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The Harwich Striking Force: The Royal Navy's Front Line in the North Sea 1914–1918
The Harwich Force has made its name and will not be forgotten during the future annals of history’; so said Rear Admiral Sir Reginald Tyrwhitt on Armistice Day 1918. But that fame has not endured. Yet for the whole duration of the First World War, the Harwich Striking Force was the front line of the Royal Navy, a force of cruisers and destroyers defending the seas for the Allies.
Under a charismatic and aggressive leader, Reginald Yorke Tyrwhitt, U-boats, German cruisers, destroyers and light craft all met their ends at the hands of the Force, as did enemy seaplanes and Zeppelin airships. The Harwich ships were at sea almost daily throughout the war, haunting the German coast and the Friesian Islands, pioneering aerial attack from the sea, developing naval carrier aviation and combined air/sea operations, and hunting for enemy submarines and minelayers in the North Sea. The Harwich Force also took part in major naval battles alongside the Grand Fleet’s battlecruisers, and protected merchant ships operating in the dangerous waters around Denmark, the Netherlands, Germany and Britain.
The author also assesses the role played by the other Royal Navy formations at submarines, auxiliary minesweeping and patrol vessels, the Felixstowe seaplane base and the town itself. And when the war was finally won, the Force gained further fame when the German U-boat fleet was surrendered there.
Lavishly illustrated, this book is an enthralling account of the men of the Harwich Force, of their grit and brave sacrifice and the key part that they played in the final Allied victory against Germany.
Under a charismatic and aggressive leader, Reginald Yorke Tyrwhitt, U-boats, German cruisers, destroyers and light craft all met their ends at the hands of the Force, as did enemy seaplanes and Zeppelin airships. The Harwich ships were at sea almost daily throughout the war, haunting the German coast and the Friesian Islands, pioneering aerial attack from the sea, developing naval carrier aviation and combined air/sea operations, and hunting for enemy submarines and minelayers in the North Sea. The Harwich Force also took part in major naval battles alongside the Grand Fleet’s battlecruisers, and protected merchant ships operating in the dangerous waters around Denmark, the Netherlands, Germany and Britain.
The author also assesses the role played by the other Royal Navy formations at submarines, auxiliary minesweeping and patrol vessels, the Felixstowe seaplane base and the town itself. And when the war was finally won, the Force gained further fame when the German U-boat fleet was surrendered there.
Lavishly illustrated, this book is an enthralling account of the men of the Harwich Force, of their grit and brave sacrifice and the key part that they played in the final Allied victory against Germany.
320 pages, Hardcover
Published August 16, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
March 24, 2023
Much ink has been spilled over the British High Seas fleet in the Great War. And why not? The big, powerful ships that defeated the Germans catch the imagination and are worthy of our attention. But Steve Dunn highlights an indomitable force of cruisers, destroyers, and submarines, known as the Harwich Striking Force, that protected the British coast and took the war to the enemy whenever possible, doing the hard yards often without much attention paid to them let alone fanfare.
Dunn begins with the development of the British strategy of controlling the North Sea through blockading Germany with a force based at Harwich. When war came, Commodore Reginald Tyrwhitt assumed command of the force with reconnaissance as its original objective, but that soon changed. Dunn provides brief biographies of the commanders of the fleet and reviews its vessels. Then we are into the action. The Harwich fleet fired the first shot of the war and suffered the first sinking by a contact mine. The fleet took part in the Battle of Heligoland Blight then continued on its regular duties of supporting the BEF, protecting minelayers and transports, and fending off coastal raids. The Harwich fleet was also instrumental in the early development of air attacks from the sea.
