Battle of the Falkland Islands

battle_name=Battle of the Falkland Islands

Background

Fresh from his success at the Battle of Coronel, off the coast of Chile, where the German force outgunned the British, sinking Admiral Cradock's flagship in the process, Admiral Graf Maximilian von Spee's German East Asia Squadron - whose primary target was merchant and troop shipping in the South Atlantic - sped towards Stanley in the Falkland Islands. His intention was to raid the British radio station and coaling depot there.

Related Topics:
Battle of Coronel - Chile - Admiral Cradock - Maximilian von Spee - German East Asia Squadron - Stanley - Falkland Islands

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Unknown to Spee however, a British squadron, including two fast, modern battle cruisers, HMS Invincible and HMS Inflexible, were at that same time coaling at Stanley. They had been sent by the First Sea Lord, Admiral Lord Fisher, to avenge the British defeat at Coronel.

Related Topics:
HMS ''Invincible'' - HMS ''Inflexible'' - Lord Fisher

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The British battlecruisers mounted eight 12-inch guns apiece, whereas Spee's SMS Scharnhorst and SMS Gneisenau each had 8.2-inch guns. The British battlecruisers were therefore significantly more powerful than Spee's - and Invincible and Inflexible were accompanied at Stanley by five other cruisers, under the command of Vice Admiral Sturdee. These were the armoured cruisers HMS Carnarvon, HMS Cornwall and HMS Kent; two light cruisers, HMS Bristol and HMS Glasgow. An old battleship, HMS Canopus, had been grounded at Stanley to give a stable gunnery platform and act as a make-shift fortress.

Related Topics:
SMS ''Scharnhorst'' - SMS ''Gneisenau'' - Stanley - Vice Admiral Sturdee - HMS ''Carnarvon'' - HMS ''Cornwall'' - HMS ''Kent'' - HMS ''Bristol'' - HMS ''Glasgow'' - HMS ''Canopus''

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