The Battle of the Falkland Islands 14

The Battle of the Falkland Islands 14

CHAPTER XI

 

THE BATTLE-CRUISER ACTION

 

"Are hell-gates burst at last? For the black deep

To windward burns with streaming crimson fires!

Over the wild strange waves, they shudder and creep

Nearer--strange smoke-wreathed masts and spare, red spires

And blazing hulks."

 

--ALFRED NOYES (_Drake_).

 

 

A few minutes after the German light-cruisers turned away to the

S.S.E. in accordance with his orders, Admiral Count von Spee,

apparently deciding to accept the inevitable, determined to try and

close so as to get into the effective range of his 8.2-inch guns.

With this intention, his two armoured cruisers turned in succession

about 80 degrees to port, which brought them into line-ahead with the

_Gneisenau_ leading, and then opened fire at 1.30 P.M. But he had

reckoned without his host, as this very obvious manœuvre did not at

all suit Admiral Sturdee's book, who was acting on the principle that

ammunition is cheaper than human life, and was resolved to fight at

his own chosen range. Our ships, therefore, eased speed to 24 knots,

and turned together away from the enemy to port, which brought them

at the same time into line-ahead with the flag ship _Invincible_ in

the van.

 

The two squadrons were on nearly parallel courses (_see_ facing page

79). The _Inflexible_ had checked fire for a while, but now reopened

on the _Scharnhorst_ at a range of 14,500 yards. Both the enemy ships

concentrated their fire on the _Invincible_ at this time, whilst ours

fired each at his opponent. The respective armaments are seen from

the following:

 

_Name_ _Tonnage_ _Armament_ _Speed_ _Completion_ _Armour_

_Belt_

 

_Invincible_ } 17,250 { 8--12" } 26 { 1909 7 to 4 in.

_Inflexible_ } { 16--4" } { 1908 7 to 4 in.

_Carnarvon_ 10,850 4--7.5" 22 1903 7 to 4 in.

6--6"

_Scharnhorst_} { 8--8.2" } { 23.5 1908 6 to 3 in.

} 11,420 { 6--5.9" } {

_Gneisenau_ } { 20--3.4" } { 23.8 1908 6 to 3 in.

 

Compiled from "Brassey's Naval Annual."

 

As Admiral Sturdee edged away and did not allow the range to get

below 13,500 yards, the fire of the Germans was not effective.

A gunnery officer stated that their fire control was efficient,

and that their salvoes, fired frequently, fell well together, the

spread being about 200 yards. They had been firing about ten minutes

when the _Scharnhorst_ went ahead and took the lead, so our ships

changed targets. For a short time both German ships now fired at the

_Inflexible_, but without result; soon afterwards they again honoured

the _Invincible_ with their attentions, and, getting the range,

scored their first hit about 1.45 P.M. The range was now increased,

spotting the fall of shot became more and more difficult, and finally

smoke interfered with our gunfire. At 2 P.M. the distance of the

enemy was 16,450 yards. Ten minutes later von Spee turned right away

and made a second attempt to escape, as he had been unable to get to

close quarters. We turned gradually after him, but as he continued

to turn away, in the words of Admiral Sturdee, "A second chase

ensued." All firing ceased, and there was an appreciable lull in the

proceedings.

 

Of the damage to the _Scharnhorst_ at this time no estimate can be

formed, but survivors from the _Gneisenau_ stated that they had three

direct hits, resulting in fifty men being killed and wounded. To the

uninitiated this may seem to be poor shooting; but the difficulty of

seeing clearly enough to make accurate corrections to the gunsights,

the extreme range, and the disturbing effect of the enemy's fire must

all be taken into account. Doubtless, too, there were several hits of

an insignificant nature on the upper works and rigging that were not

taken into account. It was impossible to tell at such a long range

whether we scored a hit unless a fire resulted.

 

The efficiency of the engine-room staff was now put to the test;

they nobly responded, with the result that our big ships attained a

greater speed than they had ever done before.

 

At this juncture a full-rigged sailing ship appeared on the port

hand of our battle-cruisers; she was painted white, and her sails

were shining as if bleached in the bright sunlight; with stunsails

and every stitch of canvas spread she sailed majestically along,

looking a perfect picture. So close was she that the Admiral was

forced to alter his course to pass a couple of miles clear of her, so

that the enemy's shell ricocheting should not hit her. Truly it must

have been a thrilling and dramatic moment for her to find herself

an involuntary witness of such a wonderful spectacle! Imagine her

consternation at being plunged suddenly into the middle of a red-hot

naval action between powerfully armed modern men-of-war, with shell

falling in the water quite close alongside.

 

The distance of the retreating enemy was rapidly decreasing, until

at 2.45 P.M. Admiral Sturdee gave the order to open fire at a range

of about 15,000 yards. Von Spee held on his course in the vain

hope, apparently, of drawing us on, so that by a sudden turn made

later he might "get to grips." Eight minutes afterwards the Germans

were forced to turn to port towards us, forming into line-ahead and

opening fire as soon as they came round. We hauled out once again

on to an almost parallel course. The range had appreciably dropped,

and was at one time under 12,000 yards. Things now became fast and

furious, shot and bursting shell were everywhere in the air, and

our 12-inch guns were doing terrible execution. "It was like hell

let loose," said a petty officer in the flagship, which was hit

several times. The German gunnery was not nearly as good as it had

been in the first phase of the engagement, whilst we had settled

down to business and were, on the whole, more accurate than before.

An officer in the _Inflexible_ remarked that at this time several

of the enemy's shell fell between our two ships and that as his

ship approached these yellow-green patches, he wondered whether the

debatable maxim that no two projectiles ever hit the same spot would

prove accurate.

 

The _Scharnhorst_ was badly hit at 3 P.M., starting a fire forward,

but she continued to blaze away; the _Gneisenau_ also bore signs

of the severe treatment she had received from the _Inflexible_. The

_Invincible_ now met with some damage, and suffered by far the most

as the enemy's fire was naturally concentrated on her. The wind

had increased, and was blowing the smoke across the guns, impeding

our gunners, and the _Carnarvon_ was coming up astern, so at 3.18

Admiral Sturdee executed a sudden manœuvre by putting his helm

over to starboard, turning completely around, and crossing his own

track so as to steer roughly S.W.; this put the enemy completely

off the range, and also forced him five minutes later on to a

parallel course, in order to avoid the alternative of being raked

fore and aft. As both our ships had altered course together, their

respective positions became reversed--the _Inflexible_ leading--and

they presented their port sides to the enemy (_see_ facing p. 79).

The _Carnarvon_ cut the corner and came up on the off side of the

battle-cruisers, in accordance with Admiral Sturdee's orders,

as her guns were useless at ranges exceeding 12,000 yards. The

_Scharnhorst_, who had already had a bad hammering from the flagship,

was now subjected to the concentrated fire of our two big ships for

a very short time, during which the _Gneisenau_ was lost sight of

in her consort's smoke. At 3.30 P.M. the _Scharnhorst's_ fire had

slackened perceptibly, and one shell had shot away her third funnel.

 

The _Invincible_ now engaged the _Gneisenau_, who was not nearly so

badly damaged and was firing all her guns. In fact, all ships were at

it as hard as they could go, but the _Inflexible_ came off lightly on

account of the plight of her opponent. The noise was indescribable,

shell were hurtling through the rigging; when one actually struck

and burst, the whole ship quivered and staggered, while the crash

of steel plates falling, and splinters of shell striking the upper

works, sounded like hundreds of empty tins being hurled against one

another.

 

The _Scharnhorst_ was clearly in a very bad way, and looked, as

she was, a perfect wreck. Masses of steel were twisted and torn as

if growing out in all directions like the roots of a tree, clouds

of steam were going up sky high, and she was blazing fore and aft.

The Admiral says, "At times a shell would cause a large hole to

appear in her side, through which could be seen a dull red glow of

flame." She was 14,000 yards distant. Up till quite near the end,

however, she continued to fire in salvos, her starboard guns having

only been in action since the last turn was made. At 3.56 P.M. the

Commander-in-Chief decided to close in and give her the _coup de

grace_, which enabled the Carnarvon to get into action and open fire

for the first time. By 4 P.M. both the _Scharnhorst's_ masts, as well

as her three funnels, were shot away, and she was listing heavily to

port. She struggled on hopelessly and went over more and more, until

at 4.10 P.M. she was on her beam ends. For seven minutes she remained

in this position, her screws still going round, and then suddenly

sank like a stone, with her flag still flying.

 

Shortly before the German flagship sank, our ships checked fire and

then opened on the _Gneisenau_. It will be seen from the plan of

the action that at the time the _Invincible_ turned two complete

circles in a sort of figure of eight, the _Gneisenau_ hesitated for

a minute or two as to whether she should stand by her consort to save

life. Under the impression, apparently, that our flagship, which had

turned towards the _Scharnhorst_, was about to pick up survivors, the

_Gneisenau_ passed on the far side of the sinking ship and opened a

heavy and well-directed fire on the _Inflexible_. We were now three

against one, who was, nevertheless, determined to sell herself as

dearly as possible. It was a gallant attempt.

 

The distance was fortunately too great to see clearly the wretched

survivors of the _Scharnhorst_ left struggling hopelessly against

their fate, but it brought the dark side of war very vividly into

notice for the first time. A quarter of an hour after she sank the

_Carnarvon_ passed over the exact spot, but neither survivors nor