Post by Catsmate on Jun 18, 2014 12:25:44 GMT
The Dogger Bank Incident or World War One in 1904.
Background.
During the Russo-Japanese war in 1904 the Russian Navy deployed ships from it's Baltic Fleet to the Pacific to reinforce it's forces there. Due to the winter ice the fleet was forced to sail an extremely long route (~30,000km in all) around Europe and, it was initially planned, through the Mediterranean and Suez canal (with supplies of coal crammed everywhere there was space and even piled on deck).
In fact they actually were forced to take an even longer route around the coast of Africa.
The initial part of the journey route took the 45 ships through the North Sea. The sailors were worried by the newly developed torpedo boats, which the Japanese had used to good effect in their attack on Port Arthur in January 1904, and the possibility of clandestinely laid minefields.
There was a distinct atmosphere of 'torpedo boat panic' that led to a number of incidents separate to the one at Dogger Bank. There were reports (from Russian Naval Intelligence) that the Japanese had clandestinely assembled torpedo boats in isolated Norwegian fjords, though this was utterly untrue.
However there were torpedo boats being built for Japan in Britain, along with Japanese crews training up to take delivery, and neither of these facts was particularly secret. Add to this a level of paranoia, to assume the British would allow the Japanese to launch an attack out of British ports, and there was a basis for concern.
On the 16th of October 1904 the fleet (now the 'Second Pacific Squadron') departed from Libau (now in Latvia). The start of the epic voyage was inauspicious; the fleet flagship Knyaz Suvorov ran aground and one of the escorting
cruisers lost its anchor chain. While the fleet waited for the tide to refloat the grounded flagship (and the cruiser to retrieve its misplaced anchor) one of the escorting torpedo boat destroyers rammed the battleship Oslyaba (probably accidentally) and had to return to Reval (now Tallin).
These incidents would set the tone for the voyage.
During the voyage the Russian ships fired on the Swedish steamer Aldebaran, the German trawler Sonntag and the French sailing vessel Guyane along with a number of small craft attempting to deliver Russian consular dispatches when passing near the Danish coast. Ironically one of the undelivered dispatches was a personal message for the fleet commander (Rozhestvensky) from Tsar
Nicholas telling him of his promotion to Vice-Admiral rank.
The Incident.
After surviving several attacks from phantom Japanese
torpedo boats and submersibles, and negotiating a non-existent minefield, the fleet reached the Dogger Bank.
On the night of 21/22 October 1904 the 'Gamecock' fishing fleet (operating from the port of Hull) encountered a fleet of warships operating in the North Sea. The fishermen assumed the ships were British and watched their maneuverings, what one trawler skipper described as a "brilliant spectacle". It was only after the trawler Mino, was hit that they realised that they were being fired upon.
Over the course of the next twenty minutes the ships fired more than one thousand shells from their secondary and tertiary armament (mostly 37mm and 75mm guns), many at ranged under a hundred metres.
With their nets down the trawlers had no opportunity to quickly escape from the bombardment, though few hits were actually scored thanks to the generally abysmal Russian gunnery.
The shelling ended when the Russians saw a group of larger vessels approaching (actually another element of their own fleet).
One boat (the Crane) was sunk, and two of it's crew were killed. The others were saved by the efforts of other trawlers, though several men suffered serious injuries. A third man later died of injuries sustained; more than thirty more were injured. The casualties would have been worse but for the presence of a Mission ship (the Joseph and Sarah Miles) carrying a doctor and medical facilities.
The British weren't the only casualties of the firing; two Russians were killed when ships fired on each other and the cruisers Donskov and Aurora damaged.
Lacking radio the news of the incident had to wait until the trawlers returned to Hull to spread. When this happened word spread rapidly; thousands lined the waterfront at St. Andrew's Dock. A delegation travelled by train to London where they were received at the Foreign Office on the morning of Saturday the 22nd. Word spread rapidly with crowds gathering in Trafalgar Square. The Russian Ambassador was booed as he left the embassy to answer the Foreign Office's summons.
The Reaction.
The British reaction was furious; not only had the Russians fired upon fishing boats in international waters but they hadn't tried to aid the damaged and sinking boats even after they'd stopped firing. The feeling was that the Russians should have realised, from the distinctive design of the fishing boats, their displayed lights and their nets down, that the boats were harmless.
The leader in The Times said: "It is almost inconceivable that any men calling themselves seamen, however frightened they might be, could spend twenty minutes bombarding a fleet of fishing boats without discovering
the nature of their target".
The Russians were prohibited from transiting the Suez canal or using British controlled ports to re-fuel.
