

      Lmao stop lying

  • @ArcticTemper
    @ArcticTemper 2 роки тому +608

    Strategically I wonder if this incident was of benefit to Britain? Considering they had practically no anti-submarine doctrine at the outbreak of war, losses like this (though tragic in human terms) would have been far worse if inflicted on first rate ships instead, which may have happened more if such examples as this hadn't been there to learn from...

    • @JRyan-lu5im
      @JRyan-lu5im 2 роки тому +66

      I doubt it would have changed anything. Going back to the big picture, whether the U-boats managed to sink a single or even a few first rate ships, it would not have changed the ultimate blockade of the German seaways. The numerical superiority of the RN was apparent before and after the Battle of Jutland. The RN could afford losses.
      German U-boats sank a handful of valuable ships in WWII including two battleships and a carrier off the top of my head, and again, it did little to make any meaningful change in momentum.

    • @donreed
      @donreed 2 роки тому +13

      Go aboard one of these three ships on 09/22/14 and repeat what you've stated above.

    • @timonsolus
      @timonsolus 2 роки тому +54

      @@donreed : I doubt he has a time machine.

    • @ukeyaoitrash2618
      @ukeyaoitrash2618 2 роки тому +44

      @@donreed he did say strategic not tactical 😂

    • @Zogerpogger
      @Zogerpogger 2 роки тому +29

      @@JRyan-lu5im The superiority of the Royal Navy was far more pronounced in ww2 though.
      Had the Germans managed more such sinkings (of valuable warships) in WW1, and maybe been more aggressive with their fleet, or at least pulled off a victory. They may very well have broken the blockade.

  • @tomithy-6253
    @tomithy-6253 Рік тому +33

    I’m from Rochester so I just want to thank historiograph for presenting our local history so well. This one incident and failure by the admiralty devastated many local families who lost what were only teenagers.

  • @bottcherimmobilien4864
    @bottcherimmobilien4864 Рік тому +13

    What is missing in the video: U9 was for that time very modern. It was built 1910. It became the most successful U-boat of the whole worldwar and survived it. It was one of only two boats that were awarded to wear the Iron Cross on its tower. It sank 4 warships and 18 merchandising ships.

  • @IJN_Guy
    @IJN_Guy 2 роки тому +161

    It's very interesting to see the change in warfare from regular surface-to-surface combat to having to look everywhere across the ocean for an enemy. Furthermore, it's amazing what we come up with to counter such threats, from more advanced AAA to radar and sonar.

    • @madman10340
      @madman10340 2 роки тому +2

      No joke like you can be attacked from every single direction when you’re at sea it would be terrifying

  • @JohnRodriguesPhotographer
    @JohnRodriguesPhotographer 2 роки тому +284

    I remember reading about this about 40 years ago. It's still astonishing that Captain's actually brought their ships to a complete halt. I understand the concept of submarine warfare was little understood let alone experienced, but stopping your ship when someone's shooting at your ass is just not smart. You can't save anyone if your ship is headed to the bottom.

    • @boobah5643
      @boobah5643 2 роки тому +78

      It's easy to say that in hindsight, because we know _U-9_ was sticking around. But these guys didn't know that... and it's not terribly surprising reservists didn't have the stomach to leave comrades in the freezing waters on the off chance the u-boat had stuck around and had more torpedoes.

    • @JohnRodriguesPhotographer
      @JohnRodriguesPhotographer 2 роки тому +19

      @@boobah5643 you may slow your shit down I mean they were only doing 10 knots for god sakes. But you don't stop your ship flat out unless you've got a screen. Even though submarines or something new torpedo boats weren't. Okay so the first shift gets torpedoed and capsizes the second ship stops and by strange coincidence it gets torpedoed. So what is the third ship do? She stops so that all three cruisers get to rest on roughly the same area on the bottom. That way they can keep each other company and then you got what remains of three cruisers Cruise flailing around in The frigid North Sea. I would love to know if either one of the captains has stopped had a plan or this was it.

    • @JohnRodriguesPhotographer
      @JohnRodriguesPhotographer 2 роки тому +3

      @@boobah5643 I am not necessarily talking about you but being in the area. I am talking about the various threats they could potentially be in the area that's why the cruisers were there. To deter those threats ranging from destroyers to torpedo boats. You think a torpedo boat would be up to put a fish in them with them standing still? Of course do you think a destroyer would be able to? Of course. It would be better than a training exercise.

