After the Scarborough raid, German planners suspected covert trawler observation rather than compromised communications. They therefore planned a sweep toward Dogger Bank to attack the fishing vessels they blamed for British foreknowledge. Their sailing instructions were themselves exposed through radio traffic, enabling British forces to leave port before the German ships. The Royal Navy assembled battlecruisers, cruisers, destroyers, and submarines for an ambush rather than a chance patrol encounter. The fleets met in clear conditions at 7:05 a.m. on 24 January 1915, with the British already positioned to exploit advance warning.
Notable Point · 17:00-21:33
A false trawler theory leads into a British ambush
The Germans blamed fishing trawlers for British foreknowledge, while their own transmissions allowed the Royal Navy to sail first and prepare an ambush.