He settled in Chile, in the 1930s he received a medal for his service from the German embassy. I would have loved if the letter with the medal (now also lost) would have had more details.
Wonderful video! When I graduated from high school (some 28 years ago) my final exam was from History and I chose the naval operations 1914-1918. My Professor asked me to tell him of Coronel... I talked for an hour or so of the situation, circumstances, Von Spee's Kreuzergeschwader, Sir Craddock's situation and communication with the admiralty... and when I finished with the Battle, he simply said "They were brave..." So far from home, sailed right into death or glory... But, as Kipling said: "Oh, dear, what comfort can I find?" None this tide, Nor any tide, Except he did not shame his kind--- Not even with that wind blowing, and that tide. Then hold your head up all the more, This tide, And every tide; Because he was the son you bore, And gave to that wind blowing and that tide! Many thanks for the wonderful story! Greetings from Belgrade, Serbia!
My grandfather, Michael Herbert Lawson served in the RN throughout the Great War, luckily coming through unscathed. His uncle, William Lawson, was less fortunate and perished on HMS Good Hope at Coronel. He was Head Stoker, aged 34 and married with three children. Having originally enlisted with the Navy at 18, he was one of the reservists referred to in this video. Both William and Michael were from Nottingham.
Craddock should have fled and rejoined the Canopus, I've always thought that, he was massively outgunned without it. Discretion would've been the better part of valour on the day. Though I have great sympathy for his difficult choices not having proper intelligence or communication leading up to the battle
Agree as well but his honour was at stake. He had seen a friend of his berated by an admiral some time before & i think he was more afraid of being thought of as a coward after, even if it did cost him his & many more their lives. Today we remember him for marching into the mouth of hell & therefore not cowardly. Definitely was a different time & a difficult decision had to be made. If only communication was a bit better, he may have lived, but may also be somewhat forgotten today.
Craddock was ever mindful of the fate of Admiral John Byng. Also, Craddock was right, in a grim, deadly way. His sacrifice, and those of 1,600 odd men, effectively knocked the German squadron out of the war. The Royal Navy would want revenge and hunt von Spee down. von Spee knew this, he was boxed in. He couldn't go back to Asia, Japanese and Australian capital ships, the very reason he fled Tsingtao, were now looking for him. He couldn't go anywhere, British squadrons at River Plate, West Indies, Gibraltar, South Africa and the Indian Ocean would block his path. Finally, he couldn't go home, even if he slipped past those squadrons, he'd have to slip past the British blockade of Germany. von Spee had also expended more than half his ammunition at Coronel, and badly needed coal. He could get coal from colliers or any ship he seized- German or Allied - but he couldn't get German caliber shells from British ships. So von Spee knew he was as good as dead. When his men presented him with flowers, he allegedly replied that those would look nice on his coffin. Quite ironic that when von Spee reached the Falklands, he would find there the same class of warships, capital ships, that he had fled from in Asia. And just like Craddock, von Spee couldn't abandon his slower ships to the enemy, plus knowing the bigger, faster British battlecruisers would run his now ragged ships down anyway, he turned and fought against overwhelming odds. And Sturdee swatted him like a fly, just as he had smashed Craddock at Coronel.
Wow, what a battle 👏 I enjoyed learning about this naval engagement which turned the tides for the Germans. It seemed like I if could use the American expression, a football quarterback trying to hit a baseball pitcher, outgunned from the outset but did their duty without hesitation. I'm eager to learn about what happened to Vons Spey at the Falkland Islands. Well done, amigo y vaya con Dios.
The Germans were sunk in their turn near the Falklands, the ships have recently been found & video filmed. The one escapee SMS Dresden was later sunk at Cumberland Bay, Robinson Crusoe Island, Juan Fernandez Archipelago.
The Emden's raids are interesting, but also of interest are how those sailors of the Emden's crew not captured after sinking by HMAS Sydney got back to Germany! Worth a video perhaps?
There is a german TV documentation, but have forgotten the name. When i remember correct, it was made by german TV station ZDF. Perhaps the TV Station can help you. ZDF means Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen.
I was in York in 2000 and saw the plaque for Craddock and his men at the Minster. I remember being fascinated with ww1 naval fights after getting the Marshall Cavendish series in 1974😅.
Gee, Chris old bean, the time you've decided to post this at last, hahaha... but at least, after also enjoying a full re-watch, since first doing 'em and the other best and appropriate ones which followed 'em for the first time ever last year, 'Halloween' films 1 and 2, I can end my day on a satisfactory note thanks to you, our British military history UA-camr superstar. Cos certainly, this WWI Naval battle I had absolutely no clue about until you came along was quite the lesson indeed- the utter disaster, no doubt the fault of both the Admiralty and Craddock together I'd say due to cocked up mistakes by both of 'em which resulted in NO Germans lost whatsoever and Craddock himself and two of his own ships lost to fire and water, at Coronel, which put an end to us Brits' 100 years of invincible control over the seas since the days of Lord Nelson and the Napoleonic Wars... Once again, you know exactly how to deliver, Chris dear chap, this was definitely what I could need to end tonight alongside the first two 'Halloween' films. Wonder what the next great WWI focused video from ya's will be one day- guess time will tell
One of the interesting facts mentioned in this conflict, which I was not aware of, was that in WW1, Japan was allied with Britain and France. You learn every day, thank you, History Chap.
The first naval battle I have ever wargamed, the results were pretty much the same except only theTaranto got away. The battle of the Falklands is a good story and my next game.
If not for the scandal following Troubridge's decision not to confront Goeben and Breslau Craddock may well have, sensibly, avoided battle. The Admiralty was forced to send a adequate force to defeat VonSpee not 'able'. The Battlecruisers sent were designed to kill armored cruisers. Unlike the later Battlecruisers that had a chance against Battleships.
4:51 And had von Spee sailed north instead of south, he would have ran into HMCS _Rainbow_ ,an obsolete Apollo-class protected cruiser of the nascent Royal Canadian Navy. After being sold to the Canadian government in 1910, the _Rainbow_ was allowed to rot due to lack of funding (this is a recurring theme in Canada). Her crew were trainees, some of whom had never been to sea before. Nevertheless she was the only Allied warship north of the equator, and so was directed south to find the _Leipzig_ and _Nurnberg_ .Needless to say it would not have gone well had she met von Spee's squadron.
It was a bit one sided when you compared Von Spee’s modern armoured cruisers compared to Admiral Cradock’s two elderly armoured cruisers Good Hope and Monmouth which were totally outclassed by the German Squadron p. Fortunately the modern cruiser Glasgow escaped to tell the tale which led to the destruction of Von Spee’s squadron at the Battle of the Falklands.
