The Hunters and the Hunted

by Bryan Perrett

  After five minutes Nurnberg struck her colours. She was listing to starboard and starting to settle by the stern. Allen called away his boats but they had been extensively holed by shell splinters and it took the ship’s carpenters twenty minutes hard work to get a cutter and a gig into a condition in which they could be launched. Shortly before Nurnberg rolled to starboard and slowly sank a group of men were seen on her quarterdeck waving a German ensign nailed to a pole. In total, the boats picked up twelve men, of whom only seven survived their injuries and immersion. Captain von Schonberg was not among them. Kent’s casualties during the engagement amounted to four men killed and twelve wounded. No serious damaged had been sustained but an enemy shell had passed through the radio office and wrecked the transmitter, so Allen was unable to inform Sturdee of the situation.

  Many miles to the south-west, Dresden had vanished like a ghost into the drizzle and mist of the South Atlantic evening. Looking astern, her crew watched the gun flashes on the horizon become fewer in number and then finally stop. The radio operators, monitoring the British frequencies, were able to inform Captain Ludecke that Scharnhorst had been lost, as had Gneisenau and Leipzig. Of Nurnberg there was no news, nor could she be raised on the radio.

  There remained only the three German colliers, Seydlitz, Baden and Santa Isabel. While they attempted to make a run for it, they could not hope to escape from the faster Bristol and Macedonia. Having surrendered at 15.00, the crews of Baden and Santa Isabel were transferred to Macedonia, to be taken into Port Stanley later. Fanshawe of the Bristol then commenced to sink both ships by gunfire, which took until 21.30. During the gathering darkness the faster Seydlitz had broken away to the north and found sanctuary in the Argentine port of San Antonio where, in due course, the authorities interned her. While it was true that Sturdee’s standing orders required Fanshawe to destroy transports, he was also instructed to take advantage of any opportunity that might arise to capture the enemy’s colliers. Thus, inexplicably, he had sent two valuable cargoes to the bottom.

  When the final reckoning was made it was clear that Spee had died during the battle, as had his two sons Heinrich and Otto, serving as lieutenants aboard, respectively, Gneisenau and Nurnberg. The battle had been as complete a victory as any and the Admiralty granted the sum of £12,160 as prize money, to be shared among the battle cruisers and cruisers. The battleship Canopus, which had fired the first shots, received not a penny, despite Captain Grant’s representations. Sturdee received messages of congratulation from King George V, Admiral Lord Jellicoe on behalf of the Grand Fleet, the French and Russian Admiralties, and his old chief, Admiral Beresford.

  The battle cruisers, which had expended most of their main armament ammunition, were summoned home as a matter of urgency and received a hero’s welcome. Sturdee was received by the King, created a baronet and was given command of one of the Grand Fleet’s battle squadrons. Fisher’s response was unbelievably sour and petty. When Sturdee reported to the Admiralty on his return from the Falklands, Fisher kept him waiting for several hours before granting him a five minute interview. Yet, try as he might, was unable to dent Sturdee’s popularity.

  Nevertheless, while Admiral Spee’s East Asia Squadron had ceased to exist, elements of it were still at large and capable of inflicting serious damage.

  The battle cruiser Goeben, flagship of Germany’s Mediterranean Squadron, was well armed and faster than her likely British opponents. After her escape to Constantinople she was transferred to the Turkish Navy, of which she became flagship, changing her name to Yavuz Sultan Selim. She saw extensive service against the Russians in the Black Sea and was retained by the Turkish Navy after the First World War. In 1936 she was renamed Yavuz. She was finally scrapped in 1973, the last of Kaiser Wilhelm II’s High Seas Fleet. Picture credit: US Navy

  The light cruiser Breslau. The volume of smoke clearly indicates the quantity of coal required to maintain this speed. In Turkish service she was renamed Medili.

  A blurred but historically interesting snapshot taken from the Goeben’s stern. Great Britain and Germany are still some hours away from war. Two British battle cruisers, Indefatigable and Indomitable, have just passed Goeben and Breslau on an opposite course which they are now reversing so as to position themselves on the Goeben’s port and starboard quarters. When the time came, this would have enabled them to engage Goeben from different angles while the German ship would have to split her fire in reply. In the event, Goeben’s speed enabled her to pull out of range and then out of sight. The intense effort claimed the lives of several stokers from heatstroke.

  Modern and fast, Karlsruhe easily outran Admiral Christopher Cradock’s ships in the West Indies, causing him to transfer his flag to the cruiser Good Hope with consequences that were later to prove disastrous. Karlsruhe wreaked havoc among British merchant shipping before she was blown apart by an internal explosion, the reason for which has never been fully established.

  ‘The deeds of the Karlsruhe’ reads this German memorial postcard, published after her loss. In fact, this particular type of patriotic publication did more harm than good. German cruiser captains of the period made considerable efforts to ensure the survival of their victims’ crews, arranging for them to be landed in neutral ports. The suggestion given to enemy and neutral nations in this case was that once ships had been sunk, their crews and passengers were left to their fate, which was simply not true.

