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
_______________________________ 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
_____________________________ 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
___________________________ 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
daily-article-l@lists.wikimedia.org