The Dogger Bank Incident: Russia's Friendly Fire Fiasco
Date: October 21-22, 1904
Key Characters: Admiral Zinovy Rozhestvensky (Russian Baltic Fleet), Hull fishing trawler crews, British Royal Navy.
Summary: En route to the Pacific during the Russo-Japanese War, the jumpy Russian Baltic Fleet encountered British fishing trawlers near Dogger Bank in the North Sea. Mistaking them for Japanese torpedo boats in the dark, the Russians opened fire. They hit several trawlers (killing fishermen) and even fired on their own ships in the confusion. The incident nearly caused war with Britain, forcing the fleet to detour for investigations and damaging Russian prestige internationally.
Historical Reference: British Admiralty reports, Russian naval logs, international arbitration records, contemporary global press coverage.
Reviewed by Sagar B
on
July 13, 2025
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