Those of you who know me, know of my passion for history.
I particularly love coming across little known facts or incidents.
I came across "The Dogger Bank Incident" this morning. It would be incredibly hilarious if three British fisherman hadn't been killed.
Essentially a Russian fleet was it's way to the Pacific to reinforce the Russian Far East Squadron during the Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905) when it came across a British fishing fleet on the Dogger Bank in the North Sea.
They mistook the British fishing trawlers for a Japanese fleet (thousands of miles away form the closest Japanese warships) and opened fire.
In the confusion, the Russian fleet also opened fire on itself.
This quote from the Times from the following day sums it up nicely:
"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."
One might be pressed to consider it a miracle that only two trawlers were sunk and 5 men killed... except for the fact that the Russians weren't known for their gunnery and sailing skills*. Not surprisingly, this fleet was defeated by the Japanese at the Battle of Tsushima months later.
I've read many articles on such military incidents of utter stupidity on the part of the Russians over the years and I have to say I really don't understand the historical fear of the supposed threat the Russians offered. The only reason they've survived attacks by Germany and France is due to their enemies making even worse tactical choices than they've made. I have a sneaking suspicion that had the Cold War gone hot, we would have been in Moscow in a fortnight.
*Had it been a French fleet, it probably would have surrendered to the trawlers.
I particularly love coming across little known facts or incidents.
I came across "The Dogger Bank Incident" this morning. It would be incredibly hilarious if three British fisherman hadn't been killed.
Essentially a Russian fleet was it's way to the Pacific to reinforce the Russian Far East Squadron during the Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905) when it came across a British fishing fleet on the Dogger Bank in the North Sea.
They mistook the British fishing trawlers for a Japanese fleet (thousands of miles away form the closest Japanese warships) and opened fire.
In the confusion, the Russian fleet also opened fire on itself.
This quote from the Times from the following day sums it up nicely:
"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."
One might be pressed to consider it a miracle that only two trawlers were sunk and 5 men killed... except for the fact that the Russians weren't known for their gunnery and sailing skills*. Not surprisingly, this fleet was defeated by the Japanese at the Battle of Tsushima months later.
I've read many articles on such military incidents of utter stupidity on the part of the Russians over the years and I have to say I really don't understand the historical fear of the supposed threat the Russians offered. The only reason they've survived attacks by Germany and France is due to their enemies making even worse tactical choices than they've made. I have a sneaking suspicion that had the Cold War gone hot, we would have been in Moscow in a fortnight.
*Had it been a French fleet, it probably would have surrendered to the trawlers.
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