The Broad Fourteens on a map by Delisle (1743)
The Broad Fourteens is an area of the southern
North Sea
The North Sea lies between Great Britain, Denmark, Norway, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, and France. A sea on the European continental shelf, it connects to the Atlantic Ocean through the English Channel in the south and the Norwegian Se ...
that is fairly consistently deep. Thus, on a
nautical chart
A nautical chart or hydrographic chart is a graphic representation of a sea region or water body and adjacent coasts or river bank, banks. Depending on the scale (map), scale of the chart, it may show depths of water (bathymetry) and heights of ...
with depths given in fathoms, a broad area with many "14" notations can be seen.
Extent
The Broad Fourteens region is located off the coast of the
Netherlands
, Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...
and south of the
Dogger Bank, roughly between longitude
3°E and
4°30'E and latitude
52°30'N and
53°30'N. The area is known to the
Dutch and
German navies as the ''Breeveertien'' ("Fourteen"). Geologically it is comparable to the
Long Forties, another submerged
plateau
In geology and physical geography, a plateau (; ; : plateaus or plateaux), also called a high plain or a tableland, is an area of a highland consisting of flat terrain that is raised sharply above the surrounding area on at least one side. ...
that has related origins.
Naval battles
Naval engagements in the region have included the torpedoing of three British
armoured cruiser
The armored cruiser was a type of warship of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It was designed like other types of cruisers to operate as a long-range, independent warship, capable of defeating any ship apart from a pre-dreadnought battles ...
s in the
action of 22 September 1914 during
World War I
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
.
Navigation
The shallowness of the area means that the largest
oil tanker
An oil tanker, also known as a petroleum tanker, is a ship designed for the bulk cargo, bulk transport of petroleum, oil or its products. There are two basic types of oil tankers: crude tankers and product tankers. Crude tankers move large quant ...
s when fully loaded cannot traverse the Broad Fourteens to reach the
English Channel
The English Channel, also known as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates Southern England from northern France. It links to the southern part of the North Sea by the Strait of Dover at its northeastern end. It is the busi ...
from the North Sea because their
draft
Draft, the draft, or draught may refer to:
Watercraft dimensions
* Draft (hull), the distance from waterline to keel of a vessel
* Draft (sail), degree of curvature in a sail
* Air draft, distance from waterline to the highest point on a v ...
is too deep.
In media
The area features as a major setting in the WWII film ''The Broad Fourteens'', which is a dramatization of
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...
motor torpedo boat operations in the
English Channel
The English Channel, also known as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates Southern England from northern France. It links to the southern part of the North Sea by the Strait of Dover at its northeastern end. It is the busi ...
and surrounding areas.
See also
*
Dogger Bank for map and links to similar places
References
{{Coord, 53, 0, 0, N, 3, 45, 0, E, display=title, type:waterbody_region:NL
Geography of Europe