In the discussion of World War I's naval battles, much is said about the sinking of the Lusitania, the massive Battle of Jutland, and the emergence of submarine warfare. However, one often overlooked chapter involves the German overseas fleet, the East Asia Squadron.
The story of the East Asia Squadron is a remarkable one. It was this motley collection of cruisers that scored what was perhaps Germany's greatest naval victory of the war, one that was started by a chance encounter in a remote, neutral harbor.
Let's review the story of the East Asia Squadron and the Battle of Coronel.
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| East Asia Squadron in harbor at Valparaíso, Chile |
Background
At the outbreak of World War I, the British Royal Navy was by far the largest and most advanced navy in the world. However, Germany had been making strides to catch up (as part of the Anglo-German naval arms race), and the German fleet stood as the first real challenge to British naval superiority since the Napoleonic Wars.
However, the vast majority of the German Fleet was based in the North Sea, between Germany and Britain. As a result, Germany had few naval vessels stationed elsewhere around the globe, and those were mostly older, outdated vessels that were no match for modern British battleships. The one exception was Germany's East Asia Squadron.
Outbreak of World War I
Germany's only major overseas naval force, the East Asia Squadron was formed in 1881 to protect German interests in Asia. Based in Qingdao, China, the East Asia Squadron consisted of five major warships at the outbreak of World War I:
- SMS Scharnhorst (flagship)
- SMS Gneisenau
- SMS Emden
- SMS Leipzig
- SMS Nürnberg
Accompanying these ships were numerous smaller gunboats and support auxiliaries.
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| Vice Admiral Maximilian von Spee, commander of East Asia Squadron |
When war broke out in August 1914, the East Asia Squadron, commanded by Vice Admiral Maximilian von Spee, found himself outnumbered and outgunned by the Allied navies in the region. Caught squarely between the Japanese and Australian navies, Spee and the German High Command believed that the East Asia Squadron would be quickly destroyed if they stayed in the Pacific. As a result, Spee decided to make a run home for Germany, though he knew the odds were against him.
Race Across the Pacific
Spee decided to cross the Pacific (where the vastness of the ocean would protect him from Allied naval forces) to neutral Chile and then round Cape Horn (the southernmost tip of South America) into the Atlantic. From there, he would fight his way north up the Atlantic to Germany.
In October 1914, East Asia Squadron made it across the Pacific to Chile, where they met up with the German cruiser SMS Dresden, bringing the squadron's total number to major warships to six.
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| Rear Admiral Sir Christopher Cradock, commander of the Royal Navy's South American Station |
That same month, the British learned of Spee's plan. In response, the British Admiralty assigned Rear Admiral Sir Christopher Cradock and his naval squadron (based in the Falkland Islands, just to the east of Cape Horn) to search the west coast of Chile for the East Asia Squadron.
Cradock's squadron consisted of four cruisers:
- HMS Good Hope (flagship)
- HMS Monmouth
- HMS Glasgow
- HMS Otranto
Unfortunately for the British, Cradock's squadron, consisting of outdated ships and inexperienced crews, was outmatched by East Asia Squadron. Furthermore, there was a misunderstanding regarding Cradock's orders: Cradock believed that his orders were to locate and engage East Asia Squadron, while the British Admiralty only wanted him to locate East Asia Squadron and engage only if the situation was advantageous.
Since Chile was neutral in World War I, both sides used Chilean ports to refuel and to collect mail, though they were permitted to stay in harbor no longer than 24 hours. On October 31, while searching for East Asia Squadron along the west coast of Chile, Cradock sent one of his cruisers, the Glasgow, into Coronel harbor to collect mail from the British consul.
By chance, also in the harbor was the SMS Göttingen, one of East Asia Squadron's supply ships. Upon sighting one another, both the Glasgow and the Göttingen radioed to their respective fleets. Soon, both naval squadrons were racing to Coronel.
The next morning, the Glasgow left Coronel harbor and rejoined Cradock and the rest of the fleet. At 4:17 that afternoon, both squadrons sighted one another. The Battle of Coronel had begun.
The Battle of Coronel
North of Coronel, five cruisers of East Asia Squadron were arrayed against the four cruisers of Cradock's squadron, located south of Coronel (one German cruiser, the Nürnberg, was delayed and would not arrive until late in the battle). Immediately realizing that he was overmatched, Cradock faced a choice: He could take his three faster cruisers (Good Hope, Monmouth, and Glasgow) and make a run for it while his slower cruiser, Otranto, fought a delaying action, or he could stand and fight with his full force.
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| Relief map of the Battle of Coronel |
At 5:10, Cradock chose the latter, drawing his ships in close for what he believed to be his last stand. The newer ships of East Asia Squadron had, on average, superior range to the British guns, and could better handle the rough seas in which the battle was fought. Initially, Cradock attempted to compensate for this disadvantage by quickly closing into firing range with East Asia Squadron. However, Spee kept his distance, staying just out of range of Cradock's ships. When the sun set at 6:50, Spee finally decided to engage and closed in on Cradock's squadron before opening fire.
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| HMS Good Hope, Cradock's flagship |
Five minutes after the Germans ships began firing, Cradock's flagship, the Good Hope, was hit. Soon after, the Otranto, being poorly suited for such an engagement, retreated at full speed. As the ships continued to maneuver into position, it was the Good Hope and the Monmouth facing off against the Scharnhorst, Gneisenau, and Emden, while the Glasgow engaged the Leipzig and Dresden.
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| SMS Scharnhorst, Spee's flagship |
Now under fire, Cradock tried once again to close on East Asia Squadron. By 7:30 he had gotten his ships within range, but the German fire became more accurate; both the Good Hope and the Monmouth were hit several times.
By the time darkness fell, both Good Hope and Monmouth were on fire, presenting easy targets for the German gunners, who proceeded to score more direct hits. By 7:50, Good Hope and the Monmouth, both heavily damaged, had stopped firing. At 7:57, the Good Hope exploded and sank, lost with all hands.
Meanwhile, the Gneisenau moved to join the Leipzig and Dresden, who were engaging the Glasgow. The Glasgow suffered several minor hits, while inflicting none. At 8:05, realizing the situation was hopeless, the Glasgow broke off the engagement and went to render assistance to the wounded Monmouth. However, upon arriving, it was determined that there was nothing the smaller Glasgow could do for the sinking Monmouth. The Glasgow then retreated south.
Later that night, the Germans conducted a search for the Monmouth, which they had lost track of in the darkness. Eventually, she was found by the cruiser Nürnberg (which had finally joined the battle). The Monmouth was extended an invitation to surrender, which she refused. The German ships then proceeded to open fire, sinking her at 9:18. Almost exactly five hours after the fleets had sighted one another, The Battle of Coronel was over.
Aftermath
As a result of the battle, the British had lost two cruisers, the Good Hope (Cradock's flagship) and the Monmouth. Both ships were lost with all hands, totaling about 1,600 officers and men, Admiral Cradock among them. Both the Glasgow and the Otranto escaped. The Germans, on the other hand, suffered only three wounded and light battle damage.
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| The Battle of Coronel by Hans Bohrdt |
The victory of East Asia Squadron over Cradock sent shockwaves through both the British Admiralty and the general public, as it was Britain's first naval defeat in over 100 years (The Battle of Plattsburgh in the War of 1812). With the victory at Coronel, it seemed as if Spee's plan to escape to Germany with East Asia Squadron just might work after all.
However, despite this defeat, the British had no plans on letting East Asia Squadron make it back to German waters. Read the conclusion of the story in my next blog post, East Asia Squadron Part II: The Battle of the Falkland Islands.
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