The preponderance of British naval strength was beginning to tell severely upon German trade by the end of 1914, and her boast that through her navy she would starve out Germany aroused the German Government greatly.  In answer to these British threats, Grand Admiral von Tirpitz, German Secretary of Marine, in an interview given to an American newspaper correspondent, hinted that Germany’s retaliation would be a war on British merchant ships by German submarines.

The interview at the time aroused but mild comment; the idea was a new one, and the question immediately arose as to whether such action would be within the limits of international law.  For the time being, however, Von Tirpitz’s words remained nothing more than a threat.  It was not until months later that the threat was made good, and the consequences must form a separate part of this narrative, to be given in Volume III.

The seaplane, the newest naval machine at the time, and as yet an untried factor, was to see maiden service first at the hands of the British, when on the 25th of December a raid on Cuxhaven was made.  Seven naval seaplanes attacked a fleet of German cruisers and destroyers lying off Schilling Roads near the German port.  The men who thus made history in aviation were Francis E. T. Hewlett, son of the famous novelist, accompanied by seven pilots.  A naval force consisting of a light cruiser, a flotilla of destroyers and another of submarines brought up near Helgoland during the morning.  When this naval force was first discovered by the lookouts on Helgoland, there immediately appeared approaching from the German base two Zeppelins and a number of German seaplanes, together with some submarines.  Meanwhile, from the decks of the British craft there went up the seven British seaplanes.

In order to give them a place for landing after they returned from their raid, it was necessary for the British ships to remain in the vicinity for three hours.  The Undaunted and Arethusa, with the rest of the British force, had to “dance” about, dodging the submarines which were attacking them from beneath the surface of the water and the aircraft hovering over them.  Bombs dropped from the latter failed to find their targets, and by swift maneuvering the torpedoes shot at them were also caused to go far wide of the mark.

The British airmen dropped their bombs on points of military importance at Cuxhaven, but their effect was kept secret by the German authorities.  Six of the seven returned to the squadron and were picked up by submarines.  Three of the seaplanes were wrecked and had to be abandoned.  Fog not only prevented the British airmen from doing their best work, but it kept the marksmen on the German aircraft also from hitting the ships on the waters beneath them.  This raid had been made in answer to a great outcry that had gone up from the British public after German warships had raided the eastern coast of England.