Admiral Patey’s force was one of those searching for von Spee and Patey had information that he would be in the Marquesas, however, the Admiralty interfered and ordered him off on a wild goose chase elsewhere.
I understand that if Patey had not been ordered elsewhere, he would have intercepted von Spee on or about 24 September with:
HMAS Australia
MN Montcalm
HMAS Sydney
HMAS Encounter
Von Spee would have had Scharnhorst and Gneisenau, the three light cruisers not having joined him at this time.
What are the likely results of a battle at this time between these two forces?