The Battle of Dogger Bank- Paul Wright RSMA

In early 1915, the German Navy began to suspect that the British had foreknowledge of their plans and movements. The Admiral commanding the German battlecruisers, Vice Admiral Franz von Hipper believed that the ‘spies’ were British trawlers working the Dogger Bank fishing grounds and set sail to destroy them. The British did know German naval plans but not from trawlers but from captured German code books. These code books enabled the Admiralty to learn of their enemy's plans even before they had left their bases. 

As Hipper and his battlecruisers and the armoured cruiser Blucher made their way to the Dogger Bank the Royal Navy’s battlecruisers under the command of Vice Admiral Sir David Beatty were waiting for him. A terrific running battle ensued, Beatty’s flagship Lion was badly damaged as was Hipper’s flagship Seydlitz. As the damaged Lion slowed down, Beatty signalled for the Germans to be pursued but the signal was badly framed and read “Attack the enemies rear” which resulted in all the rest of his fleet falling upon the slowest ship in the German line, Blucher and sinking her thus allowing the rest of the enemy ships to escape.

Original acrylic on paper, framed.
Image size 14 x 19 inches (36cm x 48cm)