52 – Ottoman Participation
December 21, 1914, near the Sevastopol in the Crimean Peninsula, Russian Empire.
The German battlecruiser Goeben, now serving as the flagship of the German Mediterranean Fleet, had temporarily docked in Constantinople and changed its name and affiliation. It was no longer the German Navy’s Goeben but carried the name of the Ottoman Navy’s Yavuz Sultan Selim, raising the crescent and star on its mast.
However, the change was only in form; the content was no different from the Goeben era. From the admiral to the lowest seaman, the crew remained the same. The chain of command was unchanged.
“A ship has been sighted ahead!”
Upon the lookout’s report, Captain Richard Akaman and Admiral Souchon immediately raised their binoculars to observe the front. While they scanned the horizon, a senior officer unfolded a thick ship recognition book, trying to match the silhouette of the vaguely visible ship.
“It’s the Krabbe-class coastal defense ship of the Black Sea Fleet. Displacement is 1735 tons, armed with 130mm 5 guns. Maximum speed is 14.5 knots.”
Upon the senior officer’s report, the captain lowered his binoculars.
“Shall we respond?”
Admiral Souchon replied without taking his eyes off the coastal defense ship.
“Send a signal to Midilli. Kötener will be in charge of the coastal defense ship.”
The captain relayed the admiral’s orders as they were. It was an unnecessary procedure since the officers nearby were listening, but the person in charge of the ship was Captain Akaman.
“Signal officer! Send a signal to Midilli. Full speed ahead!”
“Signal to Midilli! Full speed ahead!”
While the chief officer echoed the captain’s orders, Admiral Souchon did not lower his binoculars.
A moment later, the guns of the light cruiser Midilli, which had been sailing alongside the battlecruiser, fired. Aside from the torpedo launchers, the cruiser was armed with twelve 105mm guns. In terms of firepower, the Russian coastal defense ship was no match for the cruiser. In terms of accuracy, Midilli, with its superior optical equipment, had a clear advantage.
In addition, the Breslau-class cruiser’s speed of 27.5 knots made it difficult to escape.
Midilli unleashed a fierce barrage and quickly overwhelmed the coastal defense ship. The coastal defense ship fired back, but it was outmatched. After a few splashes of water around the ship, Midilli scored a hit first.
“It’s over.”
Finally, the admiral lowered his binoculars.
Just as he had expected, the patrol ship was hit hard by the shells of the battleship, spewing black smoke as it began to drift. The battleship smoothly passed by the burning patrol ship.
Soon, the coast came into view.
Right in front of their eyes was the Crimean Peninsula, where the Russian Black Sea Fleet, the target of the fleet, had its homeport. A strange excitement captivated the officers.
The speed of the battleship was so fast that the coast seemed to be within reach in no time.
The Russians were completely unaware that such a threat was approaching from the southern sea.
In fact, it was strange to even think that way.
Although the Ottomans were engaging in actions that were annoying to the German warships, that was a completely separate issue from attacking Russia. Just because Konstantinov had obtained two warships, would that change their attitude? It was an impossible thing.
Even if they were to bear such a strategic disadvantage, the major ports were thoroughly defended, making it difficult to launch an attack.
Especially Sevastopol, which had the advantage of being deeply penetrated by land. It was a place that could function as a natural barrier on its own, but Russia had accepted the lessons of the Crimean War and had built large coastal fortresses and forts around Sevastopol.
Andrei Avgustovich Evgardt, the commander of the Black Sea Fleet, believed in this well-defended homeport, so he did not raise his guard even after receiving intelligence that German warships would be transferred to the Black Sea.
The German army boldly pushed forward and arrived in front of Sevastopol in broad daylight, pricking at this psychological vulnerability. The Russians were taken aback by the unfamiliar warships they saw for the first time, and only then did they realize the identity of the enemy when they saw the flags hanging from their masts.
Since the appearance of German warships in Konstantinov, the soldiers who had been constantly maintaining a state of readiness had gone on a mass leave, maximizing the element of surprise.
Boom!
When the main gun of the Molotke-class battleship spewed fire, the Novik-class destroyer, which was moving through the narrow passage between the outer and inner seas of Sevastopol, was overturned. It was a ship that could reach a speed of over 37 knots, but the problem was that it was moving at a speed of less than 10 knots due to navigating the narrow channel.
The destroyer was too slow to evade the bombardment of the battleship, and the space to maneuver was limited.
After a few shells landed around it, one of the battleship’s main shells hit the side of the destroyer. The destroyer, weighing 1280 tons, was too small and weak to withstand high-speed armor-piercing shells of 280mm.
In an instant, the destroyer was sliced open like a steak with a large knife, and without even being able to scream, it started to tilt sideways.
“It’s an attack! Those treacherous German pirates have attacked under the Ottoman flag!”
Only yesterday did the officers of the Black Sea Fleet realize the enemy’s attack and hastily ordered the marines to gather the conscripts. The officers remaining on the main ships called all the remaining soldiers to the engine room to start preheating the boilers.
