South Seas Station HMS Canopus (1897)

sketch of canopus @ stanley

canopus departed abrolhos rocks on 8 october 1914 assist cradock s ships in searching german east asia squadron of vice admiral maximilian von spee, en route south atlantic far east. canopus arrived @ stanley in falkland islands on 18 october 1914, took guard ship , escort duties. cradock had intended take canopus squadron, consisted of armoured cruisers hope , monmouth, light cruiser glasgow , auxiliary cruiser otranto, late arrival, coupled fact required overhaul upon arriving in falklands, forced cradock proceed without her. in addition, canopus make no more 12 knots (22 km/h), have made difficult cradock force east asia squadron battle. cradock ordered canopus join him when possible, though intended use protect colliers. on 27 october, cradock detached light cruiser glasgow coronel gather intelligence, , next day ordered canopus bring colliers juan fernández islands, squadron replenish fuel. glasgow arrived in coronel on 31 october, departed on 1 november receive order first sea lord cradock should not risk engaging spee s squadron without canopus.

canopus still 300 nautical miles (560 km) south of cradock when encountered spee s squadron, , german ships faster british cruisers, preventing cradock rejoining canopus. in ensuing battle of coronel, east asia squadron sank both of cradock s armoured cruisers , damaged glasgow; time cradock defeated, canopus still 250 nautical miles (460 km) away. glasgow , otranto escaped south , rendezvoused canopus. spee broke off pursuit of fleeing british ships when became aware canopus in area, writing following day that, against ship, can hardly anything. if had kept forces should have come off second best. shortly after news of battle reached britain, royal navy ordered naval forces in region consolidate; included remnants of cradock s command, along armoured cruisers defence, carnarvon, , cornwall. in addition, pair of battlecruisers—invincible , inflexible—were detached grand fleet hunt down , destroy spee s squadron.

illustration of canopus firing on spee s squadron

canopus , glasgow returned stanley, arriving there on 8 november 1914; proceeded join british warships concentrating off river plate. canopus ordered return falklands , place herself in stanley guard port on 9 november. arrived 3 days later, , began make preparations defence of harbour. @ stanley, canopus s crew set defences against attack graf spee. canopus herself beached in mudflats in position allowed cover entrance harbour , have field of fire landward southeast; reduce visibility, topmasts struck , camouflaged. observation post established ashore on high ground , connected ship telephone, allowing canopus use indirect fire against approaching ships. of 12-pounder guns , detachment of seventy royal marines put ashore defend stanley , environs. on 25 november, canopus intercepted radio message indicated spee s squadron had rounded cape horn, though message erroneous; spee made passage on night of 1–2 december. 4 december, canopus s crew had completed preparations.

on 7 december, main british squadron, commanded vice admiral doveton sturdee, arrived in stanley , began coaling, intention of departing 2 days later search spee. instead, on morning of 8 december, german squadron arrived off stanley; @ 07:50, lookouts aboard canopus raised alarm. shortly after 09:00, time german cruisers—gneisenau , nürnberg—had approached within 11,000 yards (10,000 m) , canopus fired 2 salvos, both of fell short. observers stated fragments second salvo hit 1 of gneisenau s funnels,, though according modern historians, including robert gardiner , randal gray,, hew strachan, , paul halpern, canopus made no hits either salvo. under fire canopus , spotting tripod masts of sturdee s battlecruisers, spee called off force s planned attack on falklands. @ 09:31, canopus ceased firing, germans had begun withdraw. sturdee s battlecruisers, faster spee s ships, caught , destroyed east asia squadron, exception of light cruiser sms dresden, able outrun british pursuers. canopus, still moored in mud, remained behind @ stanley , missed rest of battle. canopus left falklands on 18 december 1914 return south american station duties @ abrolhos rocks.