    • @mikearmstrong8483
      @mikearmstrong8483 2 роки тому +50

      Let's look at this in the proper context. Forget all about the Battle of the Atlantic and the US sub campaign in the Pacific; that is still in the future.
      At the time of this incident, only a single ship had ever been sunk by a submarine in wartime. That was 50 years earlier during the American Civil War, by a hand cranked contraption that could barely make it out of harbor and proved to be more dangerous to her own crews than to the enemy. That could just be dismissed as pure random luck.
      The capabilities of subs at the beginning of the war were very limited; submerged endurance was minimal, torpedoes were short ranged and unreliable, periscope optics were rudimentary, range was just enough to reach the northern and southern tips of the British Isles, and mechanical reliability was problematic (U9 missed the first group war patrol because of breakdown).
      The initial patrol of the U-boats at the start of the conflict resulted in no successful engagements and the loss of 2 of the subs. 1 of these was rammed by a British cruiser, with the immediate sinking of the sub and almost no damage to the cruiser.
      So what is a British cruiser captain to think?
      1) I am a captain in His Majesty's Royal Navy, the greatest sea power on earth, and I am steaming around the English Channel (the very name demonstrating British dominance of the seas). Reputation alone adds to my defense.
      2) The threats I need to worry about are mines (already proven dangerous in multiple previous conflicts), or German cruisers and destroyers.
      3) Submarines are a newfangled thing that we have all heard about but have not previously proven themselves to be more than a potential nuisance.
      4) Subs haven't sunk ships. But a ship has just run over a sub with no problem, so that's probably how future encounters will be resolved.
      5) Lookouts will spot any danger. (There is no such thing as radar or sonar, and for centuries eyeballs have detected every threat before it could come within shooting range.)
      6) The unwritten law of the sea is that you don't shoot at someone engaged in rescuing the crew of a sinking ship. That is abhorrently ungentlemanly. This unstated mutual understanding goes back to the days of sail, and it is almost unthinkable that someone would breach that code of conduct.
      7) These are fellow sailors and townsmen, and they cannot be left to the sea.
      So, all in all, though it may seem to have been incredibly witless to have followed such a course of action, that is our perspective in hindsight and knowing the danger subs would eventually become, but that view does not reflect the logic of the time.
      Edit: I have been corrected about the first ship sunk by torpedo in comments below, but I'm not going to rewrite this whole thing.

    • @JohnRodriguesPhotographer
      @JohnRodriguesPhotographer 2 роки тому +7

      @@mikearmstrong8483 the first two okay, the third should have kept moving

  • @markchang2964
    @markchang2964 Рік тому +60

    12:00 See you called it a disaster, but that's entirely accurate. This was a an astonishing success for the U-boat. The ships just sitting there was quite a blunder new recruits or not.

    • @cl8804
      @cl8804 Рік тому +5

      "inaccurate"

  • @bungledandbotched1771
    @bungledandbotched1771 Рік тому +50

    My Great Grandfather was on HMS Cressy his wife was pregnant when he left so my Grandmother never got to meet him as he was lost. A Dutch trawler saved many and the Dutch people along with the families of those that were on the three ships campaigned to have the wrecks declared as war graves as the Admiralty had sold them for scrap to a salvage company. The salvage company was German. I would like to say thank you to the Dutch people for what they have done, I will never forget.

  • @Big_E_Soul_Fragment
    @Big_E_Soul_Fragment 2 роки тому +42

    Royal Navy Ships, staggered line. Commander, we're outnumbered 3 to 1!
    Otto Weddigen: *_Then it is an even fight._*

  • @T_Mo271
    @T_Mo271 2 роки тому +72

    It's rather amazing the number of ships that were produced which had relatively short service periods.

    • @boobah5643
      @boobah5643 2 роки тому +18

      There was a _lot_ of technical advancement in the 1850-1950 period. And the British Admiralty had more-or-less squirreled away all the iron and steel ships they'd built before WWI. HMS _Warrior_ was commissioned in 1860, and while she was decommissioned in 1883 the Royal Navy used her as a ship until 1927; her sister ship, HMS _Black Prince_ served in one way or another until 1923.

    • @blusafe1
      @blusafe1 2 роки тому +8

      Naw, it's more astonishing that ships have LONG service periods. Seawater is brutal.

    • @HouseholdDog
      @HouseholdDog Рік тому +2

      @@boobah5643 Yes ships soon become VERY obsolete. From being kings of the seas to sitting ducks.

  • @Jeromus1970
    @Jeromus1970 2 роки тому +32

    Even though my family name is totally unrelated to the name of the ship, this action has always interested me. I remember a Discovery Channel documentary called Submarines: Sharks of Steel talking about this action. "Britain might rule the waves but not necessarily what lay underneath."

  • @Andrew-sy3nf
    @Andrew-sy3nf 2 роки тому +18

    My great great uncle Leading Seaman William George Bearman perished on HMS Aboukir. This event was a tragic and senseless loss of life, indicative of the hopeless military leadership in England at the time. I keep the commemorative scroll up on the wall as a sobering reminder - lest we forget.

  • @roybixby6135
    @roybixby6135 2 роки тому +40

    It just shows how unprepared for anti-submarine warfare they were back then...