RIP Harry Pierce Ancill, reservist returned to the flag & lost on HMS Good Hope at Coronel, memorialised on the Lytch Gate at Overbury Church & the Royal Navy Memorial Portsmouth
I tend to agree that both the admiralty and Adm Craddock were at fault. He should have tried to run south and hope to lose his enemy in the dark, but maybe he couldn't have made it. He should at least have tried to save some of his ships.
My feeling is that it's exceedingly rare that a single factor contributes to any downfall. Having said that, at the end of the day it was Craddock upon whose shoulders the fateful decision rests. Hindsight is 20/20 and I'm sure he did his best to weigh the circumstances. Should we blame Nelson for cultivating an RN tradition of going at 'em hell for leather in the highest traditions of the service? In situations like this, I tend to blame the Admiralty for their appalling lack of foresight and support.
There's a 1927 film called "The Battles of Coronel and Falkland Islands". I saw a restored version ten years ago at the London Film Festival where it was screened with a new score performed by 24 members of the Band of Her Majesty’s Royal Marines in tribute to the band members who died on HMS Monmouth.
Jogged my memory here, always think of Jutland, a piric victory for Germany I think 🤔, this battle tends to be dismissed as a 'blip'..thanks for upload 😮
Just at front of Falkland War lot of school kids and teachers in Wendover John Colet school they thought the Falkland Islands was near Scotland. But instead I was a kid in know about the Battle of Falkland in WW1 so I told them the Falkland Islands was in South America.
@@TheHistoryChap Understandable - Falkland is in Scotland, and was the site of a battle - albeit in 1298, when Wallace was defeated. Scots know these things!
I'm over 60, and I first read of this battle over 50 years ago. I lay this directly at the feet of Winston Churchill - who spent a lot of time criticizing Admiral Craddock after the fact, but likely would have been leading the calls for his dismissal if he had not engaged.
You may wish to read "The Coal Black Sea." Primarily about the unnecessary loss of three armored cruisers to the torpedoes of U-9, it also discusses your point. Churchill took no responsibility for their loss and tried his best to dump much of the blame on the cruisers' commanders, including the one who drowned and couldn't defend his reputation. The only thing that saved Churchill's bacon was the Falklands shortly after Coronel.
Churchill, that amazing wizard who could control the weather, read men's minds, bend Jackie Fisher and Lord K of K to his will and guide all the ships at sea and men on land merely by the force of his will. Truly HE was the model for Sauron.
I know I've seen the monument to the battles of the Coronel and the Falklands. It was somewhere around Chatham or Gillingham in Kent. As per usual for WWI, a lot of names inscribed there. From memory, the Admiralty were somewhat disappointed with the opening event and sent whatever was available to sort out the opposing force. I'm guessing the Germans also have a fitting memorial. There are wars which are logical, inevitable and needed. WWI doesn't show up in the list.
Watched a movie on the weekend titled Sailor of the King(1953) starring Jeffery Hunter and Michael Rennie. It’s set during WW2 but it’s a remake of another movie titled Born to Glory(1938). The 1938 version is an adaptation of a C.S. Forester book titled Brown on Resolution(1929) that is loosely based upon this battle.
@@TheHistoryChapNP. Btw, Jeffery Hunter plays a Canadian sailor, not American as some might think. However, the character he portrays grew up in Montreal so should have a francophone accent but clearly doesn’t.
HMS Canopus cheif engineer was actually suffering from a nervous breakdown at the time...While her engines were not in tip top condition they were far from the terrible state her engineer claimed. HMS Canopus WAS heavily armoured and would have shrugged off the German 8.2 inch shells....However even a single 12inch hit from the HMS Canopus would have caused serious problems for Von Spee!!!
It did get a richochet when an alleged training 12 inch round bounced and dented Gneisenau's rear funnel in the opening shots of the Battle of the Falklands and did cause them to run off.
Seems like captains and the admiralty of this period still thought it was the Napoleonic wars and pluck and bravery could overcome lack of numbers and quality. Good story thanks Chris
Apparently, Christopher Craddock knew full well that his squadron stood no chance against the Scharnhorst and Gneisnau and yet he still sailed out to meet them. An unsung hero, though a doomed one
As an addendum, HMS Canopus, an old Battleship attached to Christopher Craddock's squadron, was beached in Port Stanley at the start of the battle of the Falklands and fired the first shot, which scored a hit! The only problem was that, as they were expecting a live fire exercise, the shell was just an inert lump of concrete. At least that's what an account of the battle said that I read 40 years ago
It might be an idea to do a piece on Churchills costly military blunders. With the Dardanelles and Force Z and Singapore I think you could almost make a short series. And yes, Like blackbear211, I place this one on his shoulders too. Great video.
The Royal Navy was a slow learner to modern technology of the day. A vast number of ships were lost during the first few months of WW1 including the 'Live Bait Squadron', three heavy Cruisers lost in the space of two hours or less, sunk by one U Boat on 22nd September 1914. My Grandfather was on one and was lost with 1500 other men.
Wow, I was not expecting a video! So did the Admiralty take any blame for this? This battle feels like it is up there with the sinking of Prince of Wales and Repulse. It also feels the Admiralty learnt no lessons from what happened back then to in 1914 vs 1941 as well.
Coronel, what a devastating and embarrassing defeat for the British. They had obsolete weaponry and not well drilled crew. The Germans not only had the better weaponry, but also the marksmanship too, something very important for training in an armed service branch. It was a got thing the British made up for their errors at the Falkland Islands. As always, well done!
Thank you Chris. Very educational👍I'm getting a GSD Puppy calling him "Otto Von Below" 🐕🦺 Maybe you can do a video on this famous Prussian General?💂♂️🫡
If you follow this video up with one on the Battle of the Falkland Islands it would be worth including an analysis of how many men who went into combat at Coronel survived both battles Spoiler alert - it is not a high percentage
I did not know the story of the battle of Coronel. I have huge respect and sympathy for Craddock forced into an awful situation by the Admiralty, always ready to prosecute and punish officers who were not "aggressive" enough, does the name Byng ring any bells? Had Craddock survived the battle he could have said, like King Francis I of France after his heroic defeat at Pavia, "All was lost except the honour".
Liked your piece on Thomas Lord Cochrane, but thought it skimmed the subject, and did not give a fair hearing on the Stock Exchange scandal. The money he had in Gilts was his Prize Money, put there for low risk. The way he got elected as a Reform Party candidate in the Rotten Borough of Honiton was pure Cochrane When in charge ot the Pallas he successfully advertised for volunteers instead of resorting to the Press Gang. Word had got around about his Prize Money success, and all the crew would get a share under the PM rules, which could set them up for life in retirement. Worth doing as a series!
