The Harwich Striking Force : The Royal Navy's Front Line in the North Sea 1914 1918

The subtitle “The Royal Navy’s Front Line in the North Sea 1914-1918” accurately describes the role of the Harwich force of cruisers, destroyers and submarines. Harwich was the only deep water port on the North Sea able to meet the remit to safeguard British merchant shipping, prevent German ships breaking out, and secure the English Channel and its vital supply lines in support of the BEF. Established at the outbreak of war with 12 destroyers, and initially an elderly light cruiser, it rapidly grew with better light cruisers, submarines and seaplane carriers. In command of the Harwich Force was Commodore Reginald Tyrwhitt, a destroyer man, proven leader, and committed to using his force aggressively. The main part of the book is a chronological account of the Force’s exploits. 1914 saw the Battle of Heligoland Bight resulting in a victory for the British, but Tyrwhitt’s ships were saved by Beatty’s battlecruisers. Tyrwhitt was less successful in intercepting the German raids on the East Coast. The Harwich Force was increased in 1915 but it was to be a frustrating year with endless sweeps and the only tangible success was the capture of German trawlers. 1916 saw Tyrwhitt in his customary manner always pushing to get to grips with the German fleet, and he was intensely frustrated by having to sit out Jutland which has been viewed as a missed opportunity for a fully worked up fighting force to influence the battle; Tyrwhitt spent Jutland working in his garden! 1917, with the declaration of unrestricted U-boat warfare, saw wider convoy duty added to the Harwich Force tasks which were already covering the Anglo-Dutch “beef trip” convoys. The Harwich Force were assisted by flying boats based at Felixstowe and Tyrwhitt was an advocate of the use of aircraft from lighters and seaplanes to attack the German airbases. 1918 saw heavy losses of Force destroyers operating in “a North Sea congested with mines and infested with U-boats”. With the signing of the Armistice, the Harwich Force’s final task was to escort surrendering German U-boats – by 1 December 1918 122, U-boats were moored up in Harwich. The book closes with a chapter on life in Harwich. The conditions for the ships’ companies were spartan at best, exposed to the elements in the poor weather of the “fog ridden, windswept, unforgiving North Sea”. The fact that the Force retained high morale says a lot for the young Commanding Officers and for Tyrwhitt’s leadership. He drove his Force hard and often went to sea in the destroyers as opposed to his light cruiser flagship. In 1917 he was knighted and promoted to Rear Admiral in 1918. He left the Force in May 1919 and retired as a full Admiral in 1933. This book is a fitting tribute, not just to the men and ships of the Harwich Force, but also to its leader Reginald Tyrwhitt who led the Force for the whole of the war and was described by one of the Force Petty Officers as “the finest sailor Britain has produced since Nelson”. A superb read and very highly recommended.