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38-698: The Raid on Cuxhaven (German: Weihnachtsangriff , Christmas Raid) was a British ship-based air-raid on the Imperial German Navy at Cuxhaven mounted on Christmas Day, 1914. Aircraft of the Royal Naval Air Service were carried to within striking distance by seaplane tenders of the Royal Navy , supported by both surface ships and submarines. The aircraft flew over the Cuxhaven area and dropped their bombs, causing damage to shore installations. It

76-523: A strafing run or area bombing . The importance of precision targeting cannot be overstated: by some statistics, over a hundred raids were necessary to destroy a point target in World War 2; by the Persian Gulf War , the U.S. Air Force was able to release to media precise footage of television- or radar-guided bombs directly hitting the target without significant collateral damage (using, for example,

114-488: A 1,000-metre (3,300 ft) runway. Of the seven East Frisian islands, Norderney is the youngest. The island has only existed in its present form since the middle of the 16th century, being the eastern remnant of the larger island Buise . The larger island of Buise was split into two parts during the Grote Mandrenke flood of 1362, the eastern half at first being called Ostrende. What was left of Buise shrank in size over

152-436: A Short Type 81 (serial no. 122 ) and a Short "Improved Type 74" (serial no. 812 ), were winched back on board. Fog, low cloud and anti-aircraft fire prevented the raid from being a complete success, although several sites were attacked. Nevertheless, the raid demonstrated the feasibility of attack by ship-borne aircraft and showed the strategic importance of this new weapon. According to a telegram dated 7 January 1915, held in

190-473: A few days. Winters are mild and, due to the effect of the Gulf Stream, usually free of frosts. The Island also has more sunshine hours than the mainland, with around 2,000 hours per year. Sea temperatures are fluctuating between 3 and 7 °C (37 and 45 °F) in the winter and over 20 °C (68 °F) in the summer months. The highest temperature so far was 35.4 °C (95.7 °F) on 24 July 2019 and

228-519: Is one of the seven populated East Frisian Islands off the North Sea coast of Germany . The island is 14 by 2.5 kilometres (8.7 by 1.6 mi), having a total area of about 26.3 square kilometres (10.2 sq mi) and is therefore Germany's ninth-largest island. Norderney's population amounts to about 5,850 people. In 1946 Norderney gained municipal status and belongs to the Aurich "Kreis" (county). On

266-430: Is shown underneath. Such high structures helped mariners identify the island and orient themselves in earlier times. There are similar buildings on Borkum and Wangerooge . The Norderney cape building was built in 1848 from wood, and was replaced in 1870 with a stone building. At night a fire was lit in the top part of the structure. Today lighthouses have taken over this function. The island painter Poppe Folkerts designed

304-686: The 2023 Israel–Hamas war . Airstrike campaigns often cause the deaths of non-combatants , including civilians. International law apply the principles of military necessity , distinction , and proportionality . These principles emphasize that an attack must be directed towards a legitimate military target and the harm caused to non-combatant targets must be proportional to the advantage gained by such attack. Many modern military aircraft carry precision-guided munitions , which military sources promote as decreasing civilian deaths. Norderney Norderney ( German pronunciation: [ˌnɔʁdɐˈnaɪ̯] ; Low German : Nördernee )

342-640: The Distinguished Service Order (DSO); Chief Petty Officer Mechanic James William Bell and Chief Petty Officer Mechanic Gilbert Howard William Budds were awarded the Distinguished Service Medal (DSM). [REDACTED] Media related to Cuxhaven Raid at Wikimedia Commons 53°51′40″N 08°41′40″E  /  53.86111°N 8.69444°E  / 53.86111; 8.69444 Airstrike In close air support , air strikes are usually controlled by trained observers on

380-668: The F-4U Corsair and North American P-51 Mustang fighters that fought during the Korean War, albeit at the cost of the R&;D of the aircraft itself, the weapons, and, most important to the man on the ground, fuel and loiter time, though this situation was slightly alleviated with the introduction of aircraft like the Cessna A-37 Dragonfly , LTV A-7 Corsair II , and Lockheed AC-130 gunships. Today, airstrike terminology has extended to

418-569: The German Bight . The objective was to reconnoitre military installations in the area and if possible, bomb the Zeppelin sheds at Cuxhaven. Lieutenant Erskine Childers RNVR , the yachtsman and author of The Riddle of the Sands , who had sailed the area before the war, provided the navigational briefing and accompanied Flight Commander Cecil Kilner as navigator and observer. On Christmas Day, 1914,

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456-529: The LANTIRN pod). Paul Fussell noted in his seminal work The Great War and Modern Memory the popular 20th century tendency to assume an errant bomb hitting a church, for example, was completely deliberate and reflective of the inherent evil of the enemy; over time, expectations for reduced collateral damage have increased to the point that developed countries engaging in war against less technologically advanced countries approach near-zero in terms of such damage. In

494-589: The Malayan Emergency of the 1950s, British and Commonwealth Avro Lincoln heavy bombers, de Havilland Vampire fighter jets, Supermarine Spitfires , Bristol Brigands , de Havilland Mosquitos , and a host of other British aircraft were used in Malaya in operations against guerillas. However, the humid climate played havoc with the Mosquito's wooden airframe, and they were soon deployed elsewhere. This period also marked