I point the finger of blame at Churchill. He had a lot to do with the confusing naval signals.... oh, didn't he do something similar regarding Troubridge's actions?
My grandfather was an engineroom artificer on HMS Glasgow. So was my future great uncle. They were messmates. Grandfather was caught in a boiler room accident and shipped home to Britain, his hair turned white at age 25. My future great uncle asked my grandfather to deliver a letter to his sister. In doing so he met his future wife, my grandmother. He had a photo taken from the jetty at Port Stanley. In 1982, I had a photo taken on the same jetty as part of the Royal Navy Falklands task force. Literally, there but for the grace of God go I...
It is a telling point, coal was needed for ships (Was it Churchill who recommended oil) so with a lack of other options Von Spee needed coal (And there were few or no German coaling stations) and his luck ran out at the Falklands. A very digest of the battle.
Have a read of "Australian Codebreaker". The Australian codebreakers had cracked the German naval signal codes before this battle and had told the Adminalty of the German messages.
Brilliant as usual, but a small tip. Please take a breath before your initial words, or develop a catch phrase (examples, already used "hello again" and "hello") that way we will not miss yourfirst syllable, Positive criticism I hope.
The sinking of the "Live Bait Squadron" in September 1914 (albeit by U boat) pre - dates Coronel by several weeks. Was this not the first defeat in 100 years ?
A very good paperback "Coronel and the Falklands" by Geoffrey Bennett covers this and the Falklands battle. Well the Falklands battle is next, where the British ships are superior. Craddock really had no choice run from the Germans was not really an option.
6:26 as "obsolete" as Canopus may have been she got the last laugh in . Because the Germans where soon to find out just how obsolete the armoured cruiser was
I think it's down to the standard Royal Navy response, "make to the sounds of the guns" and yes I know Napoleon had a similar order. A culture like that is very hard to go against. Right or wrong I don't feel able to comment. Hope I never get into that situation.
The SAS guy that intervened without orders to do so in the 2019 Nairobi hotel shootings summed it up - British forces run towards gunfire, not away from it. I’m paraphrasing him here and I know it’s a sweeping cliche with several notable exceptions, but I think that general culture has pervaded for centuries.
Craddock should have executed his plan to defeat the Germans in detail. Once he realized he was severely overmatched he should have fled to preserve his combat capabilities for another time. He could have dispersed his fleet to make pursuit more difficult or caused the German fleet to disperse as well. If he surmised he could not run or disperse successfully (Germans being faster), then he had no choice but to fight-and fight he did. Death before dishonor.
Book recommendation for anyone wanting a broad but not superficial overview of WW1 Naval History from just one publication: “Castles of Steel” by Robert K Massie.
@Lassisvulgaris After Britain won the arms race with Germany, its unsurprising to find the Royal Navy still had so many obsolete or outclassed ships in service. They had a lot of territory to cover. And, British leadership is nothing if not inventive when it comes to resources. What's a sea fairing term for a paper tiger. Paper mushe shark?
Once Craddock and von Spee were in sight of each other. Craddock had no choice but to fight, as he couldn't outrun von Spee. As for the Admiraltys part in the debacle. I would say that they carry all of the blame. They order Craddock to intercept and engage von Spee's Squadron. Knowing full well that the germans were superior if every respect, and refusing to reinforce him. One battlecruiser in the South Atlantic could probably have closed off the Atlantic to von Spee, bearing in mind that the battlecruiser was desinged to hunt down armoured cruisers. Or at least have given him the choice of going West were he might meet HMS Australia, possibly in partnership with a japanese battlecruiser. Or North were he might run into the main Japanese fleet.
German admiral attachè: sir the british have 4 inch guns on thier ship. German admiral: Then our ships must have 4.1 inch guns! Such a German thing to do haha!
One has to wonder who's bright idea this was as Craddock had no chance. Glasgow would have been better of shadowing Spee and Craddock should have stayed in port.
They had won the Kaiser's prize for shooting, naval gunnery, that does not sound good! 😮😱😭🥶 😄😁😆🤣🤣🤣 The Kaiser was to blame for the British defeat for having a dame fine navy!
The main guilt lays on the Admiralty that send 2nd class ships against more modern ones. Moreover, the RN hadn't fought anymore any powerful adversary after the end of Napoleonic wars, they had fought against the turks at Navarino, and some skirmishes against (the irony !) the russians, but mostly had fought against pirates and chinese ships, so they could'vent proved themselves as their Nelson's counterparts.
It was of course Churchill's fault those men died. If you look at the admiralty communiques they were essentially driven to their deaths. When an Admiral says I cannot hope to beat them but I'm going to fight them it's the superior's job to say if you don't think you can beat them we will send exactly one modern battle cruiser (that were literally designed to destroy german raiders like this but instead were put into the home fleet battle line to disastrous results) to you so you can smash them. Churchill was the worst tactical and strategic thinking leader that has a good reputation in all of history. Everything he touched was disaster. If you look back at the war strategies he wanted to implement but was not able to because he wasn't PM and was only at the admiralty and didn't run the cabinet they were horrible. He wanted to invade scandanvia in ww2 and the ships were already loaded with soldiers, I think in 1938 he had designs on entering the baltic with a gigantic fleet in ww2 and fight the germans there were air power would have left no british ship left floating. He wanted to invade Germany with an amphibious invasion in ww1. He wanted to personally lead a brigade in France in ww1. Singapore. Dieppe. Gallipoli. I may be wrong about this one but I also think he was of a mind to send spitfires to help France after they had essentially lost the Battle of France after Dunirk and was overruled by Arthur Harris who said over my dead body. The embarrassing loss in Norway to the Germans who carried out amphibious operations to ports that were twice the distance from Germany as they were from his home fleet at Scapa Flow - Ironically Chamberlain was sacked for that and Churchill got promoted not for acumen but for his blind belligerence. Even his big win ww2 sealed the fate of his cherished empire. Really one of the worst leaders in all history.
