Action of 22 September 1914

Action of 22 September 1914
Part of the First World War
Artist's illustration of the sinking of HMS Aboukir
Date 22 September 1914 Location Broad Fourteens, North Sea 53°00′N 3°45′E / 53°N 3.75°E / 53; 3.75 Result German victory
Belligerents
Germany	United Kingdom
Commanders and leaders
Otto Weddigen	John Drummond Wilmot Nicholson Robert Johnson †
Strength
1 submarine	3 armoured cruisers
Casualties and losses
None	1,459 killed 3 armoured cruisers sunk
class=notpageimage| Location of the action

The Action of 22 September 1914 was an attack by the German U-boat U-9 that took place during the First World War. Three obsolete Royal Navy cruisers of the 7th Cruiser Squadron manned mainly by Royal Naval Reserve part-timers and sometimes referred to as the Live Bait Squadron, were sunk by U-9 while patrolling the southern North Sea.

Neutral ships and trawlers nearby began to rescue survivors but 1,459 British sailors were killed. There was a public outcry in Britain at the losses; the sinkings eroded confidence in the British government and damaged the reputation of the Royal Navy, when many countries were still unsure about taking sides in the war.