Today’s video dives into the story of HMS Raglan, one of the Royal Navy’s early monitors, whose brief but dramatic service highlights the evolving nature of naval warfare during World War I. Born from the need to deploy heavy guns in shallow waters, Raglan was part of a class conceived after the British acquired American-made 14-inch guns originally intended for the Greek battlecruiser Salamis. Completed in 1915, Raglan saw extensive service in the Eastern Mediterranean, supporting the Dardanelles and Palestine campaigns, before meeting a heroic end in a duel against the ex-German battlecruiser Goeben in 1918.
The concept of the monitor—a small, heavily armed ship with a shallow draft—dated back centuries, but World War I brought it to new prominence. Facing the challenges of entrenched shore defenses at Gallipoli and shallow coastal theaters, Admiralty leaders like Winston Churchill and Admiral Jackie Fisher saw monitors as essential tools for applying heavy firepower in confined waters. Raglan and her sisters were built with remarkable speed and armed with formidable twin 14-inch turrets, intended for bombarding fortified positions from relative safety offshore.
Upon completion, HMS Raglan deployed to the Mediterranean, joining operations off Gallipoli and later supporting the Allied forces in Palestine and Greece. Though not designed for fleet actions, monitors like Raglan proved vital in bombarding Ottoman positions, disrupting troop movements, and supporting amphibious landings. However, by 1918, the Eastern Mediterranean saw renewed danger with the presence of Goeben—renamed Yavuz Sultan Selim—and her consort, the light cruiser Midilli (formerly Breslau).
On January 20, 1918, Raglan and the smaller monitor M28 were caught at anchor near Imbros when Goeben and Midilli launched a surprise attack. Although Raglan managed to bring her heavy guns to bear and scored a few near-misses, she was outmatched by the speed and firepower of the German-Turkish ships. A shell from Goeben disabled Raglan's fire control, and further hits set off catastrophic fires. After a brave but doomed defense, Raglan was sunk with heavy loss of life. M28 was destroyed shortly afterward.
While the loss of two monitors was tragic, the enemy operation ultimately failed: Midilli was sunk by mines shortly after the battle, and Goeben was heavily damaged and forced to beach herself. In a grim irony, the costly sacrifice of Raglan and her crew helped blunt one of the last major threats to Allied control of the Eastern Mediterranean.
HMS Raglan’s story captures the daring innovation and grim realities of naval warfare during the First World War. Designed for a specific role in a rapidly changing strategic environment, she served her purpose valiantly and paid the ultimate price. Her sacrifice—and that of her crew—stands as a testament to the adaptability, bravery, and resilience of the Royal Navy during one of its most challenging eras.
Intro 0:00
Background 1:05
Career 10:02
Battle with Goeben and Breslau 18:30
Conclusion 25:25
Sources/Other Reading:
https://www.amazon.com/Big-Gun-Monito...
https://www.amazon.com/Monitors-Royal....
https://www.amazon.com/War-Mediterran...
https://www.amazon.com/Naval-War-Medi...
https://www.amazon.com/Castles-Steel-...
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