The fleet played a significant role in the Battle of Dogger Bank in 1915 before resuming its many roles. Dunn follows the fleet through these various operations, pausing to describe the action, then continues with his narrative. That does not mean to say that this book is repetitive, far from it. The myriad incidents Dunn describes each have their distinctive flavour, and his narrative style keeps things flowing along. Thus, we have stories of zeppelin raids, non-combat tragedies, tales of individual heroism, and a lot more combat action than this reviewer expected; although, as Dunn points out, the absence of the Harwich fleet at the Battle of Jutland was peculiar to say the least. The Harwich fleet fought on, however, throughout the remainder of the war as a frontline force and paid the price in men and material. At war’s end, the Harwich fleet escorted captured German U-Boats into Harwich, then it was all over, and the fleet was wound down. Tyrwhitt received major honours for his command of an extraordinary force.
The Harwich Striking Force is an excellent narrative history of an almost forgotten fleet. Dunn writes well and tells an informative and engaging story that bolsters our understanding of naval operations during the Great War. His judicious use of Tyrwhitt’s letters and other primary sources provides a necessary human touch and adds colour to what could have been a dry retelling of combat between ships, submarines, warplanes, and zeppelins. There are also many photographs and illustrations throughout the book of the ships and people involved in this sometimes brutal war for control of Britain’s vital sea lanes. Anyone interested in the Great War and naval operations in general will enjoy reading Dunn’s book.
Dunn begins with the development of the British strategy of controlling the North Sea through blockading Germany with a force based at Harwich. When war came, Commodore Reginald Tyrwhitt assumed command of the force with reconnaissance as its original objective, but that soon changed. Dunn provides brief biographies of the commanders of the fleet and reviews its vessels. Then we are into the action. The Harwich fleet fired the first shot of the war and suffered the first sinking by a contact mine. The fleet took part in the Battle of Heligoland Blight then continued on its regular duties of supporting the BEF, protecting minelayers and transports, and fending off coastal raids. The Harwich fleet was also instrumental in the early development of air attacks from the sea.
The fleet played a significant role in the Battle of Dogger Bank in 1915 before resuming its many roles. Dunn follows the fleet through these various operations, pausing to describe the action, then continues with his narrative. That does not mean to say that this book is repetitive, far from it. The myriad incidents Dunn describes each have their distinctive flavour, and his narrative style keeps things flowing along. Thus, we have stories of zeppelin raids, non-combat tragedies, tales of individual heroism, and a lot more combat action than this reviewer expected; although, as Dunn points out, the absence of the Harwich fleet at the Battle of Jutland was peculiar to say the least. The Harwich fleet fought on, however, throughout the remainder of the war as a frontline force and paid the price in men and material. At war’s end, the Harwich fleet escorted captured German U-Boats into Harwich, then it was all over, and the fleet was wound down. Tyrwhitt received major honours for his command of an extraordinary force.
The Harwich Striking Force is an excellent narrative history of an almost forgotten fleet. Dunn writes well and tells an informative and engaging story that bolsters our understanding of naval operations during the Great War. His judicious use of Tyrwhitt’s letters and other primary sources provides a necessary human touch and adds colour to what could have been a dry retelling of combat between ships, submarines, warplanes, and zeppelins. There are also many photographs and illustrations throughout the book of the ships and people involved in this sometimes brutal war for control of Britain’s vital sea lanes. Anyone interested in the Great War and naval operations in general will enjoy reading Dunn’s book.
November 5, 2022
The Harwich Striking Force tells the story of the Royal Navy units stationed at Harwich during the First World War, with a strong focus on the Harwich Force itself, but also with discussion of the submarines, naval air station at Felixstowe, and auxiliaries (including minesweepers) located there. It’s an engaging and interesting read, and is very well-researched – the book benefits greatly from the author’s high level of knowledge on naval matters during the First World War.
The quality of writing and editing is very high, with only a very small number of very minor grammatical errors, and nothing that confuses the story/message. The structure of the book is a generally chronological journey through WW1, with separate chapters towards the end on ‘Life in the Harwich Force’, Auxiliaries and the Naval Air Station at Felixstowe, before wrapping up. Pleasantly (and it makes one wonder why this isn’t done more often), “further information” footnotes are contained at the bottom of the page, enabling easy reference, while “source” footnotes are contained at the back of the book (so there’s no need to refer to a footnote to see whether it’s a source or further information).
