Doomsday for Admiral von Spee: The Battle of the Falkland Islands 1914

[@billballbuster7186]

Great Story! This sort of battle is why the British Battlecruisers were designed and built, they totally outclassed the German Cruisers. Not at all meant for the battle line as they were used at Jutland.

[@grahamparkin5568]

The wreck of Spee's flagship Scharnhorst was found off the Falklands on 5th December 2019, almost 105 years to the day after her sinking.

[@TheHistoryChap]

I knew it had been but wasn't sure of the year.

[@Nikzaw]

I was out in the Falklands when it was found.

[@James_Rivett]

My father was in the 1982 Falklands war as a 19 year old Naval rating on HMS Fearless, which 5 years earlier had been used in James Bond: The Spy who Loved Me. Sadly my father had friends on HMS Sheffield HMS Ardent who died and it affected him badly later. The very first WW2 naval war film I saw was Battle of the Riverplate when I was about 8 (the second was "the Cruel Sea"). Really enjoy your videos.

[@stujm84]

There has to be a good argument to say that the distance between both ships named Scharnhorst is the largest distance between shipwrecks with the same name? How very correct Von Spee was in knowing the previous battle had sealed the fate of himself, his sons and many of his countrymen.

[@TheHistoryChap]

Interesting points. Thanks for taking the time to comment

[@harryshriver6223]

Wow, what a battle, I can imagine that briny smell of seawater ss these two dominant navies duked it out in the south Atlantic seas. It is such a tragedy so many sailors and officers were lost, so few survivors were rescued. Well done, Chris and thinks you should do the video you were talking about, it would be such an interesting story and would love to learn more about it.

[@orlandofurioso7958]

Always great content.

[@TheHistoryChap]

Many thanks

[@RemcovandeLangenberg]

Great (hi)story tale, beautiful pics. Love photos of old cruisers, especially of HMS Invincible... Thank you.

[@AlbertComelles1970]

Beautifully explained as usual, thank you Chris!

[@HarryWHill-GA]

Bravo Zulu (Well Done) Chris. Yes, please to more videos on the Royal Navy.

[@andrewsteele7663]

Cracking story and brilliant telling, Cheers

[@jacquelinejohnson9447]

Very interesting and informative video. Very entertaining as well.Thank you very much. Greatly appreciated.

[@mikenorton3294]

Another very good episode. Great stories very well researched and brilliantly presented

[@JoeRitchie-e5l]

Great history. Never heard much about the naval battles that took place in WWI

[@frasermitchell9183]

Not a bad story, but you've left out the drama of the lookouts on the German cruisers approaching Port Stanley seeing the tripod masts of the two battlecruisers visible above the land that shielded Port Stanley from their sight. They knew then that they were dead men walking.

[@joebutterman3084]

One of your best. I particularly like all of the various illustrations you used. As it happens, I have an oil copy of the sailor waving the Imperial Naval Ensign from, I believe, the sinking SMS Nurenberg. The picture was very popular in Germany at the time. I forget the title.

[@brianivey73]

Fabulous video! Thank you sir!

[@simonridley9333]

Excellent every school should include this channel in there History lessons undeniable ,yes kids this really happened Thanks Chris

[@davidwoods7720]

Thanks so much Chris

[@beachboy0505]

Excellent video Doveton Sturdee is one of the greatest naval commanders of all time. Yet, the British don't give him any credit. His force was not superior to the German force. He understood the 'art of naval warfare '. The British cruisers were the exact same as the German armoured cruisers at Jutland. Sturdee kept the range. 'Jutland' could have happened to Sturdee. Instead, he used his strength but was well aware of his weaknesses. He did not allow his light cruisers to come near the armoured cruisers. There is an empty place for him at Trafalgar Square.

[@rulebritannia2948]

Was waiting for this

[@TheHistoryChap]

I hope you enjoy it.

[@GravesRWFiA]

ironic that in dec 1939 THE graf spee was destroyed in these same waters

[@TheHistoryChap]

Yes it is ironic. Thanks for commenting.

[@DaveAinsworth-y8h]

I learned of the Battle of Falkland 1914 when I was 10 in 1979

[@aaropajari7058]

My great-grandfather Petty Officer Albert Weedon was (most likely) there. He was serving aboad HMS Canopus at the beginning of the war. Served later aboad HMS Lowestoft.

[@maxreed2343]

YES, THIS, the sequel video to the one on us Brits' humiliating loss at the Battle of Coronel, COULDN'T have asked for any better video from ya, Chris me old mucker, to cheer me up hugely after quite an eventful couple of days, as I blatantly allowed myself to get temporarily scammed out of £90 on Monday night but VERY very thankfully today my usual bank has been able to get me it back, PHEW and WOOHOO together with that, plus I've made sure to arrange a new bank card so it never happens again. Anyway, back to main topic, WOW, so THAT was the Battle of the Falkland Islands in 1914, and from the end results of it you've revealed it'd be quite fair to say this sure was a bit of 20th century Lord Nelson style victory, in that we lost NONE of our ships with just FIVE sailors KIA, so like Nelson at the Battles of the Nile in 1798 and Copenhagen in 1801 there as in he'd lost none of his ships in them, whereas the Hun had lost an immense number of THEIRS at 2000, so like Napoleon and the Danes combined in the two Nelson battles way back then. CRIKEY, as our still very missed and remembered to this day Crocodile Hunter figure Steve Irwin would say, and THIS part of Falklands 20th century history I knew absolutely NOTHING, zero, zilch about, compared to THE most famous conflict against the Argies for a few months in 1982 when old Mrs Thatcher was in charge of our government. And old Mr Toothbrush Moustached Nazi Monster Hitler's own future man Wilhelm Canaris was involved in this too before the former rose to establish himself in the history books, huh? I've heard all now for sure. As to what I'd love for you to do next, our British military history KZbin superstar figure, well, I'd certainly LOVE a video on that event, later done as a movie in 1956, the Battle of the River Plate from 1939, the first WWII naval battle too as I believe having just looked it up, indeed, THAT would certainly have some cheers from others I think, although, there IS still the Battle of Sedgemoor which I've been REALLY really wanting and waiting since last year as ya know, so before this year is out I WOULD absolutely love for THAT to be finally gifted by you at last as a special Christmas and New Year present. Oh and btw, the 70s film 'Shout at the Devil', featuring the late figures of Mr Bond man Roger Moore and US figure Lee Marvin as its two lead boys, you allowed me to gain the name of in your incredible video about the German East Africa Campaign, thanks to you mentioning it as inspired by the sinking of the German ship SMS Königsberg, is currently available on UK Amazon Prime Video, so if I can just give myself the chance and time to do THAT, as I intend very much to do so indeed thanks to what I've read of it on Wikipedia...