I disagree. Churchill was a rogue, but a fighter. After Gallipoli, he wanted to lead a brigade, but he went as a battalion commander to France, before becomming Minister of Munitions in 1917. RN has a long tradition of engaging superiour forces, and win. Nelson is probably the best known.... Churchill was the only to stand up against the Germans in 1939. Despite his shortcommings, he was the right man, at the right time History might have looked different if Halifax had become prime minister.... As for Norway, the Germans happened to come first. The British and French had plans to take Norwegian ports to "help Finland", but that war was over by then )Operation Wilfred). British forces were mainly territorials, while the Germans highly professional. Lacking winter equipment and AA, didn't help. On the other side, the Germans lost a large part of their navy at Narvik. This may have caused the delay, and cancellation of Operation Sealion, due to lack of escorts. The biggest disapointment, was the British and French leaving the Norwegians to themselves, after the invasion of France. At Narvik, the Germans suffered their first defeat, and German troops were almost pushed into Sweden at Bjørnfjell. So I think Churchill did more good, than bad,. He had great visions, but more sendible people held him back. His fixation on Norway, made the Germans keep up to 350 000 soldiers there. His idea of commando raids, kept the Germans on their toes. So as a political leader, he did a good job in keeping the people together....
was Craddock at fault for the loss at Coronel, yes, was it because he was a bad officer, no.. would running away have helped, no...the Germans needed coal and the high speed chase had cost them a lot of it that they could not replace, same counts for ammunition, also Scharnhorst and Gneisenau where faster then the old British cruisers. if Craddock had run away and taken a loss, the Germans may have come to the Falklands where Canopus is beached so she can't be sunk but makes a great battery. the 2 large armored cruisers could have stayed in port and just waited till it was clear what the Germans wanted, and then spring a surprise on them, only after THAT battle would reinforcements for craddock arrive.. and the Germans are by then in the Atlantic, sinking ships and trying to get home.. damaged but "alive".
We always find ourselves up a creek without dated equipment. Perpetual underdogs. Makes for great romantic stories. If you're not one of the poor service men expected to overturn the odds. I bet they tire of hearing these stories. 😂 England expects. Terrible waste of life this one.
Yup, we all know that the Spaniards whipped the English one year before the Spanish Armada and then again not long after😂. History is sometimes a bit convoluted. She said, I said, and then the truth.
Another great story. Thanks. BTW, I am not fond of the "swirl cut" or whatever you call it. I'm afraid it will trigger a neurological attack, some kind of seizure. My medication usually prevents that but I do not expose myself to known risks. Have unsubbed for less.
The thing about Churchill is he always had the self confidence to bounce back from his mistakes. They tended to be fatal for others. Product of an aristocratic upbringing and education I suppose?
RIP .... My Great Grandfather James William Ronson was Chief Engine Room Artificer on HMS Monmouth.
Thank you your taking the time to share your family history.
My great grandfather was a sailor in one of Von Spee’s ships, sadly which one has been forgotten.
He settled in Chile, in the 1930s he received a medal for his service from the German embassy. I would have loved if the letter with the medal (now also lost) would have had more details.
Wonderful video!
When I graduated from high school (some 28 years ago) my final exam was from History and I chose the naval operations 1914-1918.
My Professor asked me to tell him of Coronel... I talked for an hour or so of the situation, circumstances, Von Spee's Kreuzergeschwader, Sir Craddock's situation and communication with the admiralty... and when I finished with the Battle, he simply said "They were brave..."
So far from home, sailed right into death or glory...
But, as Kipling said:
"Oh, dear, what comfort can I find?"
None this tide,
Nor any tide,
Except he did not shame his kind---
Not even with that wind blowing, and that tide.
Then hold your head up all the more,
This tide,
And every tide;
Because he was the son you bore,
And gave to that wind blowing and that tide!
Many thanks for the wonderful story!
Greetings from Belgrade, Serbia!
Thanks for watching my video & for your fascinating feedback.
My grandfather, Michael Herbert Lawson served in the RN throughout the Great War, luckily coming through unscathed. His uncle, William Lawson, was less fortunate and perished on HMS Good Hope at Coronel. He was Head Stoker, aged 34 and married with three children. Having originally enlisted with the Navy at 18, he was one of the reservists referred to in this video. Both William and Michael were from Nottingham.
John, thank you so much for sharing your family stories.
Thank you Chris for keeping their stories alive.
Outstanding!
Clearly a man who knew my relative Harry Pierce Ancill!
Couldnt sleep as the broken ankle is doing ouchies and found this late posting!
Thanks Chris
Get well soon mate.
A broken finger can be worked around. A broken ankle is an absolute sod.
I got it out late in the day. Thanks for watching.
I hope your ankle will heal soon. Regards
It’s great to hear about these forgotten battles
Thank you.
Craddock should have fled and rejoined the Canopus, I've always thought that, he was massively outgunned without it. Discretion would've been the better part of valour on the day. Though I have great sympathy for his difficult choices not having proper intelligence or communication leading up to the battle
Itend to agree with you. Thanks for watching and also for commenting.
Agree as well but his honour was at stake. He had seen a friend of his berated by an admiral some time before & i think he was more afraid of being thought of as a coward after, even if it did cost him his & many more their lives. Today we remember him for marching into the mouth of hell & therefore not cowardly. Definitely was a different time & a difficult decision had to be made. If only communication was a bit better, he may have lived, but may also be somewhat forgotten today.
Craddock was ever mindful of the fate of Admiral John Byng.
Also, Craddock was right, in a grim, deadly way. His sacrifice, and those of 1,600 odd men, effectively knocked the German squadron out of the war. The Royal Navy would want revenge and hunt von Spee down. von Spee knew this, he was boxed in. He couldn't go back to Asia, Japanese and Australian capital ships, the very reason he fled Tsingtao, were now looking for him. He couldn't go anywhere, British squadrons at River Plate, West Indies, Gibraltar, South Africa and the Indian Ocean would block his path. Finally, he couldn't go home, even if he slipped past those squadrons, he'd have to slip past the British blockade of Germany.
von Spee had also expended more than half his ammunition at Coronel, and badly needed coal. He could get coal from colliers or any ship he seized- German or Allied - but he couldn't get German caliber shells from British ships. So von Spee knew he was as good as dead. When his men presented him with flowers, he allegedly replied that those would look nice on his coffin.
Quite ironic that when von Spee reached the Falklands, he would find there the same class of warships, capital ships, that he had fled from in Asia. And just like Craddock, von Spee couldn't abandon his slower ships to the enemy, plus knowing the bigger, faster British battlecruisers would run his now ragged ships down anyway, he turned and fought against overwhelming odds. And Sturdee swatted him like a fly, just as he had smashed Craddock at Coronel.
NOWADAYS… “Britannia” can’t even intercept flotillas of inflatable dinghies! 🇬🇧 “How are the might fallen…” 😢
@@oteliogarcia1562 i don't know if that is the guy i heard about . Watched Drachinafels video on the battle .
Thanks for the great video, chris!
Cheers-
My pleasure. Keep well.
Wow, what a battle 👏 I enjoyed learning about this naval engagement which turned the tides for the Germans. It seemed like I if could use the American expression, a football quarterback trying to hit a baseball pitcher, outgunned from the outset but did their duty without hesitation. I'm eager to learn about what happened to Vons Spey at the Falkland Islands. Well done, amigo y vaya con Dios.
Harry, I’m glad that you enjoyed it. Have no fear, you will be finding out soon.
The Germans were sunk in their turn near the Falklands, the ships have recently been found & video filmed. The one escapee SMS Dresden was later sunk at Cumberland Bay, Robinson Crusoe Island, Juan Fernandez Archipelago.
The Emden's raids are interesting, but also of interest are how those sailors of the Emden's crew not captured after sinking by HMAS Sydney got back to Germany! Worth a video perhaps?
There is a german TV documentation, but have forgotten the name. When i remember correct, it was made by german TV station ZDF. Perhaps the TV Station can help you. ZDF means Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen.
Included in my video about the Emden
An amazing story which I had never heard before. And a brilliant telling. Thank you for sharing. Cheers
My pleasure. Thanks for watching.
Thanks so much Chris
My pleasure.
Outstanding from a history nut👍👍great work
Many thanks.
Hello... and thank you for this very informative description of the battle..
Glad you enjoyed it thanks for watching my video;
Awesome Story....thank you
My pleasure. Thanks for watching.
Great video. Thanks once again.
My pleasure Darren.
I was in York in 2000 and saw the plaque for Craddock and his men at the Minster. I remember being fascinated with ww1 naval fights after getting the Marshall Cavendish series in 1974😅.
Thanks for sharing. Appreciated.
Gee, Chris old bean, the time you've decided to post this at last, hahaha... but at least, after also enjoying a full re-watch, since first doing 'em and the other best and appropriate ones which followed 'em for the first time ever last year, 'Halloween' films 1 and 2, I can end my day on a satisfactory note thanks to you, our British military history UA-camr superstar.
Cos certainly, this WWI Naval battle I had absolutely no clue about until you came along was quite the lesson indeed- the utter disaster, no doubt the fault of both the Admiralty and Craddock together I'd say due to cocked up mistakes by both of 'em which resulted in NO Germans lost whatsoever and Craddock himself and two of his own ships lost to fire and water, at Coronel, which put an end to us Brits' 100 years of invincible control over the seas since the days of Lord Nelson and the Napoleonic Wars... Once again, you know exactly how to deliver, Chris dear chap, this was definitely what I could need to end tonight alongside the first two 'Halloween' films. Wonder what the next great WWI focused video from ya's will be one day- guess time will tell
Hi Max,
Glad you enjoyed it.
Got some corkers lined up including Charge of the Australian Light Horse at Beersheba.
One of the interesting facts mentioned in this conflict, which I was not aware of, was that in WW1, Japan was allied with Britain and France. You learn every day, thank you, History Chap.
Thanks for your comment.
NOWADAYS… “Britannia” can’t even intercept flotillas of inflatable dinghies! 🇬🇧 “How are the might fallen…” 😢
Thank you for watching my video.
@@TheHistoryChap PC to the core eh?
The first naval battle I have ever wargamed, the results were pretty much the same except only theTaranto got away. The battle of the Falklands is a good story and my next game.
Strangely enough, guess what I have on my production list for the near future? -:)
Greetings from Valparaíso , Chile. very good channel.
Thanks for watching, glad you enjoyed my video.
If not for the scandal following Troubridge's decision not to confront Goeben and Breslau Craddock may well have, sensibly, avoided battle. The Admiralty was forced to send a adequate force to defeat VonSpee not 'able'. The Battlecruisers sent were designed to kill armored cruisers. Unlike the later Battlecruisers that had a chance against Battleships.
The irony was Troubridge's flagship was HMS Defence.
4:51 And had von Spee sailed north instead of south, he would have ran into HMCS _Rainbow_ ,an obsolete Apollo-class protected cruiser of the nascent Royal Canadian Navy. After being sold to the Canadian government in 1910, the _Rainbow_ was allowed to rot due to lack of funding (this is a recurring theme in Canada). Her crew were trainees, some of whom had never been to sea before. Nevertheless she was the only Allied warship north of the equator, and so was directed south to find the _Leipzig_ and _Nurnberg_ .Needless to say it would not have gone well had she met von Spee's squadron.
That is very interesting. Thanks for sharing.
...he would also have run into the Imperial Japanese navy who were hunting him.
Excellent video
War at sea is more much more cruel.
You are not allowed to surrender.
In most cases, when you lose, you all die.
Thanks for watching my video, glad you enjoyed it.
I enjoyed this presentation!
Glad you enjoyed it!
@@TheHistoryChap Greetings from Texas.
It was a bit one sided when you compared Von Spee’s modern armoured cruisers compared to Admiral Cradock’s two elderly armoured cruisers Good Hope and Monmouth which were totally outclassed by the German Squadron p. Fortunately the modern cruiser Glasgow escaped to tell the tale which led to the destruction of Von Spee’s squadron at the Battle of the Falklands.
Guess which battle is on the cards -:)
RIP Harry Pierce Ancill, reservist returned to the flag & lost on HMS Good Hope at Coronel, memorialised on the Lytch Gate at Overbury Church & the Royal Navy Memorial Portsmouth
Thanks for sharing.
I tend to agree that both the admiralty and Adm Craddock were at fault. He should have tried to run south and hope to lose his enemy in the dark, but maybe he couldn't have made it. He should at least have tried to save some of his ships.
Interesting. Thanks for posting.
Fascinating part of naval history. Hope mr. Green does Falkland battle as a continuation of Graf Spee story.
Thanks for your comment.
My feeling is that it's exceedingly rare that a single factor contributes to any downfall. Having said that, at the end of the day it was Craddock upon whose shoulders the fateful decision rests. Hindsight is 20/20 and I'm sure he did his best to weigh the circumstances. Should we blame Nelson for cultivating an RN tradition of going at 'em hell for leather in the highest traditions of the service? In situations like this, I tend to blame the Admiralty for their appalling lack of foresight and support.
Thanks for your well thought through argument as to where the blames lies.
There's a 1927 film called "The Battles of Coronel and Falkland Islands". I saw a restored version ten years ago at the London Film Festival where it was screened with a new score performed by 24 members of the Band of Her Majesty’s Royal Marines in tribute to the band members who died on HMS Monmouth.
Thanks for watching my video & for your feedback.
Jogged my memory here, always think of Jutland, a piric victory for Germany I think 🤔, this battle tends to be dismissed as a 'blip'..thanks for upload 😮
I will cover Jutland, just trying to work out how to deal with lots of "moving parts".
@TheHistoryChap yes it really could be problematic 😔 🤧, cheers 🍻
Just at front of Falkland War lot of school kids and teachers in Wendover John Colet school they thought the Falkland Islands was near Scotland. But instead I was a kid in know about the Battle of Falkland in WW1 so I told them the Falkland Islands was in South America.
I remember people thinking they were off Scotland too!
@@TheHistoryChap Understandable - Falkland is in Scotland, and was the site of a battle - albeit in 1298, when Wallace was defeated. Scots know these things!
I'm over 60, and I first read of this battle over 50 years ago.
I lay this directly at the feet of Winston Churchill - who spent a lot of time criticizing Admiral Craddock after the fact,
but likely would have been leading the calls for his dismissal if he had not engaged.
You may wish to read "The Coal Black Sea." Primarily about the unnecessary loss of three armored cruisers to the torpedoes of U-9, it also discusses your point. Churchill took no responsibility for their loss and tried his best to dump much of the blame on the cruisers' commanders, including the one who drowned and couldn't defend his reputation. The only thing that saved Churchill's bacon was the Falklands shortly after Coronel.
Great observation.
Thank you for sharing that one.
@@kennethrouse7942 ...and then there is very curious fate of the Lusitania... and his final undoing - Gallipoli.
Churchill, that amazing wizard who could control the weather, read men's minds, bend Jackie Fisher and Lord K of K to his will and guide all the ships at sea and men on land merely by the force of his will. Truly HE was the model for Sauron.
So, the more modern Glasgow had the outdated 6" guns as well Chris?...
It would seem so, but maybe armaments varied. I'm sure other naval buffs are much more knowledgable than me.
I know I've seen the monument to the battles of the Coronel and the Falklands. It was somewhere around Chatham or Gillingham in Kent.
As per usual for WWI, a lot of names inscribed there. From memory, the Admiralty were somewhat disappointed with the opening event and sent whatever was available to sort out the opposing force.
I'm guessing the Germans also have a fitting memorial.
There are wars which are logical, inevitable and needed. WWI doesn't show up in the list.
Thanks for adding this interesting piece.
Watched a movie on the weekend titled Sailor of the King(1953) starring Jeffery Hunter and Michael Rennie. It’s set during WW2 but it’s a remake of another movie titled Born to Glory(1938). The 1938 version is an adaptation of a C.S. Forester book titled Brown on Resolution(1929) that is loosely based upon this battle.
Thanks for taking the time to share.
@@TheHistoryChapNP. Btw, Jeffery Hunter plays a Canadian sailor, not American as some might think. However, the character he portrays grew up in Montreal so should have a francophone accent but clearly doesn’t.
Defeat is such a ungly word, let's just say they under performed..... 😊
And the Germans over performed -:)
Could used the term second best.....
Bravo Sir bravo!
Thank you.
THX CHAPPY
My pleasure. Keep well.
HMS Canopus cheif engineer was actually suffering from a nervous breakdown at the time...While her engines were not in tip top condition they were far from the terrible state her engineer claimed. HMS Canopus WAS heavily armoured and would have shrugged off the German 8.2 inch shells....However even a single 12inch hit from the HMS Canopus would have caused serious problems for Von Spee!!!
Thanks for taking the time to comment.
It did get a richochet when an alleged training 12 inch round bounced and dented Gneisenau's rear funnel in the opening shots of the Battle of the Falklands and did cause them to run off.
Seems like captains and the admiralty of this period still thought it was the Napoleonic wars and pluck and bravery could overcome lack of numbers and quality. Good story thanks Chris
Great hearing from you. Hope all is well. Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment.
Great video. please look at the story of SS wolf and also Felix von Luckner. both were WW1.
I have read the book about SS Wolf. Amazing story.
Apparently, Christopher Craddock knew full well that his squadron stood no chance against the Scharnhorst and Gneisnau and yet he still sailed out to meet them. An unsung hero, though a doomed one
Unfortunately so. Thanks for taking the time to comment.
As an addendum, HMS Canopus, an old Battleship attached to Christopher Craddock's squadron, was beached in Port Stanley at the start of the battle of the Falklands and fired the first shot, which scored a hit! The only problem was that, as they were expecting a live fire exercise, the shell was just an inert lump of concrete. At least that's what an account of the battle said that I read 40 years ago
Have you done anything on the 1874 war of Mysore and the BEI? So a short on the History Guy. Looks interesting and up your alley.
i think you mean the war that was a bit earlier than that date. If so, it is one the cards.
@@TheHistoryChap TY sir, we enjoy your channel.
It might be an idea to do a piece on Churchills costly military blunders. With the Dardanelles and Force Z and Singapore I think you could almost make a short series. And yes, Like blackbear211, I place this one on his shoulders too. Great video.
That is a great idea. How about, which was his greatest military blunder?
@@TheHistoryChap If you'd ask me, the whole Dardanelles campaign, but Singapore is a close second.
The Royal Navy was a slow learner to modern technology of the day. A vast number of ships were lost during the first few months of WW1 including the 'Live Bait Squadron', three heavy Cruisers lost in the space of two hours or less, sunk by one U Boat on 22nd September 1914. My Grandfather was on one and was lost with 1500 other men.
Thanks for watching my video & for your informative feedback.
Wow, I was not expecting a video!
So did the Admiralty take any blame for this?
This battle feels like it is up there with the sinking of Prince of Wales and Repulse.
It also feels the Admiralty learnt no lessons from what happened back then to in 1914 vs 1941 as well.
That is a very good reflection.
By the way, the loss of those two battleships will be covered in a video planned for next year.
Coronel, what a devastating and embarrassing defeat for the British. They had obsolete weaponry and not well drilled crew. The Germans not only had the better weaponry, but also the marksmanship too, something very important for training in an armed service branch. It was a got thing the British made up for their errors at the Falkland Islands. As always, well done!
Thanks for watching & for your feedback.
Thank you Chris. Very educational👍I'm getting a GSD Puppy calling him "Otto Von Below" 🐕🦺 Maybe you can do a video on this famous Prussian General?💂♂️🫡
Thanks for watching, will add your suggestion to my ever growing list.
If you follow this video up with one on the Battle of the Falkland Islands it would be worth including an analysis of how many men who went into combat at Coronel survived both battles
Spoiler alert - it is not a high percentage
Thanks for the tip. Will bear that in mind.
I do love the six degrees of Charles Gordon, who didn't try to help him out?!