  • @anantr99
    @anantr99 2 роки тому +36

    Brilliant video. The action was a testament to just what sort of potential submarines would have in the coming years. This action (along with a few others) would also contribute to the Royal Navy developing their anti-submarine doctrine, and this would, in part, be carried on into the future. This attack (along with the sinkings of HMS Hawke and HMS Pathfinder) would also prompt research to start into anti-torpedo systems (something that would eventually result in torpedo blisters and bulges).
    A few associated facts about the people and ships involved in this action:
    1. On the 15th of October 1914 (some three weeks after the loss of the Live Bait Squadron), Weddigen (still in command of of U-9) would sink the protected cruiser HMS Hawke, which was sailing alone and not taking any evasive maneuvers. That enhanced Weddigen's legend, and made U-9 one of the most successful submarines of the war. Incidentally, U-9 and SMS Emden would be the only two German warships to be awarded the Iron Cross.
    2. Weddigen, for all his successes, would be lost when in command of U-29 in March 1915. U-29 had tried to torpedo the battleship Neptune in the Pentland Firth, but was spotted. HMS Dreadnought and HMS Bellerophon moved in to attack, and Dreadnought ended up ramming U-29, sinking her with all hands. For the revolutionary battleship, this would be her only enemy kill, and earned Dreadnought the distinction of being the only battleship to ever definitively sink a submarine by herself.

  • @TheLesserWeevil
    @TheLesserWeevil 2 роки тому +52

    I find this really tugs at the heartstrings. Choosing between safety or trying to save your mates who are stranded in the water. Horrible.

    • @RenegadeSamurai
      @RenegadeSamurai Рік тому +1

      that's war for ya

    • @jki808
      @jki808 Рік тому +1

      They chose foolishly, there’s no heroics about it. What would’ve made them heroes was sinking this sub or chasing it off, and then returning for the rescue. By acting like the recruits they were, they doomed the very people they were trying to save.

    • @basil9973
      @basil9973 5 місяців тому +1

      @@jki808 Like you'd have done any better in their boots. Its not their fault their government provided them with no training and that their instinct to save their friends and family outweighed their instinct to destroy the submarine which sank them.

  • @user-xo1ov2bb9z
    @user-xo1ov2bb9z Рік тому +9

    It's crazy how dangerous can be any weapon if you don't prepared to it. And it's sad what people who can escape such tragedic end don't get blamed and don't suffer from that actions.

  • @themightynanto3158
    @themightynanto3158 2 роки тому +66

    Forget the sinking of Royal Oak. Forget HMS Venturer sinking U-864 while both were submerged. Forget convoy PQ 17. This is the greatest submarine action of all time. Why? Because of all the other impressive submarine actions that followed in both world wars, none of them, NONE of them, had this much impact. 3 cruisers sunk in just an hour. More than 1400 sailors dead. This was done not by an enemy fleet, but by a single 600 ton u-boat crewed by just 29 men. After this event, the submarine was never questioned again. Naval warfare was never the same as it was before.
    And to think that this was followed by the loss of HMS Audacious and the defeat at Coronel just a month later. 1914 was not a great year for the Royal Navy, in spite of the victories at Heligoland Bight and at the Falkland Islands.

    • @Ah01
      @Ah01 2 роки тому +12

      Not really. To lose three totally obsolete armoured cruisers was militarily pretty much insignificant for the RN. Bigger impact was the huge loss of life and the home front cry following that. Lesson was learned, the submarines were taken more seriously from that on.

    • @5RndsFFE
      @5RndsFFE 2 роки тому +2

      Yeah, loss of prestige and loss of crew but otherwise a pretty insignificant loss of obsolete ships.

    • @wilsonlisan5002
      @wilsonlisan5002 2 роки тому +4

      I think there is a more impressive feat at WW2 when US submarine USS Parche with Commander Ramage at command sunk 5 Japanese ships in 34 mad minutes (unconfirmed officially but believed by many accounts, resulting MoH awardee for Commander Ramage). Although it is done by more modern submarine, sinking 5 ships in 30 minutes is still unthinkable especially their torpedo team reload speed on Balao class submarine.
      ua-cam.com/video/ZnB82cT1LQI/v-deo.html

    • @tomriley5790
      @tomriley5790 Рік тому +1

      @@wilsonlisan5002 the point is that by ww2 sinking ships by submarine was well established. Here they're doing something that had never been done before, before this attack numerous people argued submarines weren't likely to be effective. the very fact that the US Navy had submarines was a result of the knock on effects of this attack, similar to Pearl Harbor/Taranto and the ascendancy of the Aircraft Carrier.

