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| Vice Admiral Graf von Spee's Report |
Wind and swell were head on and the vessels had heavy going, especially
the small cruisers on both sides. Observation and distance estimation
were under a severe handicap because of the seas which washed over
the bridges. The swell was so great that it obscured the aim of the
gunners at the six inch guns on the middle deck, who could not see
the sterns of the enemy ships at all and the bow but seldom. At 6.20
p.m., at a distance of 13,400 yards, I turned one point toward the
enemy, and at 6.34 opened fire at a distance of 11,260 yards. The
guns of both our armoured cruisers were effective, and by 6.39 already
we could note the first hit on the Good Hope. I at once resumed a
parallel course instead of bearing slightly toward the enemy.
The English opened their fire at this time. I assume that the heavy
sea made more trouble for them than it did for us. Their two armoured
cruisers remained covered by our fire, while they, so far as could
be determined, hit the Scharnhorst but twice and the Gneisenau only
four times.
At 6.53, when 6,500 yards apart, I ordered a course one point away
from the enemy. They were firing more slowly at this time, while we
were able to count numerous hits. We could see, among other things,
that the top of the Monmouth's forward turret had been shot away and
that a violent fire was burning in the turret. The Scharnhorst, it
is thought, hit the Good Hope about thirty-five times.
In spite of our altered course the English changed theirs sufficiently
so that the distance between us shrunk to 5,300 yards. There was reason
to suspect that the enemy despaired of using his artillery effectively
and was manoeuvring for a torpedo attack. The position of the moon,
which had risen at 6 o'clock, was favourable to this move. Accordingly,
I gradually opened up further distance between the squadrons by another
deflection of the leading ship at 7.45. In the meantime it had grown
dark. The range-finder on the Scharnhorst used the fire on the Monmouth
as a guide for a time, though eventually all range-finding, aiming,
and observation became so inexact that firing was stopped at 7.26.
At 7.23 a column of fire from an explosion was noticed between the
stacks of the Good Hope. The Monmouth apparently stopped firing at
7.20. The small cruisers, including the Nürnberg, received by
wireless at 7.30 the order to follow the enemy and to attack his ships
with torpedoes. Vision was somewhat obscured at this time by a rain
squall. The light cruisers were not able to find the Good Hope, but
the Nürnberg encountered the Monmouth, and at 8.58 was able by
shots at closest range to capsize her without a single shot being
fired in return. Rescue work in the heavy sea was not to be thought
of; especially as the Nürnberg immediately afterward believed
she had sighted the smoke of another ship and had to prepare for a
new attack.
The small cruisers had neither losses nor damage in the battle. On
the Gneisenau there were two men slightly wounded. The crews of the
ships went into the fight with enthusiasm; every one did his duty
and played his part in the victory. |
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