Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1917-10-18
NAVAL BATTLES OF THE
WORLD WAR.
THE GoEsEN AND BRESLAu IN
THE BLACK SEA.

THE BLACK SEA.
1t was on the morning Of November
90, 1914, that the Western world re
ceiyed the news of naval engage
ment in the Black Sea, resulting in q
Russian defeat The Goeben and the
Breslau. erstwhile German cruisers
had met and stood off the entire Rus
sian Black Sea division, composed OF
two battleships and five cruisers. The
action was one OF many occurring in
all corners of the world. as the armed
sea forces OF the contending powers
were settling TO balance after the
first thrill of the nations anger. The
heavy fleets had scurried to their
bases. there to prepare for attack or
defense, as their strategy dictated.
An allied cruiser division was taking
up stations of blockade and heavier
ships were securing the seas in fleets
formation in search Of enemy fleets
caught in the storm. In every sea
German cruisers were terrOrizing
commerce and destroying less enter.
prising English vessels OF war.
The battle cruisers Goeben and
Breslau were trapped in a North
African port of a British fleet. The
first darkness that settled down. while
the ships on each side watched alertly.
found the German cruisers making
plans 90 elude the British watch dogs.
In the dead Of the night the English
flagship received a message from her
wireless in the secret code OF the
Admiralty II was an order to permit
their quarry to escape. The British,
with the idea that the Admiralty's
strategical plan called for tenn.
porary liberation Of the enemy
cruisers. accordingly relaxed their
watch and the Germans slipped out
They made straight way for the
Helispont, where they were received
into the Turkish navy They formed
the only Turkish units enterprisng
enough to keep the sea and fight
Many times they bombarbed Russian
harbors and brought home merchant
prizes and sunk others.
On this 18th of November a division
Of the Russian Black Sea fleet. re
turning from cruise to Sebastapol
near the coast OF Anatolis sighted,
twenty-five miles for the Bhcrsones
Light. a Turkish detachment, consist
ing of Goeben and the Breslau
The Russian feet Immediately drew
to battle order and promptly opened
fire at flve.mile range. They had
brought the Goeben to starboard
The Breslau stood off for some pur.
pose only known to the German com.
nander. and did not at any time en-.
gage herself in the action. The first
saliva OF l2-inch guns from the Rus
sian flagship. Admiral Evstafry,
struck the Goeben. A slight explo'
sion amidships was noted by the Rus.
SLAMS. and flames were seen to break
on the Goeben The fire was quickly
suppressed and appeared to have been
only small blaze caused by lucky
hit.
Immediately the blaze was subdued
the GOeben let loose heavy fire from
all her batteries, concentrated on the
Russian flagship The Evstafry turn.
edout to the line and fed and was
promptly covered by the second in the
Russian line. which in its turn also
got its share of Turkish attrition. It
turned and was covered by the cruis-
ers The Russians began withdraw.
ing movement which was not hin.
dered by the Goeben, or The Breslau,
which cruisers also refused to pursue
the Russians. as they obscured them.
selves in the fog.
The mysterious action of the Bres-
lau during the entire battle was a
puzzle to the Russian commander,
who was compelled to maintain the
strategy of the action in such man.
ner as would always allow for the en-
trance of the powerful enemy cruiser
In thediversion thus brought about
1t is possible the Breslau played a
role as executive as il she had been
actually engaged. What the Breslau
expected to meet out on the horizon
while the fight proceeded will only be
explained by time. In the opinion of
naval experts the Russian feet could
have been destroyed had the Breslau
acted in a concerted strategical plan
and participated in the action with
her sister ship