Admiral David W. Bagley-- Part 3: World War I and the Sinking of the USS Jacob Jones

During the first month of 1917, Bagley  moved from the command of the USS Drayton (DD-23) to the USS Jacob Jones (DD-61).  By May 1917, his ship was conducting anti-submarine patols and convoy escort duties in the western approaches to the British Islands.  Later, his area of operations widened to include the Irish Sea and English Channel.

In December 6, 1917, the Jacob Jones left Brest Harbor, France,   At about 1621 that afternoon, the watch spotted a torpedo wake.  The destroyer tried to avoid it, but it struck the ship's starboard side and pierced the fuel oil tank.

Though Bagley and his crew worked frantically to save the ship, it went down within eight minutes, carrying 64 out of 99 crewmen with it.  Bagley and 37 others made it into the icy waters in boats and rafts. Thanks to the humanitarian effort by the German U-boat skipper Hans Rose, who radioed their location to Queenstown, they were picked up by December 8.

Bagley was given the Navy Distinguished Service Cross for his role.

--Cooter

WW I Ending-- Part 4: Collapse of Austria Hungary, Armistice With Turkey and Mutiny in Germany

OCTOBER 24, 1918

In Italy, Allies crush the Austrian-Hungarian Army which has 30,000 killed and 400,000 captured.

OCTOBER 29, 1918

Czechs declare independence from Austria.  Two days later Slovakia does likewise.

OCTOBER 30, 1918

Turkey signs armistice with Allies, becoming the second Central Powers member to quit the war.

NOVEMBER 1, 1918

After pausing to regroup and resupply, Allied  armies continue the attack against the Germans.  U.S. armies advance on the Meuse River.

NOVEMBER 3, 1918

Mutiny strikes the German Navy at the ports of Kiel and Wilhelnshaven as sailors refuse to put to sea for one final battle with the British Navy.  Uprisings begin in German cities and there is a fear that this could turn into a Bolshevik uprising both with the German government and Allies.  This causes a real sense of urgency to the armistice negotiations.

--Cooter

Battle of Jutland May 31-June 1, 1916: Battle of the Battleships

Today marks the conclusion of one of the last major clashes between battleships, the Battle of Jutland, between the German and British fleets.off Denmark.

The British had 151 combat ships, including 28 battleships and 9 battle cruisers fought the Germans who had 99 combat ships, including 16 battleships and 5 battle cruisers.  British losses included 3 battle cruisers and 6.094 killed and 624 wounded.  German losses were one battle cruiser and 2,551 killed.

--DaCoot

German Bombardment of Hartlepool, England, in First World War

From the Dec. 15, 2015, ChronicleLive (UK) "Bombardment of Hartlepool in First World War to be marked by new museum gallery" by Tony Henderson.

This was the German Navy's first attack on a North East Town during the war.  just after 8 am on December 16, 1914, German warships commenced a bombardment of over a thousand shells on Hartlepool, killing 130 civilian and military personnel. and wounding more than five hundred.

The Hough Gun Battery on Headland returned their fire as best they could in what was the only battle to be fought on British soil during the war.

One of the battery's soldiers, Theo Jons of the Durham Light Infantry, became the first British soldier to be killed by the enemy on British soil.

There is a new permanent display at the Museum of Hartlepool.  It will have the role of the 130 killed at the battle as well as the "Bombardment Clock" which stopped when it was hit by a shell fragment.  In addition, it has a 6-inch shell fired by the German battlecruiser Blucher.

The German ships also included the Seydlitz and Moltke.

--DaCoot