SMS Blücher was the last armored cruiser built by the Imperial German
Navy. She was designed to match what German intelligence incorrectly
believed to be the specifications of the British Invincible-
class battlecruisers. Blücher was larger than earlier armored cruisers
and carried more heavy guns, but was unable to match the size and
armament of the new battlecruisers. The ship was named for Gebhard von
Blücher, commander of Prussian forces at the Battle of Waterloo. After
being commissioned in 1909, Blücher served in the I Scouting Group for
most of her career, including World War I. She took part in the
bombardment of Yarmouth and the raid on Scarborough, Hartlepool and
Whitby in 1914. At the Battle of Dogger Bank in 1915, she was slowed
significantly after being hit by British gunfire. Franz von Hipper, the
German commander, decided to abandon Blücher to the pursuing enemy
ships in order to save his more valuable battlecruisers. She was sunk
and British destroyers began recovering the survivors, although they
were forced to withdraw when a German zeppelin began bombing them,
mistaking Blücher for a British ship. Estimates of the number of
casualties range from 747 to around 1,000.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SMS_Bl%C3%BCcher>
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Today's selected anniversaries:
1544:
Italian War of 1542–1546: French and Spanish forces fought a
massive pitched battle in the Piedmont region of Italy.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Ceresole>
1913 - The Nevill Ground's pavilion was destroyed in the only
suffragette arson attack on a cricket ground.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nevill_Ground>
1945:
World War II: American forces liberated the Buchenwald
concentration camp (watchtower pictured) near Weimar, Germany.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buchenwald_concentration_camp>
1951:
U.S. President Harry S. Truman relieved General of the Army
Douglas MacArthur of his commands for making public statements about the
Korean War that contradicted the administration's policies.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/President_Truman%27s_relief_of_General_Douglas_MacArthur>
1979:
Uganda–Tanzania War: The Uganda National Liberation Army and
Tanzanian forces captured Kampala, forcing Ugandan President Idi Amin to
flee.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uganda%E2%80%93Tanzania_War>
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Wiktionary's word of the day:
covenstead:
1. (Wicca) A permanent circle or temple used to meet for rituals and to
store religious items, often a mundane location.
2. (Wicca) A Wiccan congregation.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/covenstead>
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Wikiquote quote of the day:
A first grader should understand that his or her culture isn't a
rational invention; that there are thousands of other cultures and they
all work pretty well; that all cultures function on faith rather than
truth; that there are lots of alternatives to our own society. Cultural
relativity is defensible and attractive. It's also a source of hope. It
means we don't have to continue this way if we don't like it.
--Kurt Vonnegut
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Kurt_Vonnegut>