The Story Of Battlecruiser TCG Yavuz / SMS Goeben

The Battle of Cape Sarych - 2

On 17.11.1914, the Turkish  warships  and  Russian  Fleet  sighted  each other.
After a searching period,  the  ships  entered  to  the battle-line, Yavuz turned to
starboard, a good position which enabled  to  open salvo fire on Russian ships.
The Russian five warships were  in an open column, led by the flagship Evstafy
followed  by  Ioann  Zlatoust,  Rostislav, Panteleimon  and Tri Sviatitelia. There
were destroyers in two columns behind and to one side of  the warships. When
the range decreased about  8000 yards, Admiral  Ebergard  ordered  to  open
fire. Evstafy first opened a two gun salvo and the Battle of Cape Sarych began
Yavuz replied to fire  with  all  her  280 mm main  guns, and  after  a  while  she
scored a hit on the Russian flagship.

But, on  the other  hand, the  Russian shells were also accurate, and during the
battle Yavuz  received  some 12 inch shells and one of her secondary guns put
out of action. Although Russian warships damaged, but Yavuz was under a risk
of  a  magazine  explosion  due to fire. Her petty officers stopped some flames
which  were initiated  by  the  Russian shells, by flooding water. Also there was
an important damage on Yavuz' s citadel armor.

During the battle the Russian warships and Yavuz fired heavy shells accurately
Yavuz and Evstafy got some damage but the opposing forces couldn' t be able
to sink each other. Evstafy suffered four important hits from Yavuz, some of the
crew  members died  or  wounded. Yavuz  suffered  three hits from the Russian
ships and because of an explosion risk, Admiral  Souchon decided  to  cancel
the operation and returned after.

Another actions at Black Sea

After the Battle  of  Cape Sarych, Yavuz  returned  to home and  gone  under  a
repair. After  some few weeks, she was ready for new actions. On 03.04.1914
while cruising  on  the  Odessa-Sevastopo l Russian  communication  line, she
sank  the steamer Vostochnaya  Zvezda  off  the Tarkhankut  Cape  and  Midilli
 sighted and destroyed another vessel named as Providans.

On 04.07.1916, under cover of Yavuz, Midilli sank the troops transport Rokkliff
with her torpedos and raked the schooner Rezvy with gunfire in the Sochi area
Aside  these  actions,  Yavuz  entered  many  operations  with  other  warships,
mostly with the cruiser Hamidiye, until the end of the war. She also tried to fight
with  the  great  British-French  fleet  which  was  trying to pass over Canakkale
( Gallipoli ) but she was alone and Souchon didn' t  want  to  face a deadly risk.
Yavuz was the only Turkish battlecruiser, but there were more  than  20  enemy
warships. During the Battle  of  Gallipoli, she only exchanged gunfire with HMS
Queen Elisabeth  which  was  a  super-dreadnought. But they couldn' t be able
to give harm to each other.