532-675: The "Churchill Archives Centre", at Churchill College , Cambridge , the "Admiralty Chief Censor intercepted message from Hartvig, Kjobenhaven to the Daily Mail, reporting that the British aerial raid on Cuxhaven [Germany] had forced the German Admiralty to remove the greater part of the High Seas Fleet from Cuxhaven to various places on the Kiel Canal ." The crews of all seven aircraft survived

570-511: The East Friesian island of Norderney and their crews were taken on board the submarine E11 , under the command of Lieutenant-Commander Martin Nasmith (the aircraft being scuttled to prevent them from falling into enemy hands); the seventh aircraft, a Short Admiralty Type 135 (RNAS serial no. 135 ) piloted by Flt. Lt. Francis E.T. Hewlett , suffered engine problems and was seen to ditch into

608-477: The airship L6 but due to a generator failure reporting was not initially made. The attacking force had been sailing in formation at a speed of 20 kn (23 mph; 37 km/h) but due to boiler difficulties, this speed could not be made by HMS Empress , which lagged astern of the formation. Consequently, the first combat was against this vessel. Two Friedrichshafen seaplanes attacked with bombs, and although one small bomb exploded only 20 feet (6.1 m) off

646-485: The bow, no damage was done to the ship or crew. The Zeppelin L6 followed by attacking with both bombs and machine gun fire. The crew of Empress attempted to drive the Zeppelin away, initially with rifle fire as their 12-pounder in the stern was blanked by the superstructure. No damage was done to the ship, seaplanes, or airship. Further attacks on the retiring force were attempted by submarines U-20 , U-22 , and U-30 but

684-464: The coat of arms. Norderney is one of the smallest German communities to fly its own flag. The small city flag has horizontal blue and white stripes and a black and white checkered area on the left side. The blue colour stands for the sea, white symbolizes the colour of the sand, and black stands for the Norderney sea sign. Norderney has a maritime climate, with generally less extreme temperatures than on

722-439: The concept of the strike aircraft , what earlier generations of military aviators referred to as light bombers or attack aircraft . With the near-complete air supremacy enjoyed by developed nations in undeveloped regions, fighter jets can often be modified to add strike capability in a manner less practicable in earlier generations. Airstrikes can be carried out for strategic purposes outside of general warfare. Operation Opera

760-595: The first combined sea and air strike was executed by the Royal Navy, aimed at locating and if possible bombing the dirigible sheds housing German Zeppelins, to forestall attacks by the airships on Britain. The air temperature was just above 0 °C and of the nine seaplanes lowered to the water, only seven (three Short Improved Type 74 " Folders ", two Short Type 81 Folders and two Short Type 135 Folders, all carrying three 20 lb (9.1 kg) bombs) were able to start their engines and take off. Those unable to take part,

798-533: The first employment of the seaplanes of the Naval Air Service in an attack on the enemy's harbours from the sea, and, apart altogether from the results achieved, is an occasion of historical moment. Not only so, but for the first time in history a naval attack has been delivered simultaneously above, on, and from below the surface of the water. For their part in the Cuxhaven Raid, Kilner and Edmonds were awarded

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836-425: The ground for coordination with ground troops and intelligence in a manner derived from artillery tactics. The first large scale air raid occurred during World War I in 1915, when London was bombed by 15 German Zeppelin dirigibles at night. Since the residents of London, and many of its defenders, were asleep, a loud warning system for air raids made sense, leading to the creation of the air raid siren . It

874-400: The island at Christmastime in 1717. In the 1830s shellfish harvesting became the most important activity of the islanders. Crown Prince Georg of Hannover, Herzog von Cumberland , visited Norderney for the first time in 1836 and from 1851 held court each summer on the island. During this time the resort gained a strong following of the rich and famous. In 1858 a 950-metre deck with promenade

912-518: The island economy. In 1797, Norderney became the first German resort on the North Sea. It is believed that the first durable settlements were established during the 13th and 14th centuries. A town developed in the western part of the island, protected by high dunes. The first documented mention of the island was in 1398. By 1650 the island was about 8.3 kilometres (5.2 mi) long and the town had about 18 houses and 101 inhabitants. A severe storm flooded

950-545: The last combat deployment of British Spitfires. During the Vietnam War, airstrikes and their doctrine were adjusted to fit the jets, like the North American F-100 Super Sabre , Republic F-105 Thunderchief , Douglas A-4 Skyhawk , and McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II , which were entering the U.S.A.F. and U.S.N. inventory. These aircraft could fly faster, carry more ordnance, and defend themselves better than

988-445: The manoeuvres of the British fleet prevented any success. The British force returned to home waters without loss or damage. The Cuxhaven raid was an imaginative endeavour, showing the willingness amongst naval and military leaders to adopt new technology and foreshadowed the air-sea battles of the future. It was a boost to British morale, and pointed the way to ways in which aircraft could be made more effective. The Cuxhaven raid marks

