German WWI wreck Scharnhorst discovered off Falklands

[Dai Bach y Sowldiwr]

This might be of interest:

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-50670743

[Hyacinth1326]

I can't help but think of  Monmouth and Good Hope.  I wonder if anyone will look for them them ? 

[MikB]

44 minutes ago, Hyacinth1326 said:

I can't help but think of  Monmouth and Good Hope.  I wonder if anyone will look for them them ? 

It might depend on who's financing the expedition, and how accurately the site of the sinkings were recorded. Of course, some vital data might well've gone down with von Spee's ships at the subsequent Falklands battle.

[PhilB]

Wiki:-

"Monmouth capsized at 21:58, taking her entire crew of 734 men with her^[19] as the seas were too rough to attempt any rescue effort"

As presumably there was no submarine danger, might the German ships have attempted a rescue despite heavy seas?

 

 

[trajan]

More here: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/ww1-shipwreck-scharnhorst-german-battle-falklands-video-a9234561.html

[MikB]

On 05/12/2019 at 14:37, PhilB said:

Wiki:-

"Monmouth capsized at 21:58, taking her entire crew of 734 men with her^[19] as the seas were too rough to attempt any rescue effort"

As presumably there was no submarine danger, might the German ships have attempted a rescue despite heavy seas?

 

 

Looks like they didn't know Good Hope had sunk and suspected Canopus was nearby, so considered the battle to be ongoing. Allegedly they invited Monmouth to strike colours by illuminating her ensign. 

Scharnhorst too went down with all hands later at the Falklands battle because Gneisenau was still fighting.

[stripeyman]

22 hours ago, trajan said:

More here: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/ww1-shipwreck-scharnhorst-german-battle-falklands-video-a9234561.html

I notice the Independent use lower case letters for Royal Navy

[michaeldr]

There are some good first hand accounts of the action of 8th December 1914, taken from officers' letters, which appeared in The Naval Review, Vol.IV

In particular one, from Lt Comm Rudolf H C Verner written to his father, which includes this sketch of the action

 

Edit to add:-

Lt Comm Verner was the Gunnery Lieut Comdr of HMS Inflexible at the time of the Falkland Islands action

but by the time his letter was published he had already been promoted Commander and died of wounds at the Dardanelles (18 March 1915)

 

Edited 8 December , 2019 by michaeldr

[Hyacinth1326]

Most interesting.  Thanks for posting. 

 

Stripeyman - we should not be surprised by anything that appears in The Independent. The shortcomings of its 'reporters' are all too evident.

Edited 8 December , 2019 by Hyacinth1326

[michaeldr]

Came across this today on Old Warships https://twitter.com/yulenbilbao

Inflexible picking up survivors of the Gneisenau

 

 

Edited 30 December , 2019 by michaeldr