    • @4literv6
      @4literv6 Рік тому

      Wrong sinking the ijn shinano was the single greatest EVER submarine action. It's still the largest ship ever sunk by a sub to this day! 👍🏻😎

  • @lukedaduke3533
    @lukedaduke3533 2 роки тому +82

    A story that involved Winston Churchill pre-1940 where he actually makes the correct choices, how unusual

    • @DomWeasel
      @DomWeasel Рік тому +21

      He made correct choices after 1940? Did you miss advocating declaring war on the USSR during the Winter War, the Greece debacle, sending Prince of Wales and Repulse to the Far East unsupported, Project Habakkuk, his desire to open the second front in the Balkans and describing Italy as 'the soft underbelly of Europe'?

    • @lukedaduke3533
      @lukedaduke3533 Рік тому +3

      @@DomWeasel hey im not reading that! 💯

    • @memberberry5898
      @memberberry5898 Рік тому +3

      you should be banned from comments until you turn 18

    • @lukedaduke3533
      @lukedaduke3533 Рік тому

      @@memberberry5898 not reading this either💯

    • @Andrew-df1dr
      @Andrew-df1dr Рік тому +2

      His failure at Gallipolli and his refusal to let ANZAC forces head home in 1941-'42 was his greatest mistakes.

  • @the3rdid485
    @the3rdid485 2 роки тому +18

    I would love to see/hear/know the follow up conversations between those commanders who advocated for and against pulling the ships off patrol.

  • @Magneticle
    @Magneticle 2 роки тому +24

    Excellent video! I really like how you take the time to focus on the human loss and tragedy alongside everything else.
    One slight correction, however, is that the islands off the west of Normandy are British Crown Dependencies, and thus very much not French.

  • @christopherg2347
    @christopherg2347 2 роки тому +6

    "They are better then nothing."
    "Only if nothing kills at least 1500 people!"

  • @MrFarmer110
    @MrFarmer110 2 роки тому +46

    There are two kinds of vessels in the world, submarines and targets.

    • @ricardokowalski1579
      @ricardokowalski1579 2 роки тому +4

      And submarines quickly sort out targets into two kinds: *damaged* targets and *artificial reef* targets. 😁

    • @SeaGamer4life
      @SeaGamer4life 2 роки тому +5

      HMS Dreadnought when she sees a submarine: "Why not both?"

    • @rob5944
      @rob5944 2 роки тому +2

      That's a rather insensitive comment I think.

    • @SeaGamer4life
      @SeaGamer4life 2 роки тому +1

      @@rob5944 If you’re referring to TimothyB’s comment, it’s a saying amongst Royal Navy submariners, especially nowadays, it’s not specifically aimed at this incident in particular nor does it intend on detracting from the human cost of sunken ships.

    • @rob5944
      @rob5944 2 роки тому +1

      @@SeaGamer4life yes, I've heard it quoted before. As I say I thought the time and place to do so a little inappropriate.

  • @robbabcock_
    @robbabcock_ 2 роки тому +14

    Great video! What a staggering human toll from just a single sub. Those ships had no business even being out there, what a tragic waste.

    • @hunormagyar1843
      @hunormagyar1843 2 роки тому

      They shoulda rather just set em to full steam at port towards the germans and jumped off of it to swim home, perfect way to decommission obsolete equipment (and to train the Germans how to lead ships with the torpedos but that's another story)

    • @Helena-me6mp
      @Helena-me6mp Рік тому +1

      @@hunormagyar1843 Yeah because scrapping their parts would be too easy

  • @carrott36
    @carrott36 2 роки тому +8

    I read about this! It was in a book called ‘1914 1918 A History Of The First World War’, quite a hefty one at seven-hundred and fifty-ish pages all of them with small text and humongous pages, but well worth a read!

  • @hawksights
    @hawksights Рік тому +3

    That was a great and detailed illustration of this very U-Boat attack. Thank you sir.

  • @adamdickinson2894
    @adamdickinson2894 Рік тому +2

    No one:
    British admiralty: 1500 lives lost is better than nothing

  • @George_M_
    @George_M_ 2 роки тому +28

    When Winston Churchill is the voice of reason, you know the situation is ridiculous.

    • @spectreman2532
      @spectreman2532 2 роки тому +2

      You wouldn't be alive if it wasn't for him. Your ignorance is astounding.

    • @landenfisher585
      @landenfisher585 Рік тому +5

      @@spectreman2532 I would heavily debate that. The same could easily be said for stalin

    • @talleywa5772
      @talleywa5772 Рік тому

      @@spectreman2532 that doesn't change the validity of his statement.

    • @zachjordan7608
      @zachjordan7608 10 місяців тому +1

      @@talleywa5772 churchill made dogshit choices in ww2. what is it that you think he did so well in?

  • @boqndimitrov8693
    @boqndimitrov8693 2 роки тому +14

    It's amazing how quickly the victors forget the lessons of the First World War, especially when it comes to submarines.

    • @1mol831
      @1mol831 2 роки тому

      Not really submarines are hard to deal with anyways. Their only weakness is technically aircraft.