Britain prepared for war, with the Royal Navy's Home Fleet ships (including 26 battleships) readied for deployment and cruisers deployed to shadow the Russian fleet.
Britain was at the time a Japanese ally; the Anglo-Japanese Treaty had been signed in 1902, and was under discussion for renewal (this would happen in August 1905).
Edward VII took a personal interest, meeting with several survivors and awarding the Albert Medal for actions in rescuing those wounded.
Consequences.
While there was a risk of war no-one really wanted one and the British government (under Balfour), the Royal Navy (under newly appointed First Sea Lord 'Jackie' Fisher), the French government and the Russian ambassador (Count Benckendorff) worked to calm matters. Newspapers were prevailed upon to urge moderation.
An international enquiry was agreed upon, empanelled in Paris, and this eventually blamed Admiral Rozhestvensky and compensation (£66,000) was paid.
But what if someone wanted to start a war, and actively interfered?
There was an opportunity to start either an Anglo-Russian war, a general European war, even a premature World War. Or at least stop the Anglo-Russian Entente of 1907, in turn scuppering the Triple Entente and altering World War 1 drastically. Fertile ground for a Time Meddler...
How to exacerbate tensions.
Firstly the incident itself will need to be worsened, with both sides blaming the other and unwilling to back down.
Secondly a couple of further incidents to push the sides to war.
Here's my suggested plan.
War.
The course of the war is difficult to predict. It might remain a Britain and Japan against Russia affair, turn into a 'dogpile on Russia' with Germany, Austria-Hungary and the Ottomans joining in or become a general war with France aiding her treaty partner and Italy also getting involved.
Why?
Just why does our Time Meddler want to start a war? Some possibilities:
1. Nationalism
2. Chaos/Nihilism/Destruction
3. Power.
4. Peace
Alternatives.
As this is written the PCs only discover the change in history after it's happened; if you prefer to avoid retroactive alternations ('putting right what went wrong') you could have the players stumble over preparations the Meddler is making, learning of the plan in time to stop it.
This also works if the heroes aren't time travellers but ephemerals who stumble over the Sinister Plot and try to figure it out. In the face of official skepticism of course. Read/watch The Thirty Nine Steps, The Riddle of the Sands or any of the works of 'Invasion literature' of the era for more ideas.
Further Reading.
The Russian Outrage contains fairly detailed information on the incident, including the ships and their positions that night
Voyage of the Damned an account of the Russians' voyage
The Anglo-Japanese Alliance background on the alliance
The Thirty-nine Steps
The Riddle of the Sands
The man who'd come to think of himself as Gandalf Grey relaxed in his armchair and sighed. It was good to be, well if not exactly 'home' at least relaxed, comfortable and in a reasonable facsimile of it. He poured a cup of tea from the service one of the club's stewards had left and contemplated the warm muffins. He'd breakfasted well, as he preferred, but didn't he deserve a treat? Sorting out that business with the Earth Reptiles down by Canvey had been tricker than he'd expected and he was tired; it'd been difficult to turn off his brain last night and get some needed sleep. At least the weather was tolerably pleasant for October, if damp and dull.
He looked at the stack of newspapers and started, then shook his head. Of course, that business at Dogger Bank! He'd forgotten about it in his anxiety about the Sea Devils - Earth Reptiles he mentally corrected himself. The Russian Baltic fleet had shelled some fishing boats. He accessed the implant in his brain and 'read' a summary of the incident, Five dead, two of them Russians, in a crossfire between their own ships, and a fishing boat sunk. Luckily Balfour and his cabinet had cooled things off. The Russo-Japanese war had led to enough tensions.
He looked at the headlines in the 'papers and had an instant of blinding panic; he headlines were wrong!. The Times led with a condemnation of the Russians' actions, but it reported at least fifty dead, eleven boats sunk or missing and two Russian ships sunk; the Aurora and the Knyaz Suvorov.
Oh dear, it looked like he wouldn't be getting a chance to relax after all...
He looked at the stack of newspapers and started, then shook his head. Of course, that business at Dogger Bank! He'd forgotten about it in his anxiety about the Sea Devils - Earth Reptiles he mentally corrected himself. The Russian Baltic fleet had shelled some fishing boats. He accessed the implant in his brain and 'read' a summary of the incident, Five dead, two of them Russians, in a crossfire between their own ships, and a fishing boat sunk. Luckily Balfour and his cabinet had cooled things off. The Russo-Japanese war had led to enough tensions.
He looked at the headlines in the 'papers and had an instant of blinding panic; he headlines were wrong!. The Times led with a condemnation of the Russians' actions, but it reported at least fifty dead, eleven boats sunk or missing and two Russian ships sunk; the Aurora and the Knyaz Suvorov.
Oh dear, it looked like he wouldn't be getting a chance to relax after all...
Background.
During the Russo-Japanese war in 1904 the Russian Navy deployed ships from it's Baltic Fleet to the Pacific to reinforce it's forces there. Due to the winter ice the fleet was forced to sail an extremely long route (~30,000km in all) around Europe and, it was initially planned, through the Mediterranean and Suez canal (with supplies of coal crammed everywhere there was space and even piled on deck).
In fact they actually were forced to take an even longer route around the coast of Africa.
The initial part of the journey route took the 45 ships through the North Sea. The sailors were worried by the newly developed torpedo boats, which the Japanese had used to good effect in their attack on Port Arthur in January 1904, and the possibility of clandestinely laid minefields.
There was a distinct atmosphere of 'torpedo boat panic' that led to a number of incidents separate to the one at Dogger Bank. There were reports (from Russian Naval Intelligence) that the Japanese had clandestinely assembled torpedo boats in isolated Norwegian fjords, though this was utterly untrue.
However there were torpedo boats being built for Japan in Britain, along with Japanese crews training up to take delivery, and neither of these facts was particularly secret. Add to this a level of paranoia, to assume the British would allow the Japanese to launch an attack out of British ports, and there was a basis for concern.
- It wasn't the first time sailors had demonstrated such jumpiness; during the Spanish-American war USN ships had seen torpedo boats in ocean swells, coastal rocks and even trains, firing on such mirages a number of times.
On the 16th of October 1904 the fleet (now the 'Second Pacific Squadron') departed from Libau (now in Latvia). The start of the epic voyage was inauspicious; the fleet flagship Knyaz Suvorov ran aground and one of the escorting
cruisers lost its anchor chain. While the fleet waited for the tide to refloat the grounded flagship (and the cruiser to retrieve its misplaced anchor) one of the escorting torpedo boat destroyers rammed the battleship Oslyaba (probably accidentally) and had to return to Reval (now Tallin).
These incidents would set the tone for the voyage.
During the voyage the Russian ships fired on the Swedish steamer Aldebaran, the German trawler Sonntag and the French sailing vessel Guyane along with a number of small craft attempting to deliver Russian consular dispatches when passing near the Danish coast. Ironically one of the undelivered dispatches was a personal message for the fleet commander (Rozhestvensky) from Tsar
Nicholas telling him of his promotion to Vice-Admiral rank.
The Incident.
After surviving several attacks from phantom Japanese
torpedo boats and submersibles, and negotiating a non-existent minefield, the fleet reached the Dogger Bank.
- Dogger Bank is a huge sandbank (about 17,500km²) in the North Sea, the remains of the ancient 'Doggerland' land bridge between Britain and Europe. It's in a shallow area of the North Sea about 100km from east coast of England and has been a popular fishing area for centuries.
On the night of 21/22 October 1904 the 'Gamecock' fishing fleet (operating from the port of Hull) encountered a fleet of warships operating in the North Sea. The fishermen assumed the ships were British and watched their maneuverings, what one trawler skipper described as a "brilliant spectacle". It was only after the trawler Mino, was hit that they realised that they were being fired upon.
Over the course of the next twenty minutes the ships fired more than one thousand shells from their secondary and tertiary armament (mostly 37mm and 75mm guns), many at ranged under a hundred metres.
With their nets down the trawlers had no opportunity to quickly escape from the bombardment, though few hits were actually scored thanks to the generally abysmal Russian gunnery.
The shelling ended when the Russians saw a group of larger vessels approaching (actually another element of their own fleet).
One boat (the Crane) was sunk, and two of it's crew were killed. The others were saved by the efforts of other trawlers, though several men suffered serious injuries. A third man later died of injuries sustained; more than thirty more were injured. The casualties would have been worse but for the presence of a Mission ship (the Joseph and Sarah Miles) carrying a doctor and medical facilities.
The British weren't the only casualties of the firing; two Russians were killed when ships fired on each other and the cruisers Donskov and Aurora damaged.
- This wasn't the only time the Russians would shell the Aurora during the voyage; while the fleet was ported at Madagascar she was hit by a live shell accidentally loaded during the firing of a salute. The ship had an interesting history, playing a role in the February 1917 revolution and a key role in the October revolution, firing the shot that signalled the start of the assault on the Winter Palace. It's the sole survivor of the fleet, anchored in St. Petersburg today as a commissioned museum ship.
