. ▁She ▁ ▁struck ▁two ▁mines ▁and ▁quickly ▁s ank ; ▁only ▁ 1 2 7 ▁men ▁out ▁of ▁the ▁crew ▁of ▁ 6 2 9 ▁were ▁res cu ed . ▁ ▁A ▁second ▁operation ▁followed ▁on ▁ 1 5 – 1 6 ▁December ▁ 1 9 1 4 ; ▁it ▁target ed ▁the ▁towns ▁of ▁Sc ar borough , ▁Hart le pool , ▁and ▁Whit by . ▁By ▁this ▁time ▁Hi pper ' s ▁squad ron ▁had ▁been ▁augment ed ▁by ▁the ▁new ▁battle c ru iser ▁. ▁Tw elve ▁hours ▁after ▁Hi pper ▁left ▁the ▁J ade , ▁the ▁High ▁Se as ▁Fle et , ▁consisting ▁of ▁ 1 4 ▁dread n ought s ▁and ▁ 8 ▁pre - d read n ought s ▁and ▁a ▁screen ing ▁force ▁of ▁ 2 ▁arm ored ▁cru is ers , ▁ 7 ▁light ▁cru is ers , ▁and ▁ 5 4 ▁tor ped o ▁boats , ▁depart ed ▁to ▁provide ▁distant ▁cover ▁for ▁the ▁bomb ard ment ▁force . ▁The ▁Royal ▁Navy ▁had ▁the ▁cap ability ▁to ▁intercept ▁and ▁decode ▁the ▁German ▁naval ▁code , ▁as ▁a ▁result ▁of ▁the ▁capture ▁of ▁the ▁light ▁cru iser ▁ ▁at ▁the ▁out break ▁of ▁the ▁war . ▁On ▁ 1 4 ▁December , ▁the ▁British ▁intercept ed ▁messages ▁rel ating ▁to ▁the ▁plan ▁to ▁bomb ard ▁Sc ar borough . ▁Vice ▁Admir al ▁Beat ty ' s ▁four ▁battle c ru is ers , ▁supported ▁by ▁six ▁dread n ought s ▁and ▁several ▁cru is