It is well-illustrated, with appropriate and well-chosen images interspersed throughout the next, and informative captions. There are five appendices, covering particular orders (two appendices), auxiliary vessels at Harwich, Article XXIII of the Armistice and the losses experienced by the Harwich Force. It is well-sourced, with endnotes and a bibliography covering a range of primary and secondary sources, and there is also a well-laid-out index and, at the start of the book, a well-labelled map of the area of operations.
Something that I always like is that it’s a very person-centred work – there are numerous vignettes of people and/or actions, which breathe life and context into the book. The book also highlights the cost of war, with examples of the people that didn’t survive the conflict. While the book is very much written from the focus of the Royal Navy, German commanders are named and mentioned as well, which is also very welcome. And, in almost every case, the full name is given (rather than the first initial or two and a surname).
All up, a very easy recommend to people interested in the history of the Royal Navy, the First World War, or the Royal Navy in the First World War.
The quality of writing and editing is very high, with only a very small number of very minor grammatical errors, and nothing that confuses the story/message. The structure of the book is a generally chronological journey through WW1, with separate chapters towards the end on ‘Life in the Harwich Force’, Auxiliaries and the Naval Air Station at Felixstowe, before wrapping up. Pleasantly (and it makes one wonder why this isn’t done more often), “further information” footnotes are contained at the bottom of the page, enabling easy reference, while “source” footnotes are contained at the back of the book (so there’s no need to refer to a footnote to see whether it’s a source or further information).
It is well-illustrated, with appropriate and well-chosen images interspersed throughout the next, and informative captions. There are five appendices, covering particular orders (two appendices), auxiliary vessels at Harwich, Article XXIII of the Armistice and the losses experienced by the Harwich Force. It is well-sourced, with endnotes and a bibliography covering a range of primary and secondary sources, and there is also a well-laid-out index and, at the start of the book, a well-labelled map of the area of operations.
Something that I always like is that it’s a very person-centred work – there are numerous vignettes of people and/or actions, which breathe life and context into the book. The book also highlights the cost of war, with examples of the people that didn’t survive the conflict. While the book is very much written from the focus of the Royal Navy, German commanders are named and mentioned as well, which is also very welcome. And, in almost every case, the full name is given (rather than the first initial or two and a surname).
All up, a very easy recommend to people interested in the history of the Royal Navy, the First World War, or the Royal Navy in the First World War.
May 24, 2026
Dunn makes a point of tackling the under-represented corners of naval warfare. The Harwich Force, filling the gap between the Grand Fleet and the Channel (which he has also written about) is a classic case in point. Its leader, Rear Admiral Sir Reginald Tyrwhitt, held the remarkable distinction of remaining in post throughout the First World War. Its mixture of light cruisers, destroyers, submarines and auxiliaries spent four years of brutal, unceasing effort on tasks from mining and counter-mining, anti-submarine, escort, to raiding and anti-air. The danger and the strain were extreme, exacerbated by the unpredictable North Sea weather.
Interestingly Tyrwhitt's reputation for aggression at least equal to Fisher's gave him the authority to stand up to Churchill's mad idea (no doubt prompted by the latter) for assaults on Heligoland and Kiel. Not everyone could tell Winston he was wrong and leave the room without either changing their mind or watching the ashes of their career die in the fireplace.
The book itself is well-researched and written, keeping up a decent pace without skimming. Dunn is careful to highlight the human cost of warfare, which can be lost in a simple narrative. There are plentiful and appropriate photos in the text.
Interestingly Tyrwhitt's reputation for aggression at least equal to Fisher's gave him the authority to stand up to Churchill's mad idea (no doubt prompted by the latter) for assaults on Heligoland and Kiel. Not everyone could tell Winston he was wrong and leave the room without either changing their mind or watching the ashes of their career die in the fireplace.
The book itself is well-researched and written, keeping up a decent pace without skimming. Dunn is careful to highlight the human cost of warfare, which can be lost in a simple narrative. There are plentiful and appropriate photos in the text.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews