The Battle of the Falkland Islands from the logs of nine ships

[Randi]

This post marks the start of the first of three merged threads concerning the Battle of the Falkland Islands.
This is a multi-viewpoint description of history that I have never before seen.
I've put the JPEG links to all the posts in a reply here near the end, and repeat it here.
To give context, I included December 7th, 8th, 9th, and 10th for all ships.

Janet Jaguar

HMS Bristol
http://oldweather.s3.amazonaws.com/ADM5 ... -092_1.jpg
http://oldweather.s3.amazonaws.com/ADM5 ... -093_0.jpg
http://oldweather.s3.amazonaws.com/ADM5 ... -093_1.jpg
http://oldweather.s3.amazonaws.com/ADM5 ... -094_0.jpg

HMS Canopus
http://oldweather.s3.amazonaws.com/ADM% ... -050_0.jpg
http://oldweather.s3.amazonaws.com/ADM% ... -050_1.jpg
http://oldweather.s3.amazonaws.com/ADM% ... -051_0.jpg
http://oldweather.s3.amazonaws.com/ADM% ... -051_1.jpg

HMS Carnarvon
http://oldweather.s3.amazonaws.com/ADM5 ... -090_1.jpg
http://oldweather.s3.amazonaws.com/ADM5 ... -091_0.jpg
http://oldweather.s3.amazonaws.com/ADM5 ... -092_1.jpg
http://oldweather.s3.amazonaws.com/ADM5 ... -093_0.jpg
with 2 page letter describing it:
http://oldweather.s3.amazonaws.com/ADM5 ... -091_1.jpg
http://oldweather.s3.amazonaws.com/ADM5 ... -092_0.jpg

HMS Cornwall
http://oldweather.s3.amazonaws.com/ADM5 ... 0181_0.jpg
http://oldweather.s3.amazonaws.com/ADM5 ... 0181_1.jpg
http://oldweather.s3.amazonaws.com/ADM5 ... 0182_0.jpg
http://oldweather.s3.amazonaws.com/ADM5 ... 0182_1.jpg

HMS Glasgow
http://s3.amazonaws.com/oldweather/ADM5 ... -120_0.jpg
http://s3.amazonaws.com/oldweather/ADM5 ... -120_1.jpg
http://s3.amazonaws.com/oldweather/ADM5 ... -121_0.jpg
http://s3.amazonaws.com/oldweather/ADM5 ... -121_1.jpg

HMS Inflexible
http://oldweather.s3.amazonaws.com/ADM5 ... -032_1.jpg
http://oldweather.s3.amazonaws.com/ADM5 ... -033_0.jpg
http://oldweather.s3.amazonaws.com/ADM5 ... -037_1.jpg
http://oldweather.s3.amazonaws.com/ADM5 ... -038_0.jpg
with 4 page letter describing it:
http://oldweather.s3.amazonaws.com/ADM5 ... -033_1.jpg
http://oldweather.s3.amazonaws.com/ADM5 ... -034_1.jpg
http://oldweather.s3.amazonaws.com/ADM5 ... -035_1.jpg
http://oldweather.s3.amazonaws.com/ADM5 ... -036_1.jpg

HMS Invincible
http://oldweather.s3.amazonaws.com/ADM5 ... -069_0.jpg
http://oldweather.s3.amazonaws.com/ADM5 ... -070_1.jpg
http://oldweather.s3.amazonaws.com/ADM5 ... -071_0.jpg
http://oldweather.s3.amazonaws.com/ADM5 ... -071_1.jpg

HMS Kent
http://oldweather.s3.amazonaws.com/ADM_ ... -042_1.jpg
http://oldweather.s3.amazonaws.com/ADM_ ... -043_0.jpg
http://oldweather.s3.amazonaws.com/ADM_ ... -043_1.jpg
http://oldweather.s3.amazonaws.com/ADM_ ... -044_0.jpg

HMS Macedonia
http://oldweather.s3.amazonaws.com/ADM_ ... -006_1.jpg
http://oldweather.s3.amazonaws.com/ADM_ ... -007_0.jpg
http://oldweather.s3.amazonaws.com/ADM_ ... -007_1.jpg
http://oldweather.s3.amazonaws.com/ADM_ ... -008_0.jpg

BATTLE OF THE FALKLANDS 1914 - Admiral of the Fleet Lord Fisher's fascinating summary of the results if German Admiral von Spee's fleet had escaped destruction
(Fisher sent down the two battlecruisers that caught von Spee);
1. We should have had no munitions - our nitrate came from Chili.
2. We should have lost the Pacific - the Falkland Islands would have been another Heligoland and a submarine base.
3. Von Spee had German reservists, picked up on the Pacific Coast, on board, to man the fortifications to be erected on the Falkland Islands.
4. He would have proceeded to the Cape of Good Hope and massacred our Squadron there, as he had massacred Cradock and his Squadron.
5. General Botha and his vast fleet of transports proceeding to the conquest of German South-West Africa would have been destroyed.
6. Africa under Hertzog would have become German.
7. Von Spee, distributing his Squadron on every Ocean, would have exterminated British Trade.

Philip's blog on the first discovery is interesting, written when only one ship's log had been discovered.

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Return to original post:

Been captain of HMS Invincible from the start. Tootled about the North Sea for a bit, lobbed a shell or two at the bosch at Heligoland Bight and then headed off to the south atlantic to give Admiral von Spee a taste of British Steel! They don't like it up 'em!

Got 2/3 of the way there, transcribing logs through to late November 1914, and this morning I logged on and was presented with a log from January 1915! I was really looking forward to reading the logs from that battle and some mutinous young upstart beat me to it!

Just a tad frustrating

Feel better now though, thanks

[Randi]

For the benefit of those crew members who managed to sleep through the action, you can find that log page at http://oldweather.s3.amazonaws.com/ADM5 ... -070_1.jpg .

I'm particularly taken with the Invincible's record of that day, so there's even a blog post about it http://blogs.zooniverse.org/oldweather/ ... -atlantic/

[Randi]

Err, sorry eastevenson, that may or may not have been me... ::)

And thanks for the link to that blog page philip


As oldweather won't let me back on the Invincible, I'm assuming I have logged all the pages - so have jumped over to Inflexible to hear the tales from Invincible's twin At the entries to 8th/9th December, a 4 page letter has been enclosed ...

http://oldweather.s3.amazonaws.com/ADM5 ... -033_0.jpg

http://oldweather.s3.amazonaws.com/ADM5 ... -033_1.jpg
http://oldweather.s3.amazonaws.com/ADM5 ... -034_1.jpg
http://oldweather.s3.amazonaws.com/ADM5 ... -035_1.jpg
http://oldweather.s3.amazonaws.com/ADM5 ... -036_1.jpg


Reading these alongside the other pages/blogs/wiki entries makes for quite a tale!

P.S. The handwriting on Inflexible is sooo much more legible

[Randi]

Just finished transcribing the HMS Kent's log pages for the battle of the Falkland Islands:

http://oldweather.s3.amazonaws.com/ADM_ ... -042_1.jpg
http://oldweather.s3.amazonaws.com/ADM_ ... -043_0.jpg
http://oldweather.s3.amazonaws.com/ADM_ ... -043_1.jpg

As you can imagine it took quite some time and I could not have done it without the help of this site as a reference:

http://www.firstworldwar.com/battles/fa ... slands.htm

John Dulak

[Randi]

I don't think the Battle of the Falkland Islands as seen from HMS Carnarvon has been posted to the Forum before. It is spread over a number of scanned pages (so I will cross-ref to "If you find letters & other misc ...) even though it all took place on 8 December 1914:

http://oldweather.s3.amazonaws.com/ADM5 ... -091_0.jpg
http://oldweather.s3.amazonaws.com/ADM5 ... -091_1.jpg
http://oldweather.s3.amazonaws.com/ADM5 ... -092_0.jpg
http://oldweather.s3.amazonaws.com/ADM5 ... -092_1.jpg

However, I have attempted to collate the story together (leaving out most of the "altered course" entries):

8 December 1914

AM

7.30 Enemy reported approaching from the South'd

8.45 Kent proceeded

9.17 Canopus fired 1 12" gun

9.50 Weighed

9.54 Enemy (Gneisenau & Dresden) a/c to South

10.1 Proceeded Course & speed as req followed by Inflexible, Invincible & Cornwall

10.32 Seal Rocks S20E Enemy in 2 Divisions

10.32 Gneisenau & Dresden bearing S48E (Scharnhorst, Nuremberg & Leipzig bearing S35E)

10.44 Invincible passed on Starbd side

10.48 Inflexible passed on Port side

10.52 Bristol leaving Harbour

11.0 working up to Full power

11.19 Cornwall took station on Starbd Quarter

11.39 Gneisenau bore S54.5E Scharnhorst S51.5E

11.43 Bristol ordered to take Macedonia & destroy transports

PM

0.5 Cornwall ordered to proceed ahead of Carnarvon

12.30 Invincible ahead 6.25 miles Gneisenau S56E

12.57 Inflexible opened fire

1.3 Invincible opened fire

1.22 Enemy light cruisers Dresden, Nuremberg & Leipzig a/c to WSW'd

1.33 Scharnhorst & Gneisenau opened fire

1.35 Cornwall, Kent & Glasgow ordered to chase Enemy Light Cruisers

1.40 Range of Gneisenau 27,500 yds

2.3 Both sides ceased firing

2.4 Invincible & Inflexible a/c together to Starbd to SE'd

2.25 Enemy a/c South bearing S35E 24,000 yds

2.49 Inflexible opened fire

2.50 Invincible opened fire

3.0 Scharnhorst S36E 28,800 yds Invincible S60E

3.20 Battle Cruisers a/c to Port together

4.9 Enemy N70E 12,900 yds

4.13 Enemy N70E

4.15.5 Opened Fire

4.17.5 Scharnhorst turned over & sunk bow first. Cease Fire.

4.15 Gneisenau 13,700 yds

4.45 Gneisenau 11.400 yds

4.46 Opened Fire on the Gneisenau

5.5 Gneisenau Foremost Funnel down(?)

5.25 Enemy ~ list

5.45 Ceased Firing

5.49 Gneisenau banked(?) down ~ ~ ~ a/c to close ditto

5.59 Gneisenau sunk

6.1 Stopped lowered boats to pick up survivors

7.30 Hoisted boats

7.40 Proceeded with Invincible abreast

7.40 Proceeded 74 revs S56W with Invincible & Inflexible

7.46 Inc 114 revs to take station 1 mile on Starb beam of Invincible

9.15 A/c S27W Parted company

If anyone can decipher those 5.25 & 5.49 pm entries (helpfully across two pages!) please do! But I'm tired, my blood sugar's dropping and the cats want their supper - so I'm calling it a day!

[Randi]

cool.

Same battle from HMS Canopus:

http://oldweather.s3.amazonaws.com/ADM% ... -050_0.jpg

http://oldweather.s3.amazonaws.com/ADM% ... -050_1.jpg
http://oldweather.s3.amazonaws.com/ADM% ... -051_0.jpg
http://oldweather.s3.amazonaws.com/ADM% ... -051_1.jpg

8th December

7/30 Unknown warships sighted to southward
8/00 -
8/20 Action
Cruisers verified as German squadron
9/19 Opened fire fire & aft 12" turrets on Gneisenau & Nurmberg.
9/30 Ceased fire. Enemy retreated.
10/00-11/00 Fleet put to sea


6/30 W/T signal "Scharnhorst" & "Gneisenau" sunk


The Carnarvon account is more complete, though notice very slight discrepancy in the timing of Canopus firing and the number of guns.

Does the Inflexible log cover this battle? That ship seemed to get mixed up in just about everything - Falklands, Dardanelles, Jutland... not a good boat for a sailor wanting a quiet life.

[Randi]

Very good transcription of that battle Thursdaynext.

Canopus's report also interesting Press-Ganged.

I posted in a topic named HMS Bristol the action taken by her. I repost it here.

http://oldweather.s3.amazonaws.com/ADM5 ... -093_0.jpg
http://oldweather.s3.amazonaws.com/ADM5 ... -093_1.jpg

HMS Bristol did not participate in the main action but also had her part.

8.00 Stopped Coaling. German cruisers reported by shore station
8.30 Enemy approaching from S.E. "Gneisenau"&"Nuremberg" - Smoke of Leipzig, Dresden & Sharnhorst on horizon.
9.5 Kent, Cornwall, Carnarvon under weigh in Port Williams
9.17 Canopus fired at Enemy from Port Stanley Hbr.
9.25 Glasgow under weigh - Gneisenau & Nuremberg steaming away to rejoin German squadron.
10.0 Invincible & Inflexible under weigh in Port Williams
10.35 Weighed & proceeded. Shore Ston report Enemy's transports off Pt Pleasant
11.45 Ordered by Nav to join Macedonia & destroy Enemy's transports. British Squadron then E'S
12.30 a/c South Macedonia in company
2.8 Sighted smoke of 2 steamers on P. Bow
3.30 Stopped Fired 2 rounds fore 6" & ordered steamers to stop. Santa Isabel & Baden German Colliers. Crew ordered to abandon Ship. German crew transffered to Macedonia. Macedonia sunk Baden Bristol sunk Sta Isabel 52:30'S 57.0W
7.0 Proceeded co East 165 rev. Macedonia ordered to remain till Colliers sunk & proceed to P. Stanley with crews.

I hope that some one from the other ships having participated in this Battle will post their account.

[Randi]

http://oldweather.s3.amazonaws.com/ADM_ ... -007_0.jpg

This is the Macedonia's log page, which had been posted elsewhere on the Forum.

The relevant pages from the Kent have also been posted here:
http://forum.oldweather.org/index.php?t ... 57#msg9157

[Randi]

To complete the events of that day as seen from our ships I made some research and I found this:

The account from Inflexible has been posted in http://forum.oldweather.org/index.php?t ... 52#msg1752

It is a very precise minute from the events on that day.

The records from Invincible are also in that topic. you'll have to scroll up a bit.

