Action of 22 September 1914
| Action of 22 September 1914 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the First World War | |||||||
Artist's illustration of the sinking of HMS Aboukir | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
| Germany | United Kingdom | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Otto Weddigen |
John Drummond Wilmot Nicholson Robert Johnson † | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| Submarine U-9 | 3 armoured cruisers | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| None |
1,459 killed 3 armoured cruisers sunk | ||||||
The Action of 22 September 1914 was an attack by the German U-boat U-9 that took place during the First World War. Three obsolete Royal Navy cruisers of the 7th Cruiser Squadron manned mainly by Royal Naval Reserve part-timers and sometimes referred to as the Live Bait Squadron, were sunk by U-9 while patrolling the southern North Sea.
Neutral ships and trawlers nearby began to rescue survivors but 1,459 British sailors were killed. There was a public outcry in Britain at the losses; the sinkings eroded confidence in the British government and damaged the reputation of the Royal Navy, when many countries were still unsure about taking sides in the war.