SMS Mainz
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SMS Mainz was a light cruiser of the Kolberg class in the Imperial German navy, launched in 1909, with 4,400 tons displacement. Within weeks of the outbreak of World War I, she was sunk, along with her sistership SMS Cöln and the light cruiser SMS Ariadne, in the first Battle of Heligoland Bight on 28 August 1914.
The British Harwich Force of two light cruisers and 31 destroyers under Commodore Reginald Tyrwhitt made a raid upon the German patrols west of the German naval base on the island of Heligoland. Providing cover was the First Battle Cruiser Squadron under Vice Admiral David Beatty, consisting of the five battlecruisers HMS Lion, HMS Queen Mary, HMS Princess Royal, HMS New Zealand and HMS Invincible''.
In the early morning hours on 28 August, the Harwich Force encountered the first German destroyers west of Heligoland. Not entirely surprised by the attack, the Germans hastily deployed the two light cruisers SMS Frauenlob and SMS Stettin, joined shortly afterwards by four more light cruisers steaming from Wilhelmshaven and Emden, including SMS Mainz. Due to low water, the German battlecruisers in Wilhelmshaven were unable to leave harbour in time to provide support.
Outgunned and with his flagship, the light cruiser HMS Arethusa, heavily damaged by Frauenlob, Tyrwhitt received initial support from Commodore Goodenough's squadron of six modern light cruisers of the Southampton-class: HMS Southampton, HMS Birmingham, HMS Falmouth, HMS Liverpool, HMS Lowestoft und HMS Nottingham. SMS Frauenlob suffered severe damage herself and retreated to Heligoland, but SMS Mainz, arriving on the battlefield from Emden, found herself between Tyrwhitt's und Goodenough's forces and was sunk by them after a long and valiant battle.
With more German cruisers careening about in the fog and smoke and much confusion on both sides, Tyrwhitt requested assistance from Beatty's battlecruisers at 11.25 am. Beatty's squadron arrived at about 12.40pm and sank SMS Cöln and SMS Ariadne, then leaving the scene before the Germans could get their own battlecruisers out of Wilhelmshaven.
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