Action of 11–12 December 1917

The action of 11–12 December 1917 was a German naval operation in the North Sea against convoys sailing on the Scandinavian convoy route from Norway to Lerwick (/ˈlɛrɪk/, Lerrick) in the Shetland Islands during the First World War. Ships carrying coal from the loading port of Immingham on the Humber estuary were convoyed to Lerwick up the war channel, along the east coast of Northern England and Scotland, for dispatch in convoys to Scandinavian neutrals, along with ships carrying general cargo.

The 2nd (destroyer) Flotilla of the Imperial German Navy (Kaiserliche Marine), equipped with the biggest and most modern destroyers, attacked the British Scandinavian convoy route in two places, the 3rd Half-Flotilla off the Norwegian coast and the 4th Half-Flotilla along the British east coast route. A convoy of six ships, escorted by two destroyers and four trawlers was attacked off Norway and destroyed; the attack in the war channel was less successful but one freighter was sunk, another seriously damaged and four trawlers attacked.