  The Islhas de los Trinidade, 400 miles off the Brazilian coast, were the scene of a ferocious duel between armed merchant cruisers, respectively the British Carmania and the German Cap Trafalgar. The latter was sunk but Carmania was so seriously damaged that she required a long period in dock before returning to duty. One curious feature of the engagement was that the Cap Trafalgar had disguised herself as the Carmania by removing her third funnel.

  The armoured cruisers Scharnhorst and Gneisenau were armed with eight 8.2-inch, six 5.9-inch and eighteen 3.4-inch guns apiece and outgunned all of Admiral Cradock’s ships with the exception of the battleship Canopus, which he chose to leave behind because of her low speed. In addition, the standard of gunnery in both German ships was exceptionally high. Scharnhorst was the flagship of Vice Admiral Graf von Spee.

  The lines of the light cruiser Leipzig give her a slightly old-fashioned look although she was only a little older than the other light cruisers in the East Asia Squadron and carried the same basic armament of ten 4.1-inch guns. She was, however, somewhat slower.

  Nurnberg was not present at the beginning of the Battle of Coronel but came across the crippled Monmouth in the dusk and sank her when she refused to surrender.

  The two 9.2-inch guns of Admiral Cradock’s flagship, the armoured cruiser Good Hope, were the only weapons in the British squadron capable of inflicting serious damage on the Scharnhorst and Gneisenau. One was destroyed at the beginning of the action and the second was overwhelmed by the weight and accuracy of the German fire.

  The armoured cruiser Monmouth survived the opening phase of the battle but was so seriously damaged that she was unable to return the Nurnberg’s fire in a later encounter and, like the Good Hope, was sunk with the loss of all hands.

  The 12-inch guns of the battleship Canopus, serving as Guardship South Atlantic in 1914, fired the first shots in the Battle of the Falkland Islands but for some reason her crew were not granted a share in the prize money awarded by the Admiralty.

  The battle cruiser Invincible working up to her maximum speed as she pursues Spee’s East Asia Squadron.

  A magazine artist’s portrayal of the opening stages of the Battle of the Falkland Islands. From left to right the ships shown are the cruisers Glasgow and Kent, the battle cruisers Invincible and Inflexible, the armoured cruisers Scharnhorst and Gneisenau, and the light cruisers Nurnberg, Leipzig and Dresden. Picture credit: Mary Evans Picture Library

  The last moments of the Scharnhorst. The nearest ship was the Invincible but with the battle still raging it was impossible for her to engage in
rescue work and there were no survivors.

  The Gneisenau sank shortly after. As there were no enemy ships remaining in the area, Inflexible was able to launch her boats and pick up the few survivors.

  Spee had attempted to escape to the south-east with his heavy units and so give his light cruisers a chance to escape to the south. The ruse did not work and a series of duels developed. Here, Kent is shown sinking Nurnberg. Picture credit: Mary Evans Picture Library

  Glasgow and Cornwall sinking Leipzig while Dresden escapes to the west. Picture credit: Mary Evans Picture Library

  Having escaped the destruction of the East Asia Squadron at the Battle of the Falkland Islands, the Dresden remained at large until 14 March 1915, when she was finally cornered by the British cruisers Kent and Glasgow at Mas a Fuera (better known as Robinson Crusoe Island) in the Juan Fernandez Group. This romanticised painting shows the subsequent engagement taking place at a much closer range than was actually the case.

  Dresden had all but expended her supplies of coal and ammunition and fought for only three minutes before hoisting white flag on her foremast. After scuttling charges had been placed the crew went ashore and were interned in what was neutral Chilean territory. Having spent so long in Caribbean and South American waters, many of her crew chose not to return to Germany when the war ended.

  A morale-raising postcard issued in Germany showing the Emden and her captain. The caption reads: ‘The Iron Cross [awarded to] the heroic Emden.’

  The Russian cruiser Zemchug, sunk by the Emden in Penang harbour. Discipline aboard this ship left much to be desired.

  Another of Emden’s victims at Penang was the French destroyer Mousquet, which was only sunk after a very gallant fight.

  HMAS Sydney finally cornered Emden in the Cocos Islands. She out-gunned her opponent and the outcome of the duel was never in doubt.

  Australians examine the battered wreck of the Emden, run aground to prevent her sinking. Little did they realise that Emden’s landing party, after many adventures, would actually succeed in reaching Germany by way of the Turkish Empire.

  HMS Pegasus, launched in 1898, is seen here in her Victorian livery of white hull and buff funnels. When Konigsberg discovered her in Zanzibar harbour her boilers were being cleaned and her guns were outranged by the German cruiser. She was, therefore, a sitting target and was sunk without being able to offer serious resistance.

  The shallow-draft monitor Mersey and her sister ship Severn were armed with three 6-inch guns and two 4.7-inch howitzers apiece. Their fire was controlled by aircraft that signalled corrections by radio back to the ships and ultimately damaged Konigsberg so badly that she had to be scuttled. Picture credit: Imperial War Museum Neg No SP84

  The wreck of the Konigsberg. Despite her destruction, her 4.1-inch guns were landed and most were fitted with field carriages in railway workshops at Dar es Salaam and employed in support of German troops during the East African campaign.