The main ships were preparing to set sail in a hurry, but they needed time for their mission. There were not enough marines, and to move the battleships, they needed sufficient time to preheat the boilers. The minimum time required was one hour.
The smaller boats were in a less urgent situation, but they also needed time to turn on the boilers.
The German warships boldly fired shells at the mouths of the strait and the fortresses around Sebastopol. The coastal fortresses had a similar navy and were able to respond immediately, but there were not many gun batteries. These few coastal guns could not penetrate the thick armor of the battleships.
The representative naval power, England, sacrificed armor for the speed of the battleships, but the Germans adopted a design that maximized defense. As a result, they had to mount smaller main guns than what superior boilers could support, but in the current situation, this was acting as an advantage.
Admiral Ibelgard, who was discussing how to deal with the Ottoman blockade with his staff officers at the headquarters, suddenly arrived in a car with only a subordinate officer. He saw Captain Mikhail Pavlovich Savelin directing the officers in the crowded dock and hurriedly ran over.
“What is the current situation?”
The captain was surprised to see the head of the fleet standing next to him. But he quickly regained his composure and gave the report the superior wanted.
“There is one battleship and one cruiser outside the bay that are enduring and bombarding us. One destroyer has already sunk and one coal transport ship has been destroyed. The bombardment has not reached the harbor, but the gun batteries have suffered significant damage.”
“Damn it. If it’s a battleship, it must be those damn Germans.”
“Most likely. According to the ship identification, it is highly likely to be a Molke-class battleship.”
“Our battleships’ sortie…”
“As Your Excellency knows, we need time.”
“I know that too.”
The Admiral replied irritably and received binoculars from his subordinate. The black smoke created by the sinking coal transport ship completely blocked the view of the bay entrance.
“With this, we won’t be able to secure a clock either. Even if the sortie is ready, it’s not easy to leave without worry in this situation, is it?”
The captain nodded.
The large and slow-moving battleships were at risk of running aground if they made a wrong turn in the narrow channel. But if they slowed down and tried to escape, they would be enthusiastically attacked by the German ships.
It’s called a battleship, but the Molke-class that was holding its ground in front of the bay had a class that easily overwhelmed all the pre-dreadnoughts. To compete with German battleships, at least a ship of the caliber of the Nassau-class battleship was necessary.
But they were not yet fully operational, and they were ships assigned to the Baltic Sea.
Unfortunately, in the current situation, there was no choice but to push forward several dreadnought-class ships at once and overwhelm the enemy with sheer numbers. It was clear that the Germans were also aiming for that.
“For now, you will go aboard the battleship and take command.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
After sending the colonel back to the ship, Ivan Galtgart pondered on how to attack the enemy cruisers.
No matter how much he thought about it, it seemed that there was no other way but to send out small torpedo boats first, timed to disrupt the Germans’ advantageous position, while also sending out the battleships.
Of course, there was also the option of simply defending within the harbor, but that was not acceptable to the pride of the Black Sea Fleet. Being blockaded in the port because of not being able to fend off just two enemy ships would be a humiliation to the Russian Empire.
“Gather all the commanding officers of each squadron…”
Just as the admiral was about to give the order, a few flashes of light appeared from the fort overlooking the harbor. In the chaos, it was difficult to make contact, so they sent out a signal like a ship’s flare in a hurry.
After reading the signal, the admiral unknowingly made a dumbfounded expression.
“The damn Germans are already fleeing?”
He let out a series of exasperated sighs.
Only then did he see what the Germans were intending to do.
From the beginning, the Germans had no intention of considering how many casualties they would suffer here. All they wanted was to stage a situation where they could bombard Russian territory with the Ottoman flag still flying.
“Crazy bastards.”
That was the only impression the admiral could express.
On that afternoon, Mikhail Nikolaevich von Giers, the Russian ambassador to Constantinople, visited Grand Admiral Sait Halim Pasha, holding a telegram filled with the anger of Petrograd. Russia demanded an apology and compensation from the Ottoman government, disarmament of the Black Sea, expulsion of all Germans including military advisors and civilians, among other things.
At the same time, they notified that if these conditions were not accepted within 24 hours, Petrograd and Constantinople would enter a state of war.
Of course, it goes without saying that the Ottomans could not accept these conditions. Both Constantinople and the Ottoman military relied too heavily on German technology, finance, and weapons, making it difficult to expel the Germans and function properly.
And even if they did accept Russia’s demands, they would be dragged around according to their whims. The Ottoman government’s response had already been determined from the beginning.
“The Empire government declares that it cannot accept Petrograd’s demands.”
The Ottoman Empire government notified the Russian embassy of their refusal to surrender, not even after six hours had passed.
“Well, then it’s war. We, Russia, will clearly bear all responsibility for this.”
Russia responded with a declaration of war.
With this, the Ottoman Empire became a new participant in the war as an ally.
The Ottoman Empire’s participation meant the escalation of the war.
At the same time, the world’s largest empire with vast territories awakened.