Ha ha, even Lance Corporal Jones was there -:)
As Winston Churchill said, "Britannia rule the waves!" was an exhortation, not a statement of fact. Rule, not rules.
Today, it's more like wave the rules....
Yes, I know the proper lyric. I also know the popular refrain.
I did not know the story of the battle of Coronel. I have huge respect and sympathy for Craddock forced into an awful situation by the Admiralty, always ready to prosecute and punish officers who were not "aggressive" enough, does the name Byng ring any bells? Had Craddock survived the battle he could have said, like King Francis I of France after his heroic defeat at Pavia, "All was lost except the honour".
Thanks for watching my video & for your feedback.
Liked your piece on Thomas Lord Cochrane, but thought it skimmed the subject, and did not give a fair hearing on the Stock Exchange scandal. The money he had in Gilts was his Prize Money, put there for low risk.
The way he got elected as a Reform Party candidate in the Rotten Borough of Honiton was pure Cochrane
When in charge ot the Pallas he successfully advertised for volunteers instead of resorting to the Press Gang. Word had got around about his Prize Money success, and all the crew would get a share under the PM rules, which could set them up for life in retirement. Worth doing as a series!
The trick is trying to cover everything in a limited space of time.
I point the finger of blame at Churchill. He had a lot to do with the confusing naval signals.... oh, didn't he do something similar regarding Troubridge's actions?
Thanks for your comment.
My grandfather was an engineroom artificer on HMS Glasgow. So was my future great uncle. They were messmates. Grandfather was caught in a boiler room accident and shipped home to Britain, his hair turned white at age 25. My future great uncle asked my grandfather to deliver a letter to his sister. In doing so he met his future wife, my grandmother. He had a photo taken from the jetty at Port Stanley. In 1982, I had a photo taken on the same jetty as part of the Royal Navy Falklands task force.
Literally, there but for the grace of God go I...
Thanks for watching my video & for sharing your interesting family story.
It is a telling point, coal was needed for ships (Was it Churchill who recommended oil) so with a lack of other options Von Spee needed coal (And there were few or no German coaling stations) and his luck ran out at the Falklands. A very digest of the battle.
Thanks for your feedback.
Craddock and Von Spee were men whose fates were intertwined and both died fighting doomed battles.
Thanks for your comment.
Add Jutland to Coronel and there was real reason to believe British conmtrol of the seas was in doubt.
PS Great story, very well told.
Thanks for your kind comment.
Yes, the underlying concerns were there.
You could also add failing to force the Dardanelles too.
@@TheHistoryChap My bad.
Have a read of "Australian Codebreaker". The Australian codebreakers had cracked the German naval signal codes before this battle and had told the Adminalty of the German messages.
Thanks for the suggestion.
Lord Nelson would be ashamed by the act of that day
Maybe Craddock had that in mind?
Craddock would have been thinking about the blow to the Royal Navy's prestige if he encountered the German squadron and declined to fight.
Thanks for your comment.
Brilliant as usual, but a small tip. Please take a breath before your initial words, or develop a catch phrase (examples, already used "hello again" and "hello") that way we will not miss yourfirst syllable, Positive criticism I hope.
Thanks for the tip.
The sinking of the "Live Bait Squadron" in September 1914 (albeit by U boat) pre - dates Coronel by several weeks. Was this not the first defeat in 100 years ?
because it wasn't classed as a battle between warships.
I thought The French, Great Britain, and Italy where the Entant.
No, French, British & Russians.
@@TheHistoryChap thank you for taking the time to correct my error Sir. It is appreciated.
Cradock was massively outnumbered. He should have maintained contact with Canopus.
I guess we are all judging with the benefit of hindsight. That's the challenge and fun of history.
A very good paperback "Coronel and the Falklands" by Geoffrey Bennett covers this and the Falklands battle. Well the Falklands battle is next, where the British ships are superior. Craddock really had no choice run from the Germans was not really an option.
Thanks for watching & for sharing the details for the book.
6:26 as "obsolete" as Canopus may have been she got the last laugh in . Because the Germans where soon to find out just how obsolete the armoured cruiser was
Thanks for watching my video
it all went onto the shoulders of the british admiral, he'd been given the battle ship just to avoid this, it was on him to leave it behind
Interesting point. Thanks for taking the time to present your thoughts.
I think it's down to the standard Royal Navy response, "make to the sounds of the guns" and yes I know Napoleon had a similar order. A culture like that is very hard to go against. Right or wrong I don't feel able to comment. Hope I never get into that situation.
The SAS guy that intervened without orders to do so in the 2019 Nairobi hotel shootings summed it up - British forces run towards gunfire, not away from it. I’m paraphrasing him here and I know it’s a sweeping cliche with several notable exceptions, but I think that general culture has pervaded for centuries.
I think "culture" is a very powerful thing and can lead to the wrong results.
Tenerife Nelson battle.
Might be on my list...
Craddock should have executed his plan to defeat the Germans in detail. Once he realized he was severely overmatched he should have fled to preserve his combat capabilities for another time. He could have dispersed his fleet to make pursuit more difficult or caused the German fleet to disperse as well. If he surmised he could not run or disperse successfully (Germans being faster), then he had no choice but to fight-and fight he did. Death before dishonor.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
Book recommendation for anyone wanting a broad but not superficial overview of WW1 Naval History from just one publication: “Castles of Steel” by Robert K Massie.
Thanks for suggesting to my viewers.
Superior speed, engagenent range, and accuracy won out.
Lessons from Battle of Tsushima....
@Lassisvulgaris After Britain won the arms race with Germany, its unsurprising to find the Royal Navy still had so many obsolete or outclassed ships in service. They had a lot of territory to cover. And, British leadership is nothing if not inventive when it comes to resources. What's a sea fairing term for a paper tiger. Paper mushe shark?
Thanks for commenting.
@TheHistoryChap well, you have to feed those algorithms, or they get restless. :)
Once Craddock and von Spee were in sight of each other. Craddock had no choice but to fight, as he couldn't outrun von Spee. As for the Admiraltys part in the debacle. I would say that they carry all of the blame. They order Craddock to intercept and engage von Spee's Squadron. Knowing full well that the germans were superior if every respect, and refusing to reinforce him. One battlecruiser in the South Atlantic could probably have closed off the Atlantic to von Spee, bearing in mind that the battlecruiser was desinged to hunt down armoured cruisers. Or at least have given him the choice of going West were he might meet HMS Australia, possibly in partnership with a japanese battlecruiser. Or North were he might run into the main Japanese fleet.