Lacking radio the news of the incident had to wait until the trawlers returned to Hull to spread. When this happened word spread rapidly; thousands lined the waterfront at St. Andrew's Dock. A delegation travelled by train to London where they were received at the Foreign Office on the morning of Saturday the 22nd. Word spread rapidly with crowds gathering in Trafalgar Square. The Russian Ambassador was booed as he left the embassy to answer the Foreign Office's summons.
The Reaction.
The British reaction was furious; not only had the Russians fired upon fishing boats in international waters but they hadn't tried to aid the damaged and sinking boats even after they'd stopped firing. The feeling was that the Russians should have realised, from the distinctive design of the fishing boats, their displayed lights and their nets down, that the boats were harmless.
The leader in The Times said: "It is almost inconceivable that any men calling themselves seamen, however frightened they might be, could spend twenty minutes bombarding a fleet of fishing boats without discovering
the nature of their target".
- Though this is somewhat unfair as Russia didn't operate trawlers and the sailors may have been unfamiliar with
the boats. - But then again, they were firing at ranges of less than 100m against searchlight illuminated boats and in a popular fishing area.
The Russians were prohibited from transiting the Suez canal or using British controlled ports to re-fuel.
Britain prepared for war, with the Royal Navy's Home Fleet ships (including 26 battleships) readied for deployment and cruisers deployed to shadow the Russian fleet.
- The fact that the incident occurred on the 99th anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar exacerbated matters.
Britain was at the time a Japanese ally; the Anglo-Japanese Treaty had been signed in 1902, and was under discussion for renewal (this would happen in August 1905).
- This was one major reason France didn't become involved in the Russo-Japanese War, despite her alliance with Russia. This would activate the mutual defense portions of Anglo-Japanese treaty.
Edward VII took a personal interest, meeting with several survivors and awarding the Albert Medal for actions in rescuing those wounded.
Consequences.
While there was a risk of war no-one really wanted one and the British government (under Balfour), the Royal Navy (under newly appointed First Sea Lord 'Jackie' Fisher), the French government and the Russian ambassador (Count Benckendorff) worked to calm matters. Newspapers were prevailed upon to urge moderation.
An international enquiry was agreed upon, empanelled in Paris, and this eventually blamed Admiral Rozhestvensky and compensation (£66,000) was paid.
But what if someone wanted to start a war, and actively interfered?
There was an opportunity to start either an Anglo-Russian war, a general European war, even a premature World War. Or at least stop the Anglo-Russian Entente of 1907, in turn scuppering the Triple Entente and altering World War 1 drastically. Fertile ground for a Time Meddler...
How to exacerbate tensions.
Firstly the incident itself will need to be worsened, with both sides blaming the other and unwilling to back down.
Secondly a couple of further incidents to push the sides to war.
Here's my suggested plan.
- Firstly the Meddler will need a ship, preferably a submarine, to worsen the action at sea. As armed subs aren't generally available on the open market a theft will probably be necessary.
- Though it's possible to buy one or more subs, 'for scrap', after WW1 or WW2 they're generally in poor condition, damaged or stripped. Steal something more modern and in better condition.
- I recommend a smallish non-nuclear boat, preferably taken under the guise of it sinking, to avoid attention.
- While acquiring a nuclear powered sub is a tempting idea it should be avoided. Security is generally tight, you need a rather uncommon set of skills (and a large crew) and they're simply big and rather awkward in shallow waters. Plus the owners will be very upset and likelihood of involving agencies like UNIT arises.
- Something like the Swedish Gotland class or German Type 212 class; they're smallish (~1,500t), reasonably fast (20 knots, as good as most cruisers and battleships in 1904) and very stealthy boats with multi-week endurance, small crews (~25, with 12 capable of short term operations), good shallow water capability and armament far more capable than anything in 1904.
- A few additions will be useful, I suggest a shopping trip to the future. A small fusion generator, some form of underwater capable communications and a couple of guns (for shelling helpless fishing boats) will be useful.
- Lurking around Dogger Bank the sub can ensure the incident is far bloodier than it was historically, giving both sides reason to continue along the path to war. More trawlers sunk (machine gunning men in the water is optional), a couple of Russian ships torpedoed and there'll be less chance of peace breaking out.
- Back on land a few suitably placed agents start spreading rumours; amongst the fishermen of Hull and in London. Stories of a dastardly Russian plot (probably involving the French!).
- Now stage a few more incidents; historically Count Benckendorff, the Russian ambassador, was heckled when he walked to the Foreign Office on the Saturday morning. Ah the days when ambassadors walked the streets without bodyguards... Some thrown missiles perhaps? Eggs, bottles, stones. Nothing too violent. Yet.
