A Concept Vindicated: the Battle of the Falkland Islands, 1914

Following the loss of Sir Christopher Craddock’s two armoured cruisers at the Battle of Coronel, the Admiralty dispatched two dreadnought battlecruisers to the South Atlantic to eliminate the threat of the German East Asia cruiser squadron under Viz Admiral Maximilian von Spee. The two key vessels, the I-class Invincible and Inflexible were amongst the first batch of battlecruisers to be completed and that were specifically designed for the task of hunting and killing smaller commerce raiders at any point around the globe. Under the command of Vice Admiral Doveton Sturdee, who as Chief of Staff had been largely responsible for the faulty force dispositions, the Invincibles, with support from smaller armoured cruisers, would engage and comprehensively defeat almost all of von Spee's squadron off the Falkland Islands, he on the 8 December 1914. This talk explains the events and consequences of the battle, along with some of the strategic and tactical lessons.

Members and non-members of The Western Front Association are equally welcome. Any new members are guaranteed a friendly atmosphere and a warm welcome from a group of like-minded enthusiasts