ers ▁and ▁smaller ▁vessels , ▁were ▁to ▁amb ush ▁Hi pper ' s ▁battle c ru is ers . ▁ ▁The ▁evening ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 5 th , ▁the ▁main ▁German ▁fleet ▁encountered ▁the ▁six ▁British ▁batt les hips ; ▁Admir al ▁Friedrich ▁von ▁In gen ohl , ▁convinced ▁he ▁was ▁faced ▁by ▁the ▁entire ▁British ▁fleet , ▁turned ▁in ▁retre at . ▁Hi pper ▁was ▁una ware ▁of ▁his ▁superior ' s ▁decision , ▁and ▁so ▁pressed ▁on ▁with ▁the ▁bomb ard ment . ▁The ▁three ▁towns ▁were ▁sh elled ▁briefly ▁before ▁Hi pper ▁turned ▁back ▁to ▁the ▁planned ▁rende z vous ▁point . ▁By ▁this ▁time , ▁Beat ty ' s ▁battle c ru is ers ▁were ▁in ▁position ▁to ▁block ▁Hi pper ' s ▁chosen ▁e gress ▁route , ▁while ▁other ▁forces ▁were ▁en ▁route ▁to ▁complete ▁the ▁enc irc lement . ▁Error s ▁in ▁signal ing ▁ab o ard ▁the ▁British ▁ships ▁and ▁bad ▁weather , ▁however , ▁allowed ▁Hi pper ▁to ▁escape ▁the ▁trap ▁without ▁incident . ▁As ▁a ▁result ▁of ▁the ▁civil ian ▁cas ual ties ▁inf lic ted ▁in ▁these ▁ra ids , ▁the ▁British ▁propag anda ▁effort ▁vil ified ▁Hi pper ▁as ▁a ▁" b aby ▁k iller ." ▁ ▁Battle ▁of ▁Dog ger ▁Bank ▁ ▁In ▁early ▁January ▁ 1 9 1 5 , ▁it ▁became ▁known ▁to ▁the ▁German ▁naval ▁command ▁that ▁British ▁ships ▁were ▁conduct ing ▁reconna issance ▁in ▁the ▁Dog ger ▁Bank ▁area . ▁Admir al ▁von ▁In gen ohl