  The Graf von Gotzen in 1916, flying the Imperial German Navy’s ensign. One of the Konigsberg’s 4.1-inch guns has been mounted on her forecastle. Built in 1913 by the Meyer Werft shipyard in northern Germany, she was shipped out to East Africa in sections and assembled on the shores of Lake Tanganyika. Raised after being scuttled to prevent her capture by the British, she continued in commercial service until 2010, when she was finally retired after nearly a century of service.

  Gunnery drill aboard the Graf von Gotzen. Apart from some naval caps and a few tunics borrowed from the army, the German flotilla on Lake Tanganyika seems to have been relaxed in its concept of uniforms.

  Mimi and Toutou were launched with railway assistance after their long journey from Cape Town. Spicer-Simson, wearing his skirt, is the closest to the camera of the naval personnel. Picture credit: Imperial War Museum Neg No Q 67680

  The two British gunboats fitting out shortly before their engagement with the German Kigani. Picture credit: Imperial War Museum Neg No Q 67687

  Her tall masts and multiple ventilators easily identified the protected cruiser Highflyer. Her armament consisted of eleven 6-inch and nine 12-pounder guns. On 26 August 1914 she came across the German liner Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse, recently converted to the role of commerce raider, coaling in the Spanish waters of Rio de Oro.

  When Highflyer opened fire the German colliers scattered for safety but Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse replied at once and, despite being hit repeatedly, put up a stiff fight. Highflyer can just be made out on the horizon on the extreme left of the picture.

  Battered by 6-inch shells and ablaze aft, the raider was clearly doomed and rolled over onto her port side. Some of her crew can be seen heading for the shore in their boats.

  On 10 March 1917 the raider Mowe came across the New Zealand Shipping Company’s freighter Otaki. Despite being hopelessly out-gunned, the latter’s captain decided to make a fight of it with the raider, upon which he inflicted near-fatal damage before his own ship was finally sunk. Chivalrously, although the Mowe was in danger of sinking herself, she picked up the Otaki’s survivors.

  The Japanese loner Hitachi Maru was run down by the raider Wolf off the southern end of the Maldive Islands on 26 September 1917. She refused to stop until forced to surrender after fourteen of her crew had been killed and six wounded. Although some of her crew were seen moving around the liner’s stern gun there is some doubt that it actually opened fire. Wolf’s scout plane Wolfchen (Little Wolf) can be seen over-flying the interception.

  CHAPTER 6

  Ghost Ship

  Following the almost complete destruction of Spee’s East Asia Squadron, Sturdee’s two battle cruisers were ordered to return home immediately. That left Stoddart’s cruisers to patrol the South Atlantic and the south-eastern coast of South America, although these would be joined shortly by other warships, including the battle cruiser Australia. The survival of the Dresden, however, and to a lesser extent that of the armed merchant cruiser Prinz Eitel Friedrich, caused Stoddart and the Admiralty serious concern. The root of the problem was that no one seemed to have any idea where Dresden might be lurking and British traffic along the Chilean coast was at a virtual standstill. The southern portion of that coastline consisted of such a labyrinth of bays, inlets, fjords, headlands, capes and islands that searching for a single ship was like looking for the proverbial needle in a haystack. Stoddart was looking but having no success at all. At the Admiralty some thought that Dresden might be in hiding elsewhere, perhaps even in the East Indies, an alternative that would place the Australian and New Zealand trade routes at risk. At a time when British warships were being withdrawn to home waters, this would not be a welcome addition to available resources. Fisher, never one to lose an opportunity to plunge a knife into an enemy’s back, took full advantage of Dresden’s escape. ‘If the Dresden gets to the Bay of Bengal by means of colliers arranged with Berlin, we shall all owe a lot to Sturdee,’ was his vindictive comment.

  In fact, the answer was a lot simpler. She changed her position regularly and was living a sort of hand-to-mouth existence on fuel supplies and rations supplied locally by an efficient organisation known as the Etappendienst (roughly, Service Organisation), which had been set up throughout South America on the outbreak of war to keep German ships supplied. In Chile there were some 28,000 immigrants of German origin, most living in small agricultural settlements close to the coast, but others were prominent members of the diplomatic, banking and business circles in cities like Santiago and Valparaiso and were eagerly recruited into the Etappendienst’s intelligence section. There were also some 4,000 former citizens of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, but as many of them hailed from Dalmatia and had little liking for the Vienna establishment, they were not considered to suitable material for recruitment. Against this, there were a number of neutral ship owners and masters only too happy to pocket German gold in exchange for partisan favours.

  The British residents in Chile were at something of a disadvantage in these matters as they were smaller in numbers and mo
re widely dispersed, the only community similar to that of the German settlements being a tiny Welsh community over the border in Argentine Patagonia. However, the Etappendienst made little attempt to conceal its own activities and carried out its work in so brazen a manner that British intelligence was able to accumulate so much evidence that by the end of November 1914 it became possible to lodge the strongest possible diplomatic protests. Non-German public opinion in Chile was outraged and the government had no wish to be seen as hostile to the United Kingdom. This placed a brake on the activities of the Etappendienst but was unable to halt them altogether.