    • @SudrianTales
      @SudrianTales 2 роки тому +4

      The British learned quickly, within 3 years they had a convoy system, ASW weapons that worked (depth charges) and were getting ready for sonar.
      Ww2 was both sides learning the lessons and expanding. The US and Japan were the ones who didn't learn (and the former by 1945 was the most successful submarine based nation)

  • @PJHamann1
    @PJHamann1 2 роки тому +5

    If anyone is interested, the German company Das Werk makes a scale model of the SM U9 in 1:72.

  • @lagiacrus1180
    @lagiacrus1180 2 роки тому +13

    It still boggles me that there were submarines advanced enough in WW1 to used in war like this

    • @DomWeasel
      @DomWeasel Рік тому +6

      Submarines capable of these operations had been around since the 1880s.

    • @Helena-me6mp
      @Helena-me6mp Рік тому +1

      germany was focusing a lot of resources on them

  • @micahistory
    @micahistory 2 роки тому +6

    I'm starting to feel that early 20th century British naval history is this channel's specialty

  • @thomaskositzki9424
    @thomaskositzki9424 Рік тому +12

    The "Live Bait Squadron" was so fitting a nickname...
    By losing obsolete, rotting, old ships to new weapons, the British learned invaluable lessons without losing much combat capabilities.
    Must have been one hell of a nightmare to serve on those old buckets for the sailors, though... May they rest in peace.

    • @ophirbactrius8285
      @ophirbactrius8285 Рік тому

      "Live Bait Squadron" or on the other term "Fresh Scapegoat Squadron". 💀☠️

    • @thomaskositzki9424
      @thomaskositzki9424 Рік тому +2

      @Wilhelm Eley Blah. That kind of stuff happened even worse in so many different wars with so many different nations.
      Take the USA's first encounter with the Germans in land battle in WW2, 1943 in Tunisia. Several Tank Battalions worth of tanks were wiped out... because they had been delivered training ammunition and got counter attacked by German tanks.
      Or the way the Soviets ran most of their WW2 campaigns.
      Or the way Chiang Kai Chek and Mao Zedong wasted hundred thousands of Chinese soldiers with utter disregard, becaus ehe knew there were millions more to draw from.

  • @ykm205
    @ykm205 Рік тому +2

    Great info easy to read, great narration, and even better production

  • @salus1231
    @salus1231 2 роки тому +7

    He was killed in March 1915, when rammed by HMS Dreadnought which split his sub in two

  • @history9034
    @history9034 2 роки тому +1

    I’m very happy you actually made a video about this I actually already knew about this attack but I am so happy you made a video about it now.

  • @TheAnakinn
    @TheAnakinn 2 роки тому +2

    Great video once again and I like the new animation style!

  • @petervonfroster8i
    @petervonfroster8i 2 роки тому +5

    U-9 and U-47 are just Legends!

  • @slehar
    @slehar Рік тому +2

    Great detailed history! i knew the story years ago. Now I KNOW the story! Thanks! SUBSCRIBED!

  • @Firkin1973
    @Firkin1973 2 роки тому +5

    Great video. Thanks. I've been looking for a video detailing the loss of these three sister ships for a while now. I'm also from Chatham, Kent. Even though Maggie Thatcher closed the Dockyard down in the '80s, it's still a proud Naval Town with lots of Navy history. And a visit to the Dockyard is a great day out too. ;-)

  • @virajsaraogi4087
    @virajsaraogi4087 2 роки тому +8

    Good video mate
    Keep doing the good work 😄

  • @iainmalcolm9583
    @iainmalcolm9583 2 роки тому +2

    Great video. Well explained and excellent animation.

  • @jameswight6259
    @jameswight6259 Рік тому +2

    Just discovered your channel. Really high quality!

  • @vespelian
    @vespelian 2 роки тому +11

    Brilliant. I've known about this for years but not all the details. The irony of this was that when the British got their revenge,they were unaware of it.
    When Wedigan's new command, U29 was rammed and sunk by HMS Dreadnought in 1915, the identity of its commander was unknown. The irony compounded by the revolutionary all big gun Dreadnought's only action involving a ram, whilst operation in a squadron under Sturdee.

    • @BountyFlamor
      @BountyFlamor 2 роки тому +4

      The u-boat was cut in half, too.

    • @hedgeearthridge6807
      @hedgeearthridge6807 2 роки тому +3

      WOW. Your sub gets destroyed by the most powerful and terrifying battleship in the world. And it's not even killed by the cannons, they just ran it over. Absolutely amazing

  • @theblackprince1346
    @theblackprince1346 2 роки тому +38

    Really enjoy your pre ww2 content hoping you do more in the future.

