Encyclopedia - Rosyth
Established as a base for
the British Royal Navy in 1909, Rosyth was located on the Firth of Forth
across the Forth estuary from Edinburgh.
Used for docking purposes by the Grand Fleet, and for necessary repair work, Rosyth was designated the headquarters of the Grand Fleet's battlecruiser squadrons following German naval attacks upon the coastal towns of Hartlepool, Lowestoft and Scarborough in 1914.
Operating under Admiral David Beatty (who would later be appointed First Sea Lord, succeeding Sir John Jellicoe) the cruiser squadrons were initially redeployed to Invergordon in the wake of the German coastal raids before being permanently housed for the duration of the war at Rosyth.
In 1919 the Grand Fleet's main base was relocated from Scapa Flow to Rosyth, a position that was reversed with the renewal of war in 1939.
The "Red Baron" was the allied nickname for German air ace Manfred von Richthofen, the leading ace of the war.
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