Diary December 13, 1914

Return of the British submarine B11 from Dardanelles
Return of the British submarine B11 (Lieutenant Holbrook) after the sinking of the Turkish battleship in the Dardanelles. Holbrook’s B11 was making the first deep-water penetration of the Dardanelles strait and diving beneath the Turkish mines. Finding the battleship ‘Messudieh’ lying at anchor, he hit her with a single torpedo at 800 m; she went down quite rapidly but opened a heavy fire on B11, which had troubles submerging in the very shallow water. B11 escaped down the straits in an epic nine-hour submerged journey.
War Diary World War One for Sunday, December 13, 1914:

Sea War

Dardanelles – First battleship sunk by subma­rine: old Turk battleship Messudieh sunk at anchor in shoal water north of Kephez Point by RN submarine B11 (Holbrook) after passing five rows of mines and returning without compass. Holbrook awarded first naval Victoria Cross of the war.

Western Front

Flanders: Germans pull back from Yser Canal.

Southern Fronts

Serbia: Frank informs Potiorek that Belgrade cannot be held. Serb Third Army retakes Obrenovac. Serb First Army reoccupies Loznica-Sabac line. Fighting in the west almost over.

Neutrals

Italy: Mussolini speaks in Parma ‘Neutrals never dominate events. They always sink. Blood alone moves the wheels of history’.

Oval@3x 2

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