H.M.S. Glasgow is not in the list of our ships. I hope we will get her and I think, if she is in the new list, that there will be a race to be the first three to transcribe that particular day.

[Randi]

Here we go (though the handwriting is quite tough):
http://oldweather.s3.amazonaws.com/ADM_ ... -007_0.jpg

9.30 Enemy's ships sighted & reported by Flagship
Fleet ordered to weigh
8.45 anchor weighed and proceeded to anchorage inside the mine field
9.55 anchored with entrance to Port Stanley SSE
10.30 fleet proceeded to sea and eastwards, 11.5 Bristol left harbour
11.30 Three merchant ships reported off Point Pleasand
weighed and proceeded to sea
0.20 ordered to close on HMS Bristol courses as requisite Full Speed. 17 knots
2.20 Observed smoke to SE
a/c S80E & gave chase
3.20 "Aelion" two colliers ordered "to stop of we would fire"
4.30 Eased engines
4.37 "~" captured SS. Baden. "HMS Bristol" the Santa Isabel all prisoners put on board "Macedonia" & both prizes fired at from short range. 500 yards.
5.40 Opened fire on SS "Baden"
7.52 "Baden" sank
8.0 I M Bristol steamed ENE (M), Macedonia standing by until "Santa Isabel" disappeared, we fired 8 shots into "Santa Isabel" to hasten her despatch.
8.15 opened fire on "Santa Isabel"
8.30 shipped flag off the prize
9.20 "Santa Isabel" sank. / 9.30 "Santa Isabel" sank
Course + speed for Port Stanley.

[Randi]

My wish had come true: We received H.M.S. Glasgow's logs.

Here is her Account of that battle.

The day begins with loosing some material:

Lost by accident. Guard Brass 2. Sinkers 2 Swinds. Rope. S.W.G.~1 Stray lines 2

Than:
8.45 Lit fired in A 1. 2. 3 &4. C1. 2. 3. &4. German men of war sighted from Sappershall

8.0 Canopus opened fire.

IX.30 Weighed. Proceeded as reqte 200 revs

XI.51 400 Revs. Took station 2' on port beam of invincible.

XII. 51 Battle cruisers opened fire.

I.20 Scharnhorst & Gneisenau opened fire.

I 23 Turned to port under Stern of Invincible & ahead Leipzic.

III.0 Opened fire & engaged Leipzic with 6" guns.

Kent & Cornwall 4' on Starb. quarter.

IV.9 Opened fire with ~ guns.

IV.27 Turned 16 pts to starb. Ceased fire (E 25') turned under Cornwalls stern & came up on port quarter of Leipzig. Cornwall opened fire.

V.30 Opened fire with 6" guns & continued action with all guns.

VII.45 Leipzic ceased fire. Badly on fire.

8.0 Ceased firing.

IX.0 Lowered boats to pick up survivors. Leipzic sank.

Killed in action. Edwin Henry Martell Sto Po O.N. 310682. 7 wounded.


http://s3.amazonaws.com/oldweather/ADM5 ... -120_1.jpg

[Randi]

...I hope that some one from H.M.S. Cornwall remembers having transcribed that day.

I checked and did not find any post or her page in the forum.

The book's complete title is :

The battle of the falkland Islands 1914 by H.Spencer-Cooper.

I'm not into transcribing battles, but Cornwall is in the completed fleet we can all read. The pages from 7th, 8th and 9th December 1914 are:
http://oldweather.s3.amazonaws.com/ADM5 ... 0181_0.jpg
http://oldweather.s3.amazonaws.com/ADM5 ... 0181_1.jpg
http://oldweather.s3.amazonaws.com/ADM5 ... 0182_0.jpg (discharged prisoners, met Glasgow)

Just for future readers to not have to link to other threads:

HMS Inflexible gave us her daily log plus a 4 page letter describing it in detail:
http://oldweather.s3.amazonaws.com/ADM5 ... -033_0.jpg

http://oldweather.s3.amazonaws.com/ADM5 ... -033_1.jpg
http://oldweather.s3.amazonaws.com/ADM5 ... -034_1.jpg
http://oldweather.s3.amazonaws.com/ADM5 ... -035_1.jpg
http://oldweather.s3.amazonaws.com/ADM5 ... -036_1.jpg

HMS Invincible
http://oldweather.s3.amazonaws.com/ADM5 ... -070_1.jpg

[Randi]

That is quite wonderful.

What a team.

Thank you

Gordon

[Randi]

Look at what Gordon gave to us. ;D

http://www.naval-history.net/WW1Battle1412Falklands.htm
http://www.naval-history.net/WW1Battle1 ... .htm#links

[Caro]

Centenary blog from December 8, 2014:
https://blog.oldweather.org/2014/12/08/ ... d-islands/