  • @alijade3521
    @alijade3521 2 роки тому +1

    keep these coming, excellent one

  • @JohnBeebe
    @JohnBeebe Рік тому +2

    I had never heard of this until recently when I was listening to the Audiobook "The Lion at Sea" by Max Hennessy, needless to say I educated myself, good to see a video about it

  • @touristguy87
    @touristguy87 2 роки тому +22

    ...hm. 4000 yards apart, that's 2 miles of separation. Meaning the farthest ship was over 4 miles away.
    So it wasn't really 3 on 1, it was more like 1 on 1, 3 times in a row. Not only could these old ships not outrun the sub on the surface but apparently they were never trained to use the guns properly. So they were not "better than nothing".

    • @hunormagyar1843
      @hunormagyar1843 2 роки тому

      Wait, the U-boat was faster than those surface ships? Damn...

    • @Dreska_
      @Dreska_ Рік тому +2

      @@hunormagyar1843 no, it wasn't

    • @hunormagyar1843
      @hunormagyar1843 Рік тому

      @@Dreska_ I'm not too knowledgeable about ship speeds tbh but def found his claim of a sub being faster ("not only could these old ships not outrun the sub on the surface" he says) than a ship weird... I mean give the ship too small an engine and there's that but... Surface ships prolly have an easier job being speedy cuz they have less water drag. Ye it's complicated and I better just do some research lol.

    • @wdfsmdu
      @wdfsmdu Рік тому

      Another example of British military incompetence. Still very incompetent even to this day.

  • @Tapeworm202
    @Tapeworm202 2 роки тому +1

    As always excellent job

  • @billtheman7546
    @billtheman7546 2 роки тому +2

    What a great battle, excellent job!

  • @robertsansone1680
    @robertsansone1680 Рік тому

    Excellent information. Thank You

  • @rob5944
    @rob5944 2 роки тому +31

    To me the utter waste of human life transcends the nationalities of the combatants involved, it's just a very sad story. All those young men died for no tangible reason.

    • @rob5944
      @rob5944 Рік тому +1

      @@uncletookie9102 your fine. It's not what I'd call rambling, more and outpouring of ones feelings and emotions and there's nothing wrong with that! There is a regrettable case of a U-boat being repeatedly attacked by Allied forces (whilst safeguarding survivors of a ship it'd sunk). The reasons for these highly questionable acts have never been satisfactorily explained, that said it was gladly an isolated incident. In the main, I'm sure that both sides acted with chivalry and gallantry. However, as time has gone life, quite rightly, has become more and more valued (and as I myself have become a little older and experienced a sudden loss to my health). Therefore any cause to the loss of that life, especially thorough deliberate means is a lamentable one. Take the current war in the Ukraine of instance. Even when Russia suffers a defeat, someone inevitably has to pay for that with their life. That is why I said before the very beginning a negotiated settlement should, if at all possible could, of been found. Anything to avoid all the death, suffering and destruction that would surely follow. Prime Minister Chamberlain is often highly criticised over his appeasement of Adolf Hitler, but I disagree. In addition to claims he was playing for time,. I think he genuinely wanted to avoid the realistic scenario of a repeat of the horrors of the first World War. A considerable proportion of the public did too, and his government was a democratically elected one. A similar feeling pervaded France although this carried on, even has hostilities began, even in the West. To me this is understandable, after all nearly all of the fighting had taken place on French soil and they had little to show for their hard won victory, even less than the rest of us. Germany, although the invader was left in chaos, searching for something or someone to blame, Russia in total anarchy, Britain more or less bankrupt (some might say never to truly recover). The US was the only real victor, save for its war dead of course. It's presence on the world's stage enhanced, economy grown, and the same applied in the second world war, only even more so. Alas I digress, but I believe it underlines my point, what was it all for? Nothing really, all that dying and crying while our resources were squandered when they should of been but to much better uses elsewhere. Even today, instead of investing in renewable energy we're now facing higher bills and power cuts, when in this day and age it should be cheaper and reliable. Our new leader now says she is going to borrow yet more money to cap prices instead of daring to tackle the suppliers. So, the good old taxpayer foots the cost again huh? What's new my friend, now how's that for a good old ramble.....

  • @puppydawguk
    @puppydawguk Рік тому +2

    Great great uncle Frederick Clarke re-enlisted for ww1, lived in Walworth, was on Houge, survived sinking, survived ww1, believed to have emigrated to Canada.

  • @VERDIENSTORDEN
    @VERDIENSTORDEN 2 роки тому +5

    And U-9 went on to sink the cruiser HMS Hawke next month

  • @Sherlockosaurus
    @Sherlockosaurus Рік тому +3

    I mean the submarine captain im sure would have weighed his options, the risk to his one submarine to inflict the sinking of 3 armored cruisers, as old as they might be, is a worthy risk. A big early morale boost, even if he lost his submarine.

  • @JohnRodriguesPhotographer
    @JohnRodriguesPhotographer 2 роки тому +1

    Great video by the way!

  • @Lord_Lambert
    @Lord_Lambert 2 роки тому +1

    Thoroughly interesting video, as per usual :)

  • @Hollows1997
    @Hollows1997 2 роки тому +2

    Naval history absolutely fascinates me.

