Any Good Alternative Strategy for German East Asia Squadron?

OTL The German East Asia Squadron:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_Asia_Squadron

While it manged to keep itself intact as a fleet in being for a little over 4 months, and sink a couple of very old cruisers, it didn't really accomplish much and the ships were lost. While it was afloat:

British commerce was uninhibited (with some minor losses).
Convoys of British soldiers reached their destinations without loss.

Samoa
New Guinea,
Tsingtao,
Carolines, etc. were occupied.

Is there anything different that could be done for a better result for the Germans??
Some possibilities:

a) Stay in Tsingtao and use the ships in defense of the port (maybe even land the crews and guns).
b) Actually try to defend Samoa or New Guinea from invasion.
c) Raid in the Indian ocean (along with Emden)
d) Immediately split up and try to make for home.
e) Something else????
 
I would suggest a mix of C,D and E.

Split up and raid GB trade, its unlikely they will ever get home or win a major engagement so just a matter of doing the most damage until they get hunted down. Hunt for individual merchant ships and run from any fights if possible. (A and B simply ends with a quick lose v IJN or RAN)

In terms of ships they have,
  • Scharnhorst-class cruiser
    • SMS Scharnhorst
    • SMS Gneisenau
  • Dresden-class cruiser
    • SMS Dresden
    • SMS Emden
  • Bremen-class cruiser
    • SMS Leipzig
  • Königsberg class cruiser
    • SMS Nürnberg
Personally I think the CLs are way more useful than the AC due to speed and being easier to refuel and provision off captured supplies due to smaller size so the 4 ships would raid with twins acting as decoys together or singularly.
 
I would suggest a mix of C,D and E.

(A and B simply ends with a quick lose v IJN or RAN)

Personally I think the CLs are way more useful than the AC due to speed and being easier to refuel and provision off captured supplies due to smaller size so the 4 ships would raid with twins acting as decoys together or singularly.

Dresden and Leipzig didn't achieve much on their own raiding. So not sure how much the might achieve raiding in an ATL. Konigsberg didn't achieve much in the Indian Ocean. Emden's captain was aggressive and was lucky so maybe she is the exception not the rule.

Certainly all the LCs would be useful in the North Sea if you can get them home. Scharnhorst and Gneisenau would have been quite useful in the Baltic. Perhaps the Germans would be more aggressive with less losses and more reserves of ships if they actually could get them home.

Most of the LCs should raid (Dresden should stay in the Atlantic, being the fastest has the best chance of making it home).

Scharnhorst and Gneisenau are just too big a fuel hog, and too noticeable to make it home probably and probably need to pick a fight someplace where some good can be done.

Defending Rabaul or Apia or Lae would probably mean fighting the Australia, vs the Falklands OTL though its two vs one and since the British have to defend invasion forces perhaps the British can't just choose the ideal range like the Falklands.
Even if one or more of the Germans ships end up non non operational the guns and crews could be landed to defend ashore.
 
Top