The 1914 battle that shows what was at stake

The 28 August 1914 British sweep against German patrol forces was fought chiefly by cruisers and destroyers. The supporting British battlecruisers were positioned against a larger German response but did not take part in the battle, an important distinction when comparing the listed forces with the ships actually engaged. Reginald Tyrwhitt and Roger Keyes conceived, promoted, and executed the operation. Britain suffered casualties and damaged ships but lost none, while Germany lost three light cruisers and a torpedo boat and suffered hundreds killed or captured. The episode shows how aggressive British light forces operated close to the German coast, a dynamic that a British-held island would intensify.