Thanks for watching my video & for your interesting feedback.
When it comes down to it, the government is responsible. It did not give the navy the tools to maintain itself as the ruler of the seas.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
German admiral attachè: sir the british have 4 inch guns on thier ship.
German admiral: Then our ships must have 4.1 inch guns!
Such a German thing to do haha!
Thanks for watching my video.
Craddock had NO chance against von Spee. None. And it took no time at all for von Spee to show it.
Thanks for taking the time to comment.
One has to wonder who's bright idea this was as Craddock had no chance. Glasgow would have been better of shadowing Spee and Craddock should have stayed in port.
Thanks for watching my video & your comment.
It’s quiet simple, don’t use obsolete ships.
Thanks for watching my video.
They had won the Kaiser's prize for shooting, naval gunnery, that does not sound good! 😮😱😭🥶
😄😁😆🤣🤣🤣
The Kaiser was to blame for the British defeat for having a dame fine navy!
Thanks for your feedback.
👏👏👏
Thanks for watching.
The main guilt lays on the Admiralty that send 2nd class ships against more modern ones. Moreover, the RN hadn't fought anymore any powerful adversary after the end of Napoleonic wars, they had fought against the turks at Navarino, and some skirmishes against (the irony !) the russians, but mostly had fought against pirates and chinese ships, so they could'vent proved themselves as their Nelson's counterparts.
Thanks for your comments.
👍
Thank you.
It was of course Churchill's fault those men died. If you look at the admiralty communiques they were essentially driven to their deaths. When an Admiral says I cannot hope to beat them but I'm going to fight them it's the superior's job to say if you don't think you can beat them we will send exactly one modern battle cruiser (that were literally designed to destroy german raiders like this but instead were put into the home fleet battle line to disastrous results) to you so you can smash them.
Churchill was the worst tactical and strategic thinking leader that has a good reputation in all of history. Everything he touched was disaster. If you look back at the war strategies he wanted to implement but was not able to because he wasn't PM and was only at the admiralty and didn't run the cabinet they were horrible. He wanted to invade scandanvia in ww2 and the ships were already loaded with soldiers, I think in 1938 he had designs on entering the baltic with a gigantic fleet in ww2 and fight the germans there were air power would have left no british ship left floating. He wanted to invade Germany with an amphibious invasion in ww1. He wanted to personally lead a brigade in France in ww1. Singapore. Dieppe. Gallipoli. I may be wrong about this one but I also think he was of a mind to send spitfires to help France after they had essentially lost the Battle of France after Dunirk and was overruled by Arthur Harris who said over my dead body.
The embarrassing loss in Norway to the Germans who carried out amphibious operations to ports that were twice the distance from Germany as they were from his home fleet at Scapa Flow - Ironically Chamberlain was sacked for that and Churchill got promoted not for acumen but for his blind belligerence.
Even his big win ww2 sealed the fate of his cherished empire. Really one of the worst leaders in all history.
Interesting perspective. Thank you for taking the time to share.
I disagree. Churchill was a rogue, but a fighter. After Gallipoli, he wanted to lead a brigade, but he went as a battalion commander to France, before becomming Minister of Munitions in 1917.
RN has a long tradition of engaging superiour forces, and win. Nelson is probably the best known....
Churchill was the only to stand up against the Germans in 1939. Despite his shortcommings, he was the right man, at the right time History might have looked different if Halifax had become prime minister....
As for Norway, the Germans happened to come first. The British and French had plans to take Norwegian ports to "help Finland", but that war was over by then )Operation Wilfred). British forces were mainly territorials, while the Germans highly professional. Lacking winter equipment and AA, didn't help. On the other side, the Germans lost a large part of their navy at Narvik. This may have caused the delay, and cancellation of Operation Sealion, due to lack of escorts.
The biggest disapointment, was the British and French leaving the Norwegians to themselves, after the invasion of France. At Narvik, the Germans suffered their first defeat, and German troops were almost pushed into Sweden at Bjørnfjell.
So I think Churchill did more good, than bad,. He had great visions, but more sendible people held him back. His fixation on Norway, made the Germans keep up to 350 000 soldiers there. His idea of commando raids, kept the Germans on their toes. So as a political leader, he did a good job in keeping the people together....
@@Lassisvulgaris
👍👍👍
Many thanks.
was Craddock at fault for the loss at Coronel, yes, was it because he was a bad officer, no.. would running away have helped, no...the Germans needed coal and the high speed chase had cost them a lot of it that they could not replace, same counts for ammunition, also Scharnhorst and Gneisenau where faster then the old British cruisers.
if Craddock had run away and taken a loss, the Germans may have come to the Falklands where Canopus is beached so she can't be sunk but makes a great battery.
the 2 large armored cruisers could have stayed in port and just waited till it was clear what the Germans wanted, and then spring a surprise on them, only after THAT battle would reinforcements for craddock arrive.. and the Germans are by then in the Atlantic, sinking ships and trying to get home.. damaged but "alive".
Thanks for your interesting feedback.
Just for info it’s pronounced ‘Ching-dao’. Same as Qingdao which is a different English way of spelling the same place
Thanks for the feedback.
What a great waste of life and steel. better to run and live for glory another day.
The German ships were faster, and the situation was unclear....
I guess we will never know how that might have turned out.
We always find ourselves up a creek without dated equipment. Perpetual underdogs. Makes for great romantic stories. If you're not one of the poor service men expected to overturn the odds. I bet they tire of hearing these stories. 😂
England expects. Terrible waste of life this one.
There is a strong thread of this sort of planning (or lack of) in Britain's history.
Yup, we all know that the Spaniards whipped the English one year before the Spanish Armada and then again not long after😂. History is sometimes a bit convoluted. She said, I said, and then the truth.
Not quite sure what your point is but thanks for contributing.
Another great story. Thanks.
BTW, I am not fond of the "swirl cut" or whatever you call it. I'm afraid it will trigger a neurological attack, some kind of seizure. My medication usually prevents that but I do not expose myself to known risks. Have unsubbed for less.
Thanks for the feedback.
Lions led by donkeys.
Nothing has changed
Thank you for taking the time to comment.
Both Craddock and Churchill Share the Fault For Coronel.
Craddock paid With His Life.
Hindsight is always 20/20.....
Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
More proof that Churchill was an idiot completely out his depth.
I did pause when I came across his quote.
The thing about Churchill is he always had the self confidence to bounce back from his mistakes. They tended to be fatal for others.
Product of an aristocratic upbringing and education I suppose?
I doubt if Admiral Cradock's ships could have gotten away. The German ships were faster.
Thanks for watching and also for commenting.