Maria Landrieu

the battle of Coronel is a naval Bataille of the First World War which took place, on November 1st 1914, along the central coast of the Chile. During this confrontation, the squadron of the Western Indies of the Royal Navy ordered by the rear-admiral Christopher Cradock, met and was beaten by the higher forces of the squadron of cruisers be-Asian German, with the orders of the Vice-amiral Maximilian von Spee. It was the first defeat undergone by Royal the navy since 1812 and it thus had an enormous repercussion at the beginning of the war.

Involved context and forces

Since 1870, a squadron of cruisers of the marine of Kaiser operated in the Pacifique. He was based since 1897 with Qingdao, since the acquisition of bay of Jiaozhou in China by the German empire. With the declaration of war, the August 4th 1914, it was composed of the two very modern armoured cruisers of the class Scharnhorst, shouldered by three cruisers light (SMS Nurnburg, SMS Leipzig and SMS Emden), the whole been useful by excellent crews and ordered by the vice-admiral Maximilian von Spee. This important force, carrying out a war of race on the theater of the Pacific, constituted a major concern for the British Admiralty.

The situation of Spee worsens however brutally, with the entry in war of the Japan to with dimensions of the Allies, the August 23rd. Fearing the Japanese fleet, which would be added to those of Australia and the Russia, it then decides to change hunting ground, its choice goes on the Western coasts of South America, where the presence of many German expatriates guarantees support and supply to him and potentially an important area for the allied navigation of trade. It sends Emden in solitary hunter on the Indian Ocean and leaves the the Northern Marianna Islands, the August 14th, with its three other ships towards Easter Island, which it reaches the October 12th, after a raid on Apia and another on Tahiti. There, it is joined by the light cruiser Dresden, which awaited it on the Chilean coast, after being driven back of the South Atlantic and the Leipzig newcomer of that of the Mexico.

Its decision does not remain a long time unknown British who, thanks to an interception of a radio message, learn his destination, at at the beginning of October. Among the forces deployed to intercept it, the rear-admiral Cradock, with the head of sound squadron of the Western Indies , which has order to patrol with broad of the Chile. Even if, on paper, the forces seem almost balanced, the British is not easily deceived, his two cruisers armoured with him, HMS Good Hope and HMS Monmouth, with older type, much less powerful and are armed by crews of reserve, little trained. Moreover, it has only one modern light cruiser, the Glasgow, the other is a steamer armed with goes-quickly, Otranto, without real value with the combat.

In any event, its orders do not oblige it to engage Spee, but as indicated to him Winston Churchill, First Lord of Admiralty, the October 28th, to temporize while waiting for reinforcements either Japanese navy, or British: two new ships being on the way, the old battleship HMS Canopus and the cruiser armoured HMS Defense.

But the October 31st, continuation still with a radio interception, Cradock thinks of being able to trap the Leipzig , apparently insulated, it thus goes to north and meets Spee, left with its fleet the 18, following similar information in connection with the Glasgow . The British could still avoid this battle fortuitous and unfavorable, while being folded up on the Canopus with 300 marine miles in the south which by its shielding, would hold head with all that Spee can align. But probably influenced by the fate of the rear-admiral Ernest Troubridge, following the business of SMS Goeben in August, it decides to start the combat despite everything, to perhaps avoid a charge of cowardice to have let escape an enemy fleet without engaging it. Its goal is certainly not a victory over Spee, but he thinks to surely of inflicting sufficient damage him to leave it at mercy promised reinforcements.

Unfolding

The German admiral, good tactician, does not leave any him, however, the chance. Although the two fleets are in the sight of the 16:20, it benefits from the advantage speed which its ships in the sea very agitated have to refuse the combat until approximately 19:00, where it drops the distance to 11.000 Mètre S. By doing this, it cancels the advantage of the ships which, positioned in the west as of his, had the sun in their back, which was likely to dazzle its directions of shooting. When finally he agree to let himself approach shooting remotely, the situation is reversed, the setting sun made very clearly cut out the silhouettes of the British ships on the horizon, whereas its cruisers are already in the half-light.

Another disadvantage for Cradock, its secondary artillery laid out on two levels on the sides of its two principal ships cannot be used completely, the lowest parts being constantly flooded by the big waves. The exit of the battle is quickly decided, the German shooting is precise and devastator, the answer décousue. The third salvo of Scharnhorst destroys the turret before of Good Hope, that of Gneisenau puts the back of Monmouth on fire, about thirty shell will touch them thereafter, Good Hope and Monmouth are very quickly put on fire and their guns keep silent one after the other.

Cradock, including/understanding its desperate plight, tries to break the distance, by inflecting its race in direction them German, to use its many guns of 152 mm with the best carried. But, there still, Spee does not leave anything randomly and is diverted to be maintained further and to benefit from the best lengthening-piece of its modern parts with fast shooting. With 19:50, on Good Hope, an explosion occurs between the chimney and the back mast and, a few minutes later, it sinks, with all its crew and his admiral. Monmouth is not him any more that one floating wreck, its front turret exploded, in prey with the flames and gîtant on the left. Glasgow having received only five impacts following its duel with Leipzig, proposes to take Monmouth disabled in trailer; without answer of the building, it decides to flee, which it does after having found Otranto, which, him, fled at the beginning of the battle, outclassed by Dresden. The two surviving ships leave, course in the south, to join Canopus, then towards the Falkland Islands.

Spee put an end to the shooting with 19:26, the darkness having made the shooting too vague, and it sends its light cruisers, of which the Nürnberg which has just joined the quarry. In the black, this last, ends up locating with 20:58, Monmouth, which it completes of 75 shells of 105 mm, drawn with bearing end. This last runs, him also, without any survivor, with 21:18.

Consequences

The fleet of Spee turns over to Valparaiso, where it receives a triumphal reception of the German population. In the United Kingdom, the advertisement of this defeat causes the indignation of the press and the population. The myth of the invincibility of Royal Navy, whose squadrons were unconquered since the Bataille of Chesapeake in 1781, crumbles. Admiralty, to avenge the affront, decides to gather and send a force under the command of the admiral Sir Sturdee in urgency, including/understanding amongst other things two of the very new cruisers of battle. This force will end up surprising and destroying the fleet of Spee, at the time of the confrontation of Falklands, one month later, restoring the honor of Royal Navy, and putting fine at any hope Germans to practice the war of race, or only by isolated raiders, or the underwater war.

It is interesting to bring closer the decisions diametrically opposite to Christopher Cradock and Ernest Troubridge, which were taken in relatively similar circumstances. The first by its decision to run to an unquestionable death without results, with its 1 654 men, in spite of the orders, was not really criticized and was even regarded as a hero by his pars. Whereas the second, who had taken the option more warned and in conformity with his instructions not to engage of the higher forces, escaped from little from the martial court, where he was discharged in November, but did not find never again of command and undergoes an ostracism of the other officers.

Winston Churchill declared in connection with Cradock and of its action:
“The German admiral was far from a port of repair. That it has suddenly suffered some damage, while admitting even that it inflicted some more serious, its military value could crumble of only one blow. It would remain in great danger as a long time as its squadron would remain ineffective and, if the admiral Cradock judged that its sacrifice and that of its men were justified for little that it could reach the power of this enemy, not a man in the world could not dispute that it had been proof of the most sublime courage. We will never know what were its thoughts when it became obvious that success was impossible. It rests with its brave men comrades, far from their hearths in England. They however have their reward because they occupy a great place in martyrologe of the heroes of the sea. ”

See too

External bonds

www.coronel.org.uk in English

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