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Leberecht Maass
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Rear Admiral '''Leberecht Maass''' was the commander of German naval forces at the first
Battle of Heligoland Bight on 28 August 1914. He lost his life when his flagship, the light cruiser
SMS Cöln SMS ''Cöln'', was sunk by British battlecruisers commanded by Vice Admiral
David Beatty.
The British navy's
Harwich Force of two
light cruisers,
HMS Arethusa (1913) HMS ''Arethusa'' and
HMS Fearless HMS ''Fearless'', and 31 destroyers and commanded by Commodore
Reginald Tyrwhitt, made a raid on German ships near the German naval base at
Heligoland. Providing distant cover were the battlecruisers
HMS New Zealand (1911) HMS ''New Zealand'' and
HMS Invincible (1907) HMS ''Invincible'' of
Cruiser Force K under Rear-Admiral Moore.
In the early morning hours the Harwich Force encountered German torpedo boats on patrol west of Heligoland. The Germans quickly dispatched the light cruisers
SMS Frauenlob SMS ''Frauenlob'' and
SMS Stettin SMS ''Stettin'' to the scene, joined shortly afterwards by three more light cruisers out of
Wilhelmshaven, including Rear Admiral
Leberecht Maass' flagship,
SMS Cöln SMS ''Cöln'', as well as
SMS Ariadne SMS ''Ariadne'' and
SMS Strassburg SMS ''Strassburg''. They were subsequently joined by yet another light cruiser,
SMS Mainz SMS ''Mainz'' out of
Emden. Tyrwhitt's ''Arethusa'' was severely damaged by ''Frauenlob'', but the German cruiser also suffered heavy hits and retreated to Heligoland. Tyrwhitt soon received support from Commodore Goodenough's squadron of six modern Southampton-class light cruisers:
HMS Southampton HMS ''Southampton'',
HMS Birmingham HMS ''Birmingham'',
HMS Falmouth HMS ''Falmouth'',
HMS Liverpool HMS ''Liverpool'',
HMS Lowestoft HMS ''Lowestoft'' und
HMS Nottingham HMS ''Nottingham''. In the fog and smoke, SMS ''Mainz'' found herself between Tyrwhitt's und Goodenough's forces and was sunk by them after a prolonged battle.
Called for assistance by Tyrwhitt, Admiral Beatty, whose First Battlecruiser Squadron of
HMS Lion HMS ''Lion'',
HMS Queen Mary HMS ''Queen Mary'' and
HMS Princess Royal HMS ''Princess Royal'' had by then joined Moore's ''New Zealand'' and ''Invincible'', arrived within little more than an hour at 12.40 pm and sank the hopelessly outgunned but desperately resisting light cruisers ''Cöln'' and ''Ariadne''.
The German navy named a WWII
Leberecht Maass (Z-1) destroyer after Leberecht Maass.
External link
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Battle of Heligoland Bight
Category:Imperial German Navy admirals Maass
de:Leberecht Maass
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