  • @madzen112
    @madzen112 2 роки тому +4

    To be fair, couldn't this be described as the first U-boat success?

    • @historigraph
      @historigraph  2 роки тому

      I suppose that depends on your perspective!

    • @madzen112
      @madzen112 2 роки тому

      @@historigraph Very much. Or your service branch!

    • @mikaelvalter-lithander1247
      @mikaelvalter-lithander1247 Рік тому +2

      @@historigraph With the current phrasing, it should be the U-Boat's perspective. How about the "Carrier disaster at Pearl Harbor", "British disaster at el-Alamein" or the "Nelson disaster at Trafalgar".

  • @dbyers3897
    @dbyers3897 Рік тому +1

    The "Live Bait Squadron" was an alarmingly accurate moniker for these ships. The assumption they were "better than nothing" cost the RN 1500 sailors. I hope they split crews up after this so they were not all neighbors, friends & relatives. The USN had to learn that lesson the hard way too. All five Sullivan brothers were lost when the USS Juneau was sunk at Guadalcanal in 1942. DDG-68, an Arleigh Burke class destroyer was named for them.

  • @nomercyinc6783
    @nomercyinc6783 Рік тому +1

    beating partime sailors is no massive victory lol even over 100 years ago

  • @dirkschroder348
    @dirkschroder348 Рік тому

    cool thanks for that video. Capt. Otto Weddigen comes from my Home Town Herford, in Germany, NRW

  • @LMarti13
    @LMarti13 Рік тому +2

    The biggest crime here is that there was a Cressy class cruiser called the Cressy

  • @brokenbridge6316
    @brokenbridge6316 Рік тому

    Nicely informative video

  • @freddyfox5002
    @freddyfox5002 2 роки тому +2

    It was ruthless of the submarine captain to sink the last ship as well
    At that point the British weren't conducting a military patrol anymore but a rescue operation

    • @jameslawrie3807
      @jameslawrie3807 2 роки тому +1

      While it doesn't excuse it there's a mitigating factor. Both the second ships had already launched their boats so in some ways they were in a better situation to save sailors than if they still had them rigged. Still, It's not something I could have done.

    • @Helena-me6mp
      @Helena-me6mp Рік тому +2

      It was, but do you really think the British wouldnt have done the same?

  • @ianbeauregard1695
    @ianbeauregard1695 Рік тому +1

    These videos are really interesting love the graphics

  • @prospect2664
    @prospect2664 2 роки тому +2

    nice, the first U-Boat had such an great victory

  • @andersandersson5815
    @andersandersson5815 2 роки тому +4

    Thank you for the brilliant work behind your videos. If possible, could you use the metric system as well? Much obliged in advance. 👍

  • @charlesdaugherty321
    @charlesdaugherty321 Рік тому +2

    When trying to save somebody the first thing you can do is save yourself. Don't be trying to save people in an active combat zone.

  • @manininikolas9310
    @manininikolas9310 2 роки тому +1

    An honor captain will have spare the last boat but will have show it

  • @spencerderosier6649
    @spencerderosier6649 2 роки тому

    Very very excited for the next. Please dont terry.

  • @L1GHTYBOY
    @L1GHTYBOY 5 місяців тому

    Heyyy, a story about chatham! Nice to see ny hime area get some recognition, even if it is a disaster
    Edit:
    I agree with the idea that men from the different towns would've known eachother. Even now, Rochester, Gills and Chatham work hand in hand with a lot of things, its very rare to stay exclusively in 1 town for work and education.
    Heck, my partner is from Gills and im from Chatham.

  • @wopwopkross
    @wopwopkross Рік тому

    Great video!

  • @micahistory
    @micahistory 2 роки тому +4

    it's incredible that one submarine sank 3 ships

    • @AbuHajarAlBugatti
      @AbuHajarAlBugatti 2 роки тому +1

      If you think thats Special look at german uboat killcounts from WW1 and 2.

  • @andyf10
    @andyf10 Рік тому +1

    The UK sold the salvage rights and the wrecks started being cut up in 2011. The wrecks were not AFAIK, declared as war graves which is rather unfortunate.

  • @DarkVeghetta
    @DarkVeghetta Рік тому

    Grim work, expertly executed.

  • @scottessery100
    @scottessery100 2 роки тому +1

    ive just been on the birkenhead ferry on 2.5.2022 and read about the attack which will feature on your next video. canyt wait
    btw was the sturdee punished as he was responsible for the death's of over 1000 lives?

  • @jonnnyren6245
    @jonnnyren6245 Рік тому

    I have no idea why but the word "cruiser" is such a mesmerizing word.
    I mean battlecruiser? The HMS Hood.
    Heavy cruiser? The Prinz Eugen.
    Light cruiser? The infamous Admiral Belgrano.
    Best space battlecruiser? The Resurgent-class star destroyer.

