The First World War in the Baltic Sea Volume 2

A definitive three-volume history of the remarkable Baltic naval campaign, revealed through new research in Russian, German and British archives. In 1915, the German battle fleet advanced, seeking decisive victory. The Russian fleet, supported by British submarines, drove them back after many hard fought actions.

At the beginning of 1915, with the war in the west at a stalemate, Germany focussed eastwards, to force Russia to sue for peace. Fighting ebbed and flowed across the Baltic. Early German successes ended when Russian cruisers were victorious at the Battle of Östergarn.

Germany countered by sending their powerful battle fleet to the Baltic. Led by the battleship Slava, outnumbered Russian forces fought off repeated attempts to break in to the Gulf of Riga. The German battleships eventually succeeded, but in the face of mounting losses, finally had to withdraw.

The Russian fleet struck back with attacks on German patrol lines, coastal positions, and an amphibious assault behind German lines. Russian submarines, with British reinforcements, attacked German warships and commercial steamer traffic, causing numerous losses and trade disruption.

By the end of 1915, German naval forces had retired behind their defensive mine barriers. The Russian fleet had not only weathered the storm, but had exacted a high price from their attackers. It would be nearly two years before the German battle fleet returned to seek decisive victory in the Baltic, in the conclusion to the campaign.