On Ross Road West, Stanley, not far from the 1982 conflict memorial, is another memorial, this one from the first World War and it is dedicated to the 1914 Battle of the Falklands, fought between the German East Asiatic Squadron and a hastily assembled British Fleet seeking to avenge the defeat the British suffered shortly before at Coronel. Over 3600 men died on both sides in the two battles. Naval warfare was brutal and the cold waters off Coronel and the Falklands were lethal to any survivors of a sinking ship. It was still regarded as a “gentleman’s” game and unless you lowered your flag you were fair game to be fired upon. The outbreak of war on 28th July 1914 did not catch the British Armed Services in the acute state of unpreparedness as the many critics would have us believe. The Royal Navy despite politics and cutbacks was quite capable of carrying out most of its duties, especially in Home waters. In the West Indies Britain had the South American Squadron. Germany had numerous colonies around the world and had several light cruisers stationed to protect them. German possessions in the Pacific were many and widely spread and it is here that its greatest strength overseas lay, the East Asiatic Squadron. The situation at the outbreak of war Germany's East Asiatic Squadron under the command of Vice Admiral Maximilian Graf von Spee was in the Caroline Islands in the Pacific Ocean to the North of New Guinea. Unable to return to their base in Tsiangto China, where capture by the combined allied fleets would be certain, von Spee took his Squadron across the Pacific to the shipping lanes of South America. They vanished into the vast Pacific and no one could tell where or when they would re-appear. Von Spee’s brief was to raid Allied shipping and he had the right ships to do it. His squadron consisted of the armoured cruisers Scharnhorst and Gneisenau, the light cruisers Nurnberg, Leipzig and Dresden plus fleet colliers and supply vessels. Von Spee’s sons Heinrich and Otto were also serving in the squadron on Gneisenau and Nurnberg respectively. SMS Scharnhorst Commissioned: 1907 Displacement: 12,985 tons 18 water-tube boilers 3 triple-expansion engines Speed: 22.5 knots Crew: 52 officers 788 enlisted men Armament: • 8 × 8.3 in guns 6 × 5.9 in guns 18 × 3.5 in guns 4 × 17.7 in torpedo tubes SMS Gneisenau Sister ship of Scharnhorst Crew: 38 officers 726 enlisted men SMS Leipzig Commissioned: 1906 Displacement: 3816tons 2 triple-expansion engines Speed: 22 knots Crew: 14 officers 274 enlisted men Armament: • 10 × 4.1 in guns 2 × 18 in torpedo tubes SMS Nurnberg Commissioned: 1908 Displacement: 3390tons 2 triple-expansion engines Speed: 23.4 knots Crew: 14 officers 308 enlisted men Armament: • 10 × 4.1 in guns 2 × 18 in torpedo tubes SMS Dresden Displacement: 4268tons 12 water tube boilers 2 Parsons steam turbines Speed: 24 knots Crew: 18 officers 343 enlisted men Armament: • 10 × 4.1 in guns 2 × 17.7 in torpedo tubes As days grew into weeks British concern grew. The Battle of Coronel On September 14th 1914 Rear-Admiral Sir Christopher Cradock Commander on the South American station was ordered to make the Falkland Islands his base and from there to find and destroy the German squadron. Cradock’s squadron consisted of the old armoured cruisers Good Hope, his flagship, Monmouth, the pre-dreadnought battleship Canopus, the light cruiser Glasgow and the armed merchant liner Otranto. He had also been promised the new armoured cruiser Defender by the First Lord of the Admiralty, Winston Churchill, but her orders were changed and she never arrived!! Before sailing from the Falklands Cradock buried his medals in the garden of Government House as he had no illusions as to his and his Squadrons fate should it encounter the East Asiatic Squadron. HMS Good Hope - Flagship Completed 1902 Displacement 14000tons 2 triple expansion engines 43 Belleville boilers Speed 23 knots Complement 900 Armament 2 x 9.2 inch and 16 x 6 inch guns 2 × 17.7 in torpedo tubes HMS Monmouth Displacement 10000tons 2 triple expansion engines 31 water tube boilers Speed 23 knots Complement 678 Armament 2 x twin +10 x single 6 inch guns 2 × 18 in torpedo tubes HMS Glasgow Completed 1910 Displacement 4800tons 4 Parsons steam turbines 12 Yarrow boilers Speed 25 knots Complement 411 Armament 2 x 6 inch 10 x 4 inch guns 2 × 18 in torpedo tubes HMS Canopus Completed 1899 Displacement 13000tons 2 triple expansion engines Speed 18 knots Complement 750 Armament 4 x 12 inch 4 × 18 in torpedo tubes HMS Otranto Completed 1909 Displacement 12000tons 2 quadruple expansion engines Speed 18 knots Armament 8 x 4.7 inch guns Early evening on Saturday 31st October 1914 the British light cruiser HMS Glasgow anchored in Coronel Bay, Chile. The squadron Intelligence Officer, Lt Hirst, went ashore to talk to members of the British Consul and to collect and send telegrams. On Glasgow Captain Luce was listening to the continuous radio signals from SMS Leipzig indicating her presence in the area. Hirst returned the following morning and Glasgow sailed immediately. There was no obvious sign of Leipzig. Glasgow first steered north until out of site of curious eyes and then then altered to the SW. Four hours later she rejoined Good Hope, Monmouth and Otranto some 40 miles west of Coronel Bay. There was no sight of Canopus, she was miles to the south. The squadron formed line abreast 15 miles apart with Good Hope to the west and Glasgow to the east to sweep NNW. Leipzig's call sign still sounded loudly and Cradock decided she was to be found and sunk, a task Canopus wouldn't be required for. Glasgow saw smoke first and moved to investigate and by 1625 Scharnhorst and Gneisenau were identified with Leipzig who had baited the trap! At 1630 von Spee ordered full steam for a chase By 1730 Cradock had formed a battle line with Good Hope leading, then Monmouth, Glasgow and the lumbering Otranto. Cradock made a desperate attempt to secure the inshore position to clear the smoke from their guns while blanketing the Germans. By 1745 the gap between squadrons had narrowed, von Spee's squadron were working up to 20kts while Cradock's were limited to the 15kts of Otranto. By 1750 the race was lost Sunday 1st November 1914 the 8 inch guns of the German squadron opened fire on the British ships at at a range of 12000yds. Good Hope and Monmouth replied, but hopelessly out-ranged they began to take hits. Otranto was straddled, drew out of line and headed west. Good Hope was hit which destroyed her for'd 9 inch gun and Monmouth was hit repeatedly while still out of range and fell out of line ablaze with her guns silent. SMS Scharhorst at Coronel by Claus Bergen All fire was now directed at Good Hope and the range was down to 6600yds. Good Hope was ablaze and surrounded by clouds of smoke and steam and at 1953 she was shattered by a massive explosion which was heard on the Nurnberg some 6 miles to the north. There were no survivors from her complement of 900. Admiral Cradock was lost with his ship. Good Hope ablaze and sinking by Lionel Wyllie Glasgow had been engaging both Leipzig and Dresden for most of the battle. With Good Hope gone and the enemy invisible she ceased fire and turned to the west to seek out the Monmouth. She found Monmouth badly battered, down by the head and listing, but no longer ablaze. She passed close to Monmouth, signalled her and steamed west into the darkness. HMS Glasgow Nurnberg was desperately steaming south hoping to join the battle. Smoke was spotted, which was the Glasgow, and she gave chase, eventually giving up. Returning to her squadron she spotted the Monmouth, listing but under way. SMS Nurnberg Closing up with her searchlight on she gave Monmouth the chance to haul down her flag. Monmouth didn't so Nurnberg opened fire and after numerous hits Monmouth capsized and at 2100 she sank. Again there were no survivors from her complement of 678. Canopus received the news from Glasgow, turned around and headed back towards the Falklands, passing through the Magellan Straits meeting Glasgow at the eastern end. Canopus and Glasgow reached Port Stanley in the morning of 8th November and immediately started coaling. Otranto had been ordered to Montevideo. Monmouth sinking by Lionel Wyllie Two British ships the Good Hope and the Monmouth and their total complement of nearly1600 men had been lost in less than 2 hours. What would be the reaction be at home? Angry was the answer. News of the battle had appeared in the British newspapers papers on the evening of 5th November leaving the public bewildered, angry and looking for someone to blame. The Admiralty for the ambiguity of it's instructions to Cradock. Churchill for his lack of knowledge of naval matters. Cradock for accepting action against such powerful odds. Parliament for not providing the Navy with a larger cruiser fleet. And of course the British public for not voting for the right Members of Parliament. The Return as First Sea Lord of Admiral John “Jackie” Fisher (for Service from 1914-1915, having first held the Office 1904-1909) Two days before the battle on the 30th October 1914 Lord Fisher had been re-appointed as First Sea Lord. Fisher was used to dealing with crises and proposed that three battle cruisers should be sent south, two to the Falklands and one to the West Indies just in case von Spee should come through the Panama canal HMS Invincible and HMS Inflexible, who were sister ships, were ordered to Devonport for maintenance.