1026-418: The nearby mainland. Precipitation occurs mainly during the winter and autumn, but autumn seems to be slightly wetter, with November being the wettest month with 87.6 millimetres (3.45 in) while spring tends is usually the driest time due to the still cool sea temperature, which can't produce a lot of humidity. Summers are warm and sometimes hot, but the sea winds regulate the temperature down usually within

1064-620: The northern side of the island lies a 14-kilometre (8.7 mi) long sandy beach. The neighbouring island to the east is Baltrum , which lies about 800m (half a mile) away beyond the Wichter Ee . To the west is the island of Juist , about 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) away on the other side of the Norderneyer Seegatt . The entire eastern half of Norderney belongs to the Lower Saxon Wadden Sea National Park . Access to

1102-457: The park is restricted, as it is subdivided in zones of different accessibility for the protection of the wildlife. The status as a National Park also affects all types of traffic on the island, while especially car traffic is subject to strict regulations. The mainland is easily reached via ferry operated by AG Reederei Norden-Frisia from the harbour, Norddeich pier near the northern German city of Norden . Norderney also possesses an airport with

1140-629: The raid, having been airborne for over three hours. Three aircraft, a Short 'Improved Type 74' (RNAS serial no. 811 , flown by Flt. Lt. Charles Edmonds ), a Short Admiralty Type 81 (RNAS serial no. 119 , Flt. Cdr. R. P. Ross), and a Short Admiralty Type 135 (RNAS serial no. 136 , Flt. Cdr. C. F. Kilner with Lt. Erskine Childers as his observer), regained their tenders and were recovered; three others (one "Admiralty Type 81", RNAS serial no. 120 , Flt. Lt. A. J. Miley, and two Short 'Improved Type 74' folders, RNAS serial nos. 814 (Flt. Sub-Lt. V. Gaskell-Blackburn) and 815 (Flt. Cdr. D. A. Oliver)) landed off

1178-674: The sea some 8 miles (13 km) off Helgoland. Hewlett was posted as missing, but he was found by the Dutch trawler Marta van Hattem , which took him on board and returned him to the port of IJmuiden in the Netherlands, where he disembarked on 2 January 1915 whence he made his way back to Britain. After the raid there was no response by the German High Seas Fleet . By contrast, the Marine-Fliegerabteilung German naval arm

Raid on Cuxhaven - Misplaced Pages Continue

1216-474: The seaplane tenders HMS  Engadine , ( Squadron-commander Cecil Malone , who was also air commander for the raid) Riviera (Lieutenant E. D. M. Robertson) and Empress (Lieutenant Frederick Bowhill ), supported by the Harwich Force , a group of cruisers , destroyers and submarines commanded by Commodore Reginald Tyrwhitt , to launch three seaplanes each from their station near Helgoland in

1254-479: The years and finally disappeared into the North Sea during the St. Peter's Flood of 1651. Ostrende, on the other hand, grew in size, and is noted in a 1550 census as "Norder neys Oog" (Northern New Island), and having a church and 18 houses. The inhabitants at this time worked principally as fishermen. In the second half of the 18th century the sea trade industry grew in importance. Next to fishing, tourism became important to

1292-676: Was a single eight-ship Israeli airstrike against the Iraqi Osirak nuclear reactor , criticized by world opinion but not leading to a general outbreak of war. Such an example of the preventive strike has created new questions for international law. Airstrikes, including airstrikes by drones, were extensively used during the Gulf War , War on Terror , War in Afghanistan , Iraq War , First Libyan Civil War , Syrian Civil War , Iraqi Civil War , Yemeni Civil War , 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine and

1330-438: Was built. The island's windmill was built in 1862. In 1899 the island had 4,018 inhabitants and 26,000 resort guests. In 1901 an angelfish fishery was established. In 1925 there were 5,564 inhabitants and 38,140 guests. Deutsche Luft Hansa commenced scheduled flights to the island the same year. Since 10 July 1928 the coat of arms of the city of Norderney depicts the local landmark, the "Kap," or cape building. A dune and water

1368-529: Was described at the time as an "air reconnaissance of the Heligoland Bight , including Cuxhaven, Heligoland and Wilhelmshaven ... by naval seaplanes" during which "the opportunity was taken of attacking with bombs points of military importance" in northern Imperial Germany . The Zeppelin sheds at the Nordholz Airbase near Cuxhaven were out of range of UK-based aircraft, so a plan was developed for

1406-519: Was not until World War II that the Oxford English Dictionary first records usage of the term "air strike", which remained two separate words for some time thereafter. The Second World War also saw the first development of precision-guided munitions , which were fielded successfully by the Germans, and contributed to the modern sense of air "strike", a precision targeted attack as opposed to

1444-402: Was very active. Seaplanes and airships set out to discover the position of the attacking force. One reconnaissance seaplane, Friedrichshafen FF.19 No. 85, stayed aloft for five hours 52 minutes, a remarkable achievement for the period. Another seaplane from Heligoland spotted the British but due to not having a wireless transmitter had to return to the island to report. Sighting was also made by

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