  • @K3end0
    @K3end0 2 роки тому

    Brilliant video

  • @Rocketsong
    @Rocketsong 2 роки тому +1

    In this video you clearly enunciate "Metal Fish" referring to the German torpedoes. I thought after a previous video where it sounded like "Messer Fisch" (Knife Fish) that German torpedoes were henceforth to be known as Messerfisch.

  • @markmody4753
    @markmody4753 Рік тому +1

    When I heard the name Aboukir I knowed it's Egyptian port in fact that's the place where napoleon lost his navy to the British,what a coincidence

  • @SuperDiablo101
    @SuperDiablo101 2 роки тому +1

    Gotta love the bedtime stories soundtrack in the background...makes any gloomy video just that much better

  • @lorcansavier7496
    @lorcansavier7496 2 роки тому +35

    Man those germans had to have been hystericaly laughing i mean imagine you just sank a ship and you see the second one just standing still and you sink that one and the third one does the same thing

    • @zeroniner1383
      @zeroniner1383 2 роки тому +1

      Probably couldn’t believe this was the “Britannia rules the waves” people carry on and on about

    • @rictusmetallicus
      @rictusmetallicus 2 роки тому +8

      I read many accounts from sailors involved in the sinking of a ship. Regardless if they were german, british or american, i never read about sailors laughing at a sinking enemy ship and it's dying crew. They all said it was either them or the others but facing the destruction caused, they all were numbed by it

    • @Xaiff
      @Xaiff 2 роки тому +3

      In games, probably yes.
      In real life, highly doubt it.

    • @CraigJukes
      @CraigJukes 2 роки тому +2

      @@rictusmetallicus I concur, All the books and stories i've read all say the same thing, when they see the ship sink...it hits them like a brick, no one laughs...no one cheers. because not just 1 or 20 people are aboard......but war is war... When Bismarck sank the hood, the whole crew fell silent in horror. But there you go, kids will think anything these days due to games "glorifying war"

    • @Helena-me6mp
      @Helena-me6mp Рік тому

      @@CraigJukes In a game, i would die laughing, but sinking a real ship in war is horrifying. Everyone knows it could have been them.

  • @SeaGamer4life
    @SeaGamer4life 2 роки тому +5

    Forgive me if I'm wrong but isn't the photo used for Rear Admiral Arthur Christian actually a photo of Rear Admiral Horace Hood?

    • @historigraph
      @historigraph  2 роки тому +9

      Yes... I'm at a loss as to how that happened.

    • @historigraph
      @historigraph  2 роки тому +10

      Must have got mixed up in photoshop when I was putting the assets together. My apologies

  • @Assessed322
    @Assessed322 11 місяців тому +1

    kinda sad as they all tried to save each other but the u boat capitalised on that.

  • @scotty8424
    @scotty8424 Рік тому +2

    The u-boat got a number one victory royal

  • @TrialByDance
    @TrialByDance 2 роки тому +8

    "and managing to secure a meeting with the First Lord of the Admiralty, Winston Churchill"
    *H E Y I K N O W T H A T G U Y*

  • @julianmhall
    @julianmhall Рік тому

    Interesting names.. Aboukir - Aboukir Bay, aka the Battle of the Nile, Cressy, obviously the battle. Hogue I had to look up.. apparently a 1692 battle.

  • @knutritter461
    @knutritter461 Рік тому +1

    Where is there a disaster? Germany here: For me it is just a sea battle from WW-I...

  • @PerfectSense77
    @PerfectSense77 9 місяців тому +1

    Oh man Churchill is often the bad guy in WWI stories but here he finally gets a W by withdrawing the live bait squadron… but unfortunately gets overruled.

  • @ademsmith25
    @ademsmith25 Рік тому

    Three porc box was sunk, what great job!!!

  • @Tryinghardorhardlytrying
    @Tryinghardorhardlytrying Місяць тому

    When you see the Name and Type of a ship is the same... you know it's something!

  • @ApprenticeGM
    @ApprenticeGM Рік тому

    Good video except for one mistake - a submarine at 50' deep is not battered by bad seas at all. It is calm and still. The danger is in submerging or surfacing in heavy seas as they are vulnerable to capsizing.

  • @aufermo
    @aufermo Рік тому

    The narrator in the video reported that most of the reservists were local to Chatham, when in reality there were many from the northeast, Anglia, Wiltshire all over England.
    The reason I say that as my Grandfather perished aboard HMS Aboukir married with four children that date 22/09/14 was his eighth wedding anniversary he was 34.
    Born in Hartlepool on a visit to Hartlepool I visited the library and acquired local 1914 newspapers on reports of the incident. The newspaper reported that there were huge loss of lives from the northeast. Most of my grandfather’s training occurred at Chatham from Royal Naval records. According to a Dutch historian on the subject some of those that perished were buried in the Netherlands.