[@Revolver1701]

Great video and channel. Thanks. 👍

[@chascuk]

There was also a HMS Invincible present at the Falklands for the 1982 conflict.

[@butchgeagan9768]

Enjoyed it very much.

[@TheHistoryChap]

Glad you did. Thanks for watching.

[@QALibrary]

I was just thinking the other week about this and wonder if Chris had it on his list

[@TheHistoryChap]

I am to please!

[@grahamepigney8565]

Von Spee's sons were not on the Scharnhorst, they were lost when the Gneisenau (Heinrich) and Nurnberg (Otto) were sunk.

[@philbraithwaite1316]

I did my school history GCSE project on this battle in 1976. If only you were on KZbin back then I would have got top marks! I was therefore rather dumbfounded in the early 80s that so many had never heard of the Falkland Islands.,

[@martinhogg5337]

Another great tale!

[@TheHistoryChap]

Glad you think so! Much appreciated.

[@reet-ko9lg]

funny how I just watched The Battle of River Plate/ Pursuit of the Graf Spee movie a few weeks ago! history chap you once again prove mind reading powers

[@chrisaiken900]

Brilliant, Thanks

[@theblackbear211]

Another well told tale.

[@stevemartin5448]

We are enjoying this tale from the comfort of our own armchairs. No such luxury for those poor sailors in 1914.

[@TheHistoryChap]

Thanks for watching.

[@vladvostok1723]

THX CHAPPPPPPPY

[@tomjones7593]

Brilliant !

[@TheHistoryChap]

Many thanks.

[@steveh7823]

I wonder if any divers or remote vehicles have been down to those wrecks? Seas around the Falklands are notoriously rough with the furious forties and massive Antarctic weather fronts.

[@TheHistoryChap]

I believe wreck of Scharnhorst has been located in the last 10 years.

[@greggweber9967]

Being beached, were there any blocked seachests preventing cooling water getting to the machines?

[@admiralbeez8143]

HMS Canopus, beached in Stanley Harbour in 1914 would have given the Argentinians a thrashing in 1982. Given a dear amount of Anti Rust Wax of course.

[@williamtraynor-kean7214]

82 was a conflict no declaration of war was made. After the 1914 Battle, Port Stanley was given a number of 6-inch guns for coast defence, they were still there minus the breech blocks in June 82.

[@TheHistoryChap]

William, thanks for taking the time to point it out.

[@jon9021]

Neither is the “war” in Ukraine but we still call it that…

[@paulchignell8341]

Brave men, all.

[@jlvfr]

Make a memo: nothing called "Spee" shoudl sail in the South Atlantic,

[@benwilson6145]

Canaris travelled back to Germany via Britain. There has been speculation why the British allowed that to happen.

[@DaveAinsworth-y8h]

There is a good book of the last battle of Warship Von Spee when the RN but Honour the German sailors dead.

[@marvwatkins7029]

Retold often.

[@TheHistoryChap]

Like a lot of history then.

[@marytica123]

Graf Spee should have stayed out of range of the British cruisers' lighter gun batteries. With her 11 inch guns, she could have sunk both ships and escaped unscathed.

[@redjacc7581]

cool

[@TheHistoryChap]

Thanks for watching & posting a comment for the YT algorithm.

[@otfriedpolenz9633]

Liked by neckarcupdreddyfan ❤

[@alessiodecarolis]

So, at the end, the RN was able to avenge Coronet 's defeat. This battle was pratically one-sided, with all the whole enemy fleet annihilited . The effect on german morale surely wasn't good

[@TheHistoryChap]

I think von Spee knew that he was on borrowed time and never believed he would take his fleet back to Germany.

[@LonelyRanger902]

I thought his official title was Maximilian Graf von Spee

[@jonmcgee6987]

Canaris didn't exactly meet a good ending during WW 2.

[@earnestwanderer2471]

German lifeboats were presumably destroyed during the battle?

[@benwilson6145]

Not aware of battleships and cruisers carrying life boats? There not passenger vessels

[@S2ontkop]

a nother? its word one ffs another

[@fedecano7362]

A great tale to listen while having my supper, thanks Chris! Malvinas sound better but I guess that's off topic today ;)

[@billevans7936]

Cool, gonna ck it out now

[@TheHistoryChap]

Hope you enjoy it.

[@robkunkel8833]

History Chap! 🎉 How did the orders and intelligence become transmitted? For battle instructions, I assume it was always signal flags? What about intelligence A ship with papers or even photos ? 🎠🎡God bless Royal Monarch and Almighty Algorithms.