Bornholm Incident

**Livonia**
Roger Backhouse

1 battleship
1 heavy cruiser
1 light cruiser
1 battleship
2 light cruisers
3 destroyers

1 battleship damaged
14 killed
1 battleship damaged
26 killed

The **Bornholm Incident** (German: Bornholm Zwischenfall), also sometimes known as the **Bornholm Massacre** outside of Germany, was a clash between a German naval detachment and a combined naval force from the United Kingdom and Livonia. The incident is named after the Danish island of Bornholm, the closest land location to the location of the clash.

## Background

The incident occurred while a British naval detachment escorted four ships which were en route to Riga. The four ships were formerly interred at Scapa Flow as part of the High Seas Fleet, and were seized during the Scapa Flow Incident. The ships were to be transferred to the Baltic German rump state of Livonia. The four ships were the *Baden*, *Bremse*, *G38 'Riga'* and *S36 'Libau'*. The *A32 'Livland'*, a destroyer already belonging to Livonia, also took part in the escort.

Amidst thick fog and rainy weather, the Volksmarine under Captain Hans Paasche had reportedly believed the Anglo-Livonian naval force had crossed into German waters. The Volksmarine force, under the flagship *Elsass*, tailed the fleet before the two crossed paths early in the morning, upon which Captain Paasche attempted to contact the opposing flagship *Baden*.

## Incident

The events that led to the escalation are disputed, but at roughly 08:00 British sailors aboard the *Baden* reported small arms fire originating from the *Elsass*. This was reported to the British Captain Roger Backhouse, who ordered the crew to man the armaments and be on alert. At around 08:20, according to the British account, a single shot was fired from the foremost 28 cm naval gun of the *Elsass*. This shot grazed the bow of the *Baden*. While this shot can be confirmed from the damage inspection in Riga, the chronology is disputed by the German account. In their account, at about 08:30, two shots were fired from the aftmost 38 cm naval gun of the *Baden*. One shot struck the deck of the *Elsass*, while the other struck the hull and caused significant damage. Similarly, this is confirmed by the German damage inspection, but the chronology cannot be confirmed.

Two more shots were fired from the *Elsass*, with one striking the aftmost 38 cm gun turret of the *Baden*, causing a catastrophic explosion that killed 26 crew members, most instantly, and wounded numerous others. *Baden* had not been properly prepared for active service, resulting in improper and unsafe storage of ammunition and gunpowder. Captain Backhouse ordered the magazine to be flooded and sealed, averting a larger explosion that could've sunk the ship. Three shots were fired from the 8.8 cm secondary guns of the *Baden*, two of which exploded on the deck of the *Elsass* and killed a number of crewmen. Captain Paasche, realizing the damage on the *Baden*, ordered the crew of the *Elsass* to halt fire in order to avoid a worse incident. Captain Backhouse likewise halted fire to focus on attending to the damage sustained to the *Baden*. While a number of other vessels were present, none were involved in the clash.

## Aftermath

When news of the incident broke, Germany was internationally condemned by Britain and most of its allies. Likewise, Germany was supported by its socialist allies. As the *Baden* had been crewed entirely by British sailors, all 26 killed were British, sparking outrage among the British populace and media. The event escalated naval tensions between Britain and Germany. Germany escalated its efforts to modernize and expand its navy, having recognized the vulnerabilities of old ships such as the *Elsass*. The *Baden* and its escort continued on to Riga, where it was left in port pending necessary repairs, which have thus far not come due to the unwillingness of the Livonian government to provide funding.