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Coronel and Falkland
1914.Britain’s Naval supremacy is being challenged for the first time since Trafalgar.
At large in South American waters within reach of the convoy routes across the Atlantic and the Pacific was Vice-Admiral Graf von Spee with the East Asiatic Cruiser Squadron of the Imperial German Navy, including the armoured cruisers Scharnhorst and Gneisenau.
Graf von Spee’s belief that a cruiser squadron was of more strategic value than independent raiders seemed amply justified at Coronel on 1st November, when the powerful German unit inflicted a heavy defeat on four courageous but weaker British ships under Rear-Admiral Sir Christopher Cradock.
Reaction in Britain was immediate and violent.
The Royal Navy had been seen as invincible.
Now, in the first major engagement in which battle had been offered since the days of Nelson, it had suffered a morale-shattering blow. Public bewilderment turned swiftly to the Royal Navy thirsted for revenge.
The Admiralty, in the persons of the First Lord, Mr. Winston Churchill, and the First Sea Lord, Lord Fisher, ordered the destruction of the East Asiatic Squadron; everything must be done to recapture command of the Southern Seas.
A powerful force including the two battle-cruisers Invincible and Inflexible, was sent to the Falkland Islands, prepared for a long search and a battle of annihilation.
The Battle of the Falkland Islands was fought on 8th December. The desperate gallantry of the Imperial German Navy challenged the vengeful pride of the Royal Navy in a struggle for control over the ocean trade-routes of the Southern Seas.
Two of the major participants, Cradock and von Spee, died with their ships.
Basing his text upon German and British records, Pitt has reconstructed the events of the two ‘missing periods’: the fatal hours during which Cradock decided to fling his puny force against von Spee’s squadron; and the days when von Spee was forced to risk his ships and men upon the information contained in an ill-considered telegram and an unfounded rumour.
In Coronel and Falkland Barrie Pitt presents a vivid picture of these epic battles of the First World War. His description of the actions are precise and graphic, his judgement of the motives and decisions of those in command, scrupulous and detailed.
Praise for Zeebrugge
“Mr. Barrie Pitt has done a splendid job in pulling together all the details of this operation and presenting it in a lively way, with plenty of maps and diagrams.” — News Chronicle
“A breathless and unforgettable narrative.” — Sphere
“Mr. Pitt’s description of the desperate action on Zeebrugge Mole itself must be one of the most graphic accounts ever written in the annals of sea warfare. This in truth was a magnificent feat by the Royal Navy.” — Yorkshire Evening Post
“A lively and detailed narrative, admirably illustrated, of a particularly gallant effort, which will serve to keep alive the fame of that band of heroes.” — Naval Review
Praise for Special Boat Squadron
‘Barrie Pitt’s account of the exploits of these brave men in the Mediterranean is as much a thriller as a history book’ - The Daily Mail, Hull (less)
At large in South American waters within reach of the convoy routes across the Atlantic and the Pacific was Vice-Admiral Graf von Spee with the East Asiatic Cruiser Squadron of the Imperial German Navy, including the armoured cruisers Scharnhorst and Gneisenau.
Graf von Spee’s belief that a cruiser squadron was of more strategic value than independent raiders seemed amply justified at Coronel on 1st November, when the powerful German unit inflicted a heavy defeat on four courageous but weaker British ships under Rear-Admiral Sir Christopher Cradock.
Reaction in Britain was immediate and violent.
The Royal Navy had been seen as invincible.
Now, in the first major engagement in which battle had been offered since the days of Nelson, it had suffered a morale-shattering blow. Public bewilderment turned swiftly to the Royal Navy thirsted for revenge.
The Admiralty, in the persons of the First Lord, Mr. Winston Churchill, and the First Sea Lord, Lord Fisher, ordered the destruction of the East Asiatic Squadron; everything must be done to recapture command of the Southern Seas.
A powerful force including the two battle-cruisers Invincible and Inflexible, was sent to the Falkland Islands, prepared for a long search and a battle of annihilation.
The Battle of the Falkland Islands was fought on 8th December. The desperate gallantry of the Imperial German Navy challenged the vengeful pride of the Royal Navy in a struggle for control over the ocean trade-routes of the Southern Seas.
Two of the major participants, Cradock and von Spee, died with their ships.
Basing his text upon German and British records, Pitt has reconstructed the events of the two ‘missing periods’: the fatal hours during which Cradock decided to fling his puny force against von Spee’s squadron; and the days when von Spee was forced to risk his ships and men upon the information contained in an ill-considered telegram and an unfounded rumour.
In Coronel and Falkland Barrie Pitt presents a vivid picture of these epic battles of the First World War. His description of the actions are precise and graphic, his judgement of the motives and decisions of those in command, scrupulous and detailed.