- Don't forget there was a large émigré Russian population in London, many with revolutionary connections; they're a useful source of manpower (cannon fodder) for demonstrations, angry mobs et cetera. Though there are also quite a lot of Okhrana agents amongst them so care will be needed. The Metropolitan Police's Special Branch had no real interest in them (and no Russian speakers); it concentrated on the Irish and the hatpin wielding Suffragists in the period.
- Likewise the crowd that gathered outside the Russian Embassy (Chesham House in Belgravia) is ripe for escalation; now as even the Russians aren't going to conveniently start shooting at unarmed protesters (in London anyway) the meddler will need to stage this. A small drone, fitted with an automatic rifle, landed on the roof at night would be ideal. Start rumours blaming a Russian sniper or snipers.
- If more escalation is needed then I suggest John 'Jackie' Fisher is assassinated. He's just been appointed First Sea Lord (the operational head of the navy), so it'll be seen as an attack on the RN and he was a major proponent of a peaceful solution to the situation. A suitable Russian patsy might be provided; people will blame the Russians anyway.
- Finally it's time for the sub to perform again; the decision is whether to attack the British or the Russians. Choose an isolated ship or two and launch a torpedo attack; optionally you could transmit a fake distress signal (in Morse) to blame the other side.
- Historically the Japanese Empire considered running guns into Finland in order to spark an anti-Russian revolt; the Meddler may acquire a stock of identifiably British arms and carry this plan out...
- By this stage the pot should be boiling nicely. So what happens?
War.
The course of the war is difficult to predict. It might remain a Britain and Japan against Russia affair, turn into a 'dogpile on Russia' with Germany, Austria-Hungary and the Ottomans joining in or become a general war with France aiding her treaty partner and Italy also getting involved.
- Though France could argue that as Russia (apparently) started the war they're not obliged to get involved.
- Germany will probably join in; the fear of encirclement and the worry about potential Russian development was starting around 1904. The Austro-Hungarians will be less interested, unless Russia is obviously in serious trouble.
- Logically the winners will be Germany (the most to gain) and Britain.
Why?
Just why does our Time Meddler want to start a war? Some possibilities:
1. Nationalism
- Strengthen the British Empire and prevent the WW1, with the historical weakening of Britain.
- Strengthen Germany by breaking the potential encirclement of the Franco-Russian alliance.
2. Chaos/Nihilism/Destruction
- The urge to create destruction for it's own sake.
- Curiousity about what will happen.
- Overthrow the old order in the chaos of war.
- Weaken the European powers and aide the rise of China/Japan/America.
3. Power.
- Gain power and influence in the turbulence of war.
4. Peace
- Start an earlier and less destructive war and prevent the horror of the historical World War 1.
- Break up the alliance systems that dragged so many countries into WW1.
Alternatives.
As this is written the PCs only discover the change in history after it's happened; if you prefer to avoid retroactive alternations ('putting right what went wrong') you could have the players stumble over preparations the Meddler is making, learning of the plan in time to stop it.
- 'acquiring' a submarine, crew, parts, torpedoes et cetera (mostly in the present day) or modifying it.
- creating a base or otherwise preparing the sub for operations in 1904
- acquiring (buying or stealing) suitable small arms to supply to the Finns; this could take place in 1904 or elsewhen. A good choice would be after WW1 or WW2 when Britain is demobilising.
- recruiting personnel, either in the present day or in 1904; from cannon fodder to skilled naval crew
- trial runs of the sub; these may be observed (at sea or entering/leaving a harbour, estuary et cetera) and generate interest
- disaffected recruits with an interesting story to tell; of course these should be killed mysteriously before they can reveal much. Cryptic last words while expiring in the hero's arms are de rigeuer.
- all of those administrative details necessary to a proper sinister plot; purchasing food and stores, checking locations (lines of sight, escape routes) in advance of attacks, shadowing possible targets around to learn their habits, bugging government offices, infiltrating the newspapers et cetera.
- you'll need to create a timeline or flowchart, to manage the PCs efforts and discoveries
This also works if the heroes aren't time travellers but ephemerals who stumble over the Sinister Plot and try to figure it out. In the face of official skepticism of course. Read/watch The Thirty Nine Steps, The Riddle of the Sands or any of the works of 'Invasion literature' of the era for more ideas.
Further Reading.
The Russian Outrage contains fairly detailed information on the incident, including the ships and their positions that night
Voyage of the Damned an account of the Russians' voyage
The Anglo-Japanese Alliance background on the alliance
The Thirty-nine Steps
The Riddle of the Sands