The defeat that Rear-Admiral Sir Christopher Cradock suffered at Coronel
in 1914 at the hands of Maximilian Graf von Spee, one of Germany's most
brilliant naval commanders, was the most humiliating blow to British
naval prestige since the eighteenth century and a defeat that had to be
avenged immediately.
On 8 December 1914, the German squadron steamed towards Port Stanley,
unaware that in the harbor lay two great British battle-cruisers, the
'Invincible' and 'Inflexible'. Realizing this, Spee had no option but to
turn and flee. Hour by hour during that long day, the British ships
closed in until, eventually, Spee was forced to confront the enemy. With
extraordinary courage, and against hopeless odds, the German cruisers
fought to the bitter end. At five-thirty that afternoon, the last ship
slowly turned and rolled to the bottom. Cradock and Britain had been
avenged.