Maximilian von Spee successful.

Tyr Anazasi

Banned
The German ships had outstanding results in gunnery accuracy. Infact they had just won the Kaiser prize for gunnery accuracy. The British lacked in that as it was shown up to Jutland. Thus if Spee managed to surprise the British ships in harbour, they would likely be sunk. As they were sitting ducks and could not bear all guns on the enemy. Also they would need to raise steam, which would last.

Spee would have won another victory but OTOH would have had his ships damaged and without much ammo left. Likely he would have gone to Buenos Aires.
 

Driftless

Donor
Spee would have won another victory but OTOH would have had his ships damaged and without much ammo left. Likely he would have gone to Buenos Aires.

IF von Spee & some part of his squadron survive their Falklands battle, and they get to the dire straits of very low ammo and other supplies across the squadron, would Spee have considered consolidating stock from the remaining ships to make one or two serviceable vessels and send whatever is left to internment? For instance, Scharnhorst & Gneisnau were sister ships, so some elements should have been interchangeable.

If some consolidation were possible, might von Spee continue on his military mission with the now restocked ship(s) - to whatever level that might be? I realize that's hypothetical linked to hypothetical.
 

trajen777

Banned
I think the Germans - if successful - which means damaged the Brits, destroying a vessel, or destroying the entire Brit fleet, most likely they would have been severely damaged and would have limped for BA. However i can see the light cruisers - depending on damage heading for raiding
 
After watching this video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JtGRhK5RCHw) on Maximilian von Spee what changes would be needed for the best case scenario for him and his Squadron and causing damage to the enemy? Would a successful raid on the falklands for supplies allow him to get to a safe port? Or was he basically doomed in his position?

Spee had something like 20,000 tons of coal when he rounded the Cape, so his best bet in retrospect was probably to avoid the Falklands and go up the middle of the Atlantic, detaching his light cruisers for independent raiding. Pick a night in January with horrific weather and no moonlight and roll the dice with the blockade.
 
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