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DOBSON—DOGGER BANK, BATTLE OF

he .was made governor of his native town, Bagdad, but a year later he was sent to the Balkan War in command of a division, and subsequently contrived to become Vali of Constantinople.

After once more filling a military role for a short time as commander of the I. Corps at Constantinople, he handed over the command to the German general, Liman von Sanders, and devoted himself to politics. At that time Djemal, Talaat and Enver con- stituted a triumvirate which was the only effective Turkish Government, and already a certain antagonism, which had its roots in personal ambition, had sprung up between Djemal and Enver. Djemal obtained the Ministry of Public Works and immediately afterwards the Ministry of Marine. Djemal gave Adml. Limpus and the English naval mission a free hand, as Enver did the German military mission. In the spring of 1914 Djemal attended the French fleet manceuvres, and on Aug. 9 1914, after the outbreak of the World War, he wished the home- going Frenchmen glory and victory. He was unwilling that Turkey should attach herself to Germany at once, even though the victory of the Central Powers might be certain. Enver, fearing Djemal's influence in Constantinople, banished the Minister of Marine, at the end of 1914, to Syria, as commander-in-chief of the IV. Army. There his military achievements were insignificant, but he fought the plagues of locusts and the epidemics, exerted himself over the cultivation of the land, the draining of the marshes, the building of new and the improvement of old streets, even began the work of afforestation, and made ef- forts to raise the level of public education. In Oct. 1917 he was removed by order of Enver from the command of the IV. Army and made commander-in-chief of all the troops in Syria, Palestine and the Hejaz, with the exception of the army operating on the Sinai front. This edict led to disorder and friction. Djemal's power was not lessened south of the Taurus, but he took no more interest in the conduct of the military operations. In Dec. 1917 he betook himself to Constantinople, and, greatly to the wrath of Enver, resumed his activities as Minister of Marine. However, he was given no more opportunities, either political or military. When, in the autumn of 1918, Turkey, and with her the Young Turk Government, was broken in pieces, Djemal Pasha was forced to flee, and he repaired to Germany where he wandered about under an assumed name. Later he obtained refuge in Switzerland, and subsequently he made his way to the East. In 1921 he was reported to have found employment as military adviser to the Amir of Afghanistan.

DOBSON, HENRY AUSTIN (1840-1921), English poet and man of letters (see 8.352), died at Ealing Sept. 2 1921. His later work consisted of prose essays, notably At Prior Park (1912), Rosalba's Journal (1915) and Later Essays (1921), all studies of the i8th century, and A Bookman's Budget (1917).

DOGGER BANK, BATTLE OF. One of the most important naval engagements in the World War was fought near the Dogger Bank on Jan. 24 1915 between the British and German battle cruiser squadrons.

Movements of the British fleet had led the Germans to suspect some scheme for blocking their harbours was afoot, and Rear-Adml. Hipper was despatched at nightfall on Jan. 23 to reconnoitre off the Dogger Bank. His force consisted of the four battle cruisers of the First Scouting Group, the " Seydlitz " (flag), " Derfflinger," " Moltke " and " Bliicher," four light cruisers of the Second Scouting Group, and 22 destroyers of the 5th Flotilla and the isth and i8th Half Flotillas. Intelligence of the departure of the German force had been intercepted at the British Admiralty, and Vice-Adml. Sir David Beatty (later Earl) put to sea from the Forth at 6 P.M. on the evening of the 23rd. With him were the five battle cruisers of the ist and 2nd Battle Cruiser Squadrons, the " Lion " (flag), " Tiger," " Prin- cess Royal," " New Zealand " and " Indomitable," and the four light cruisers of the ist L.C.S. under Commodore W. E. Good- enough in the " Southampton." His orders were to proceed to a rendezvous in 55 13' N 3 12' E, 180 m. from Heligoland, where he was to meet Commodore Tyrwhitt in the " Arethusa " (flag) with the ist, 3rd and loth Flotillas, mustering three light cruisers and 30 destroyers. Behind him to the northward was the Grand

Fleet. The 3rd Battle Squadron (seven King Edward VII. class) had left Rosyth two and a half hours after him and the com- mander-in-chief had put to sea from Scapa with the battle-fleet. In the hope of intercepting the enemy on his way back Commo- dore (S) ' had been ordered to proceed towards Borkum with the " Lurcher," " Firedrake " and four submarines. In heavy guns the British force was decidedly superior. The British battle cruisers mounted 24 i3-5-in. and 16 12-in. against the German 8 i2-in., 20 n-in. and 16 8-2-in.

Beatty reached the rendezvous at 7 A.M. It was a winter morning with a calm sea and good visibility. His battle cruisers were in a single line ahead with Goodenough's light cruisers a couple of miles on the port bow. Course was altered to S. by W. at 18 knots. Ten minutes later the " Arethusa " was sighted to the south-eastward about 7 m. on the port bow. The " Aurora " and " Undaunted," the two other Harwich light cruisers, were still some 15 m. to southward of her out of sight. Hardly had the " Arethusa " been identified by the " Lion " when flashes of gunfire were seen to the S.S.E. This was the " Aurora " engaging the " Kolberg " coming up from the S.E. on the port bow of Hipper's squadron. The " Kolberg " was hit twice and withdrew at 7:25 A.M.

At the sound of the guns Admiral Beatty ordered his light cruisers to chase to the southward. The " Southampton " had hardly gone a couple of miles when the " Aurora " was seen on the starboard bow, and soon afterwards enemy battle cruisers were sighted on the port bow to the south-east. Dense clouds of smoke were pouring from their funnels and they were evidently getting up steam for full speed. It was now ten minutes to eight. Beatty's unexpected appearance had come on Hipper as an unpleasant surprise, and he turned to the S.E. and made off at full speed with Beatty some 13 to 14 m. behind. Beatty's position at 8:30 A.M. was about Lat. 54 50' N. Long. 3 40' E., and the two forces had settled down to the long rush to Heligoland 140 m. away (see fig. i). When the chase commenced the British

BEATTY

INDOMITABLE**

NEW ZEALAND* PRINCESS ROVAL ^TIOER

LION'*

Jan. 24'- h 1915 Position 8.30 a.m.

J*1 L.C.S.

".SOUTHAMPTON

T.H.

  • UNDAUNTED
  • AURORA

-4 ARETHUSA

HIPPER

BLUCHEH y ^ MOLTKE

  • DERFFLINGER

"SEYDLITZ

FIG. i.

battle cruisers were in single line ahead on a S.E. by S. course working up to full speed. The " Arethusa," " Undaunted " and " Aurora " now took station about 5 m. on the " Lion's " port bow in a ragged line abreast some 2 m. apart. Goodenough with his squadron was further off on the port bow steaming hard after the enemy. Hipper was 1 1 m. sharp on the " Lion's " port bow on a S.S.E. course in full flight for Heligoland with his light cruisers and destroyers ahead of him sharp on his starboard bow. The action about to commence took the form of a long chase in which speed was the principal consideration. Here Beatty's squadron had a considerable margin of superiority. It maintained an average speed of probably 26 knots; while Hipper's may have done just over 23 till the " Blucher " fell out, and something over 24 afterwards. By 8:42 A.M. the range of the " Blucher " had come down to 22,000 yd., and at five minutes past nine the Vice- Admiral hoisted the signal to engage. At 9:9, some 17 minutes after the first shot, the " Lion " obtained her first hit on the " Blucher. " About ten minutes later, at 9:20 A.M., a movement of some sort was observed among the enemy destroyers, and in

1 Commodore (S)= Commodore (Submarines), Commodore Roger Keyes.