View source for SMS Gneisenau

{{Short description|Armored cruiser of the German Imperial Navy}}
{{other ships|Gneisenau (disambiguation)}}
{{Use shortened footnotes|date=October 2022}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2014}}
{{Infobox ship
|section1={{Infobox ship/image
| image = File:SMS Gneisenau before World War I.jpg
| image_caption = SMS ''Gneisenau''
}}
|section2={{Infobox ship/career
| country = [[German Empire]]
| flag = {{shipboxflag|German Empire|naval}}
| name = ''Gneisenau''
| namesake = {{SMS|Gneisenau|1879|6}}
| ordered = 8 June 1904
| builder = [[AG Weser]], [[Bremen]]
| laid_down = 28 December 1904
| launched = 14 June 1906
| commissioned = 6 March 1908
| fate = Sunk, [[Battle of the Falkland Islands]], 8 December 1914
}}
|section3={{Infobox ship/characteristics
| class = {{sclass|Scharnhorst|cruiser|0}} [[armored cruiser]]
| displacement = 
*[[normal displacement|Normal]]: {{cvt|11616|MT|LT|lk=on}}
*[[Full-load displacement|Full load]]: {{cvt|12985|MT|LT}}
| length = {{cvt|144.6|m|ftin}}
| beam = {{cvt|21.6|m|ftin}}
| draft = {{cvt|8.37|m|ftin}}
| propulsion =
*3 × [[triple-expansion steam engine]]s
*3 × screw [[propeller]]s
| power=
* 18 × [[water-tube boiler]]s
* {{convert|26000|PS|lk=on}}
| speed = {{convert|22.5|kn|km/h|0|lk=in}}
| range ={{convert|4800|nmi|abbr=on|lk=in}} at {{convert|14|kn|abbr=on}}
| crew =
*  38 officers
* 726 enlisted men
| armament =
* 8 × [[21 cm SK L/40|{{cvt|21|cm}} guns]]
* 6 × [[15 cm SK L/40 naval gun|{{cvt|15|cm}} guns]]
* 18 × [[8.8 cm SK L/35 naval gun|{{cvt|8.8|cm|in}} guns]]
* 4 × {{cvt|45|cm|1}} [[torpedo tube]]s
| armor =
* [[Belt armor|Belt]]: {{cvt|8|to|15|cm}}
* [[gun turret|Turret]]s: {{cvt|17|cm}}
* [[Deck (ship)|Deck]]: {{cvt|3.5|to|6|cm}}
* [[Casemate]]s: {{cvt|13|cm}}
| notes = 
}}
}}

'''SMS ''Gneisenau'''''{{efn|"SMS" stands for "[[Seiner Majestät Schiff]]" ({{langx|en|His Majesty's Ship}}).}} was an [[armored cruiser]] of the [[German Empire|German]] ''[[Kaiserliche Marine]]'' (Imperial Navy), part of the two-ship {{sclass|Scharnhorst|cruiser|4}}. Named for the earlier [[screw corvette]] [[SMS Gneisenau (1879)|of the same name]], the ship was [[keel laying|laid down]] in June 1904 at the [[AG Weser]] shipyard in [[Bremen]], [[ceremonial ship launching|launched]] in June 1906, and [[ship commissioning|commissioned]] in March 1908. She was armed with a main battery of eight {{cvt|21|cm|adj=on}} guns, a significant increase in firepower over earlier German armored cruisers, and she had a top speed of {{convert|22.5|kn|0}}. ''Gneisenau'' initially served with the German fleet in [[I Scouting Group]], though her service there was limited owing to the British development of the [[battlecruiser]] by 1909, which the less powerful armored cruisers could not effectively combat.

Accordingly, ''Gneisenau'' was assigned to the German [[East Asia Squadron]], where she joined her [[sister ship]] {{SMS|Scharnhorst||2}}. The two cruisers formed the core of the squadron, which included several [[light cruiser]]s. Over the next four years, ''Gneisenau'' patrolled Germany's colonial possessions in Asia and the Pacific Ocean. She also toured foreign ports to [[show the flag]] and monitored events in China during the [[Xinhai Revolution]] in 1911. Following the outbreak of [[World War I]] in July 1914, the East Asia Squadron, under the command of [[Vice Admiral]] [[Maximilian von Spee]], crossed the Pacific to the western coast of South America, stopping for ''Gneisenau'' and ''Scharnhorst'' to attack [[French Polynesia]] in the [[Bombardment of Papeete]] in September.

After arriving off the coast of Chile, the East Asia Squadron encountered and defeated a British squadron at the [[Battle of Coronel]]; during the action, ''Gneisenau'' disabled the British armored cruiser {{HMS|Monmouth|1901|6}}, which was then sunk by the German light cruiser {{SMS|Nürnberg|1906|2}}. The defeat prompted the [[British Admiralty]] to detach two battlecruisers to hunt down and destroy Spee's squadron, which they accomplished at the [[Battle of the Falkland Islands]] on 8 December 1914. ''Gneisenau'' was sunk with heavy loss of life, though 187 of her crew were rescued by the British.

== Design==
{{main|Scharnhorst-class cruiser|l1=''Scharnhorst''-class cruiser}}
[[File:Scharnhorst class Brassey's.jpg|thumb|left|Line-drawing of the ''Scharnhorst'' class|upright=1.3|alt=The ship had four smoke stacks between a pair of tall pole masts. A twin gun turret was positioned on either end of the superstructure, which bristled with guns]]

The two ''Scharnhorst''-class cruisers were ordered as part of the naval construction program laid out in the [[German Naval Laws|Second Naval Law]] of 1900, which called for a force of fourteen [[armored cruiser]]s. The ships marked a significant increase in combat power over their predecessors, the {{sclass|Roon|cruiser|4}}, being more heavily armed and armored. These improvements were made to allow for {{SMS|Scharnhorst||2}} and ''Gneisenau'' to fight in the [[line of battle]] should the need arise, a capability requested by the General Department.{{sfn|Dodson|pp=58–59, 67}}

''Gneisenau'' was {{convert|144.6|m|ftin|sp=us}} [[length overall|long overall]], and had a [[Beam (nautical)|beam]] of {{convert|21.6|m|ftin|abbr=on}} and a [[Draft (hull)|draft]] of {{convert|8.37|m|ftin|abbr=on}}. The ship [[displacement (ship)|displaced]] {{convert|11616|MT|LT|lk=on}} normally, and {{convert|12985|MT|LT|abbr=on}} at [[full-load displacement|full load]]. ''Gneisenau''{{'}}s crew consisted of 38&nbsp;officers and 726&nbsp;enlisted men. The ship was powered by three [[triple-expansion steam engine]]s, each driving a [[screw propeller]], with steam provided by eighteen coal-fired [[water-tube boiler]]s. The boilers were ducted into four [[funnel (ship)|funnels]] located [[amidships]]. Her propulsion system was rated to produce {{convert|26000|PS|lk=on}} for a top speed of {{convert|22.5|kn|lk=in|0}}. She had a cruising radius of {{convert|4800|nmi|lk=in}} at a speed of {{convert|14|kn}}.{{sfn|Gröner|p=52}}

''Gneisenau''{{'}}s [[main battery|primary armament]] consisted of eight [[21 cm SK L/40|{{cvt|21|cm}} SK L/40 guns]],{{efn| In Imperial German Navy gun nomenclature, "SK" (Schnelladekanone) denotes that the gun is quick loading, while the L/40 denotes the