Praise for Zeebrugge
“Mr. Barrie Pitt has done a splendid job in pulling together all the details of this operation and presenting it in a lively way, with plenty of maps and diagrams.” — News Chronicle
“A breathless and unforgettable narrative.” — Sphere
“Mr. Pitt’s description of the desperate action on Zeebrugge Mole itself must be one of the most graphic accounts ever written in the annals of sea warfare. This in truth was a magnificent feat by the Royal Navy.” — Yorkshire Evening Post
“A lively and detailed narrative, admirably illustrated, of a particularly gallant effort, which will serve to keep alive the fame of that band of heroes.” — Naval Review
Praise for Special Boat Squadron
‘Barrie Pitt’s account of the exploits of these brave men in the Mediterranean is as much a thriller as a history book’ - The Daily Mail, Hull (less)
215 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 1, 1960
43 people are currently reading
58 people want to read
About the author
Barrie Pitt
160 books7 followersBarrie William Edward Pitt was educated at Portsmouth Southern Grammar School before becoming a bank clerk. After service in the Second World War Pitt worked as a surveyor, joined 21 SAS (TA), with whom he rose to the rank of sergeant, and started to write for the magazine Adventure. Pitt also worked for a time as an information officer at the Atomic Energy Authority establishment at Aldermaston, where he demonstrated a talent for turning scientific information into readable prose
In 1958, Pitt wrote a novel, The Edge of Battle, and Zeebrugge, an admired account of the First World War raid on the Belgian U-boat base. This led to a long and prolific career as an author and editor of popular histories. Under the overall editorship of Sir Basil Liddell-Hart, he was responsible for the first major part-work, Purnell's History of the Second World War, a 96-instalment mass circulation series which was launched in 1966 at the Imperial War Museum. He also worked as a researcher for the 1960s BBC television series The Great War.
In 1958, Pitt wrote a novel, The Edge of Battle, and Zeebrugge, an admired account of the First World War raid on the Belgian U-boat base. This led to a long and prolific career as an author and editor of popular histories. Under the overall editorship of Sir Basil Liddell-Hart, he was responsible for the first major part-work, Purnell's History of the Second World War, a 96-instalment mass circulation series which was launched in 1966 at the Imperial War Museum. He also worked as a researcher for the 1960s BBC television series The Great War.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
November 22, 2020
I noticed that during the initial lockdown in March to May of this year, Amazon’s UK site offered a lot of Kindle books at heavy discounts. I don’t know if this was part of a policy to promote Kindle books to people who couldn’t get out to libraries and bookshops, but anyway I took advantage to download some books I wouldn’t otherwise have. This was one of them.
It turned out to be unexpectedly good. I hadn’t that many hopes of what seemed a shortish and obscure 1960 book about two largely forgotten naval battles, but it proved to be a well-written and quite dramatic account. It probably helped that before starting I hadn’t known much more than that Coronel had been a German victory and Falkland had been a British one. I was unaware of the fate of the individual ships prior to reading the book.
There’s no messing around with this author. There’s a 5-page introduction and then we’re pretty much straight into the Battle of Coronel. The two battles were about a month apart and the last few chapters cover the clash off the Falkland Isles. The middle section is taken up with the manoeuvring of both forces in the intervening period. The narrative is excellent, although there is also analysis as to why the battles happened. Both were completely one-sided, and basically occurred because the losing admirals had been unaware of the power of the force opposing them. One thing that comes through clearly is that the courage and skill of the crews on both sides meant nothing when they faced enemy ships that were faster and had bigger guns.
This book is very much one that pays tribute to the courage of the sailors on both sides. I suppose we would call it old-fashioned nowadays. The author expresses regret that the name of the German Admiral, Graf von Spee, is now best known as the name of a ship that was scuttled in the River Plate in 1939, an association the author regards as unworthy of the man himself. The contemporary accounts also reveal how the officers on both sides held “chivalric” attitudes towards one another. Only a few months into the war, they still regarded enemy officers as fellow seamen and men of honour.
A relatively narrow subject matter, but if you are looking for a book that describes and analyses these two battles, I doubt you could do much better.
It turned out to be unexpectedly good. I hadn’t that many hopes of what seemed a shortish and obscure 1960 book about two largely forgotten naval battles, but it proved to be a well-written and quite dramatic account. It probably helped that before starting I hadn’t known much more than that Coronel had been a German victory and Falkland had been a British one. I was unaware of the fate of the individual ships prior to reading the book.
There’s no messing around with this author. There’s a 5-page introduction and then we’re pretty much straight into the Battle of Coronel. The two battles were about a month apart and the last few chapters cover the clash off the Falkland Isles. The middle section is taken up with the manoeuvring of both forces in the intervening period. The narrative is excellent, although there is also analysis as to why the battles happened. Both were completely one-sided, and basically occurred because the losing admirals had been unaware of the power of the force opposing them. One thing that comes through clearly is that the courage and skill of the crews on both sides meant nothing when they faced enemy ships that were faster and had bigger guns.
This book is very much one that pays tribute to the courage of the sailors on both sides. I suppose we would call it old-fashioned nowadays. The author expresses regret that the name of the German Admiral, Graf von Spee, is now best known as the name of a ship that was scuttled in the River Plate in 1939, an association the author regards as unworthy of the man himself. The contemporary accounts also reveal how the officers on both sides held “chivalric” attitudes towards one another. Only a few months into the war, they still regarded enemy officers as fellow seamen and men of honour.
A relatively narrow subject matter, but if you are looking for a book that describes and analyses these two battles, I doubt you could do much better.
September 6, 2020
Excellent book.
Very well written, and easy to read.
Not only does it document the actual battles in great detail, it gives a little insight into Von Spee's personality and thought processes. Along with this, and external factors, you can work out why the decisions were made that led to the destruction of his fleet, and ultimately, his own death. The book serves to do this well. The only thing that disappoints, is the treatment of the crew of Dresden. While they didn't go down in a blaze of glory like the other crews and ships of the fleet, there was probably no point in battling it out with the forces against them, as the war situation at sea had changed considerably by the time they were discovered which would have been known by that stage, and they were probably well aware that there would be no returning to the Fatherland anyway, so it would have been a pointless waste of lives to battle on.
The biggest shame of all, was, as was mentioned, that the memory of Von Spee's name is that of a small battleship being scuttled in Montevideo harbour at the beginning of WW2. He certainly deserved to be remembered with the affection and regard that the British remember their great admirals.
Very well written, and easy to read.
Not only does it document the actual battles in great detail, it gives a little insight into Von Spee's personality and thought processes. Along with this, and external factors, you can work out why the decisions were made that led to the destruction of his fleet, and ultimately, his own death. The book serves to do this well. The only thing that disappoints, is the treatment of the crew of Dresden. While they didn't go down in a blaze of glory like the other crews and ships of the fleet, there was probably no point in battling it out with the forces against them, as the war situation at sea had changed considerably by the time they were discovered which would have been known by that stage, and they were probably well aware that there would be no returning to the Fatherland anyway, so it would have been a pointless waste of lives to battle on.
The biggest shame of all, was, as was mentioned, that the memory of Von Spee's name is that of a small battleship being scuttled in Montevideo harbour at the beginning of WW2. He certainly deserved to be remembered with the affection and regard that the British remember their great admirals.
December 29, 2018
Most enthralling
Pitt considers all facets of the story to embellish the barest facts still available, and does so in a believable and competent fashion. The various characters are well described, as is life aboard a naval vessel just after the turn of the last century.
Pitt takes us straight into the action, pauses to background events from both sea and land before hurtling into the second phase.
This reviewer has read accounts of these two battles elsewhere, and Pitts more thorough account tidies up any grey areas.
A good read, recommended.
Pitt considers all facets of the story to embellish the barest facts still available, and does so in a believable and competent fashion. The various characters are well described, as is life aboard a naval vessel just after the turn of the last century.
Pitt takes us straight into the action, pauses to background events from both sea and land before hurtling into the second phase.
This reviewer has read accounts of these two battles elsewhere, and Pitts more thorough account tidies up any grey areas.
A good read, recommended.
June 22, 2023
This is a very interesting book, especially for me, as my paternal grandfather was gunnery lieutenant on HMS Kent. I am writing a family history and this provides a little extra background information about the Battle of the Falkland Islands in December 1914, in which my grandfather played a role. It makes rather grim reading, though, as the slaughter is described quite graphically. However, this is preferable to my grandfather's account which was very Boy's Own Paper.
I bought the Kindle edition, which is published by Sharpe Books, and I think I'll now have to buy a printed copy. It is inconceivable that a scholarly book like this was published without footnotes but they are nowhere to be seen in this edition. I need the references! Otherwise, I'd have given it 4 or 5 stars.
I bought the Kindle edition, which is published by Sharpe Books, and I think I'll now have to buy a printed copy. It is inconceivable that a scholarly book like this was published without footnotes but they are nowhere to be seen in this edition. I need the references! Otherwise, I'd have given it 4 or 5 stars.
June 3, 2021
A trusty tale of a forgotten battle
I really liked this book as to its truth to both sides of the Great War. It highlights the courage of the combatants and the futility of such conflict. A recommended read from me, and a better understanding of the history I now posses.
I really liked this book as to its truth to both sides of the Great War. It highlights the courage of the combatants and the futility of such conflict. A recommended read from me, and a better understanding of the history I now posses.
December 28, 2022
This is an excellent study of two forgotten but connected sea battles from the early months of the Great War in which the concept of Battlecruiser Warfare was tested for the first and last time in an age when the Big Gun naval battle was itself already numbered.
August 8, 2019
Excellent
A very informative book of two of the early fleet actions of the great war, the bravery and the steadfastness to tradition that unfortunately led to very few survivors of the ships engaged.
A very informative book of two of the early fleet actions of the great war, the bravery and the steadfastness to tradition that unfortunately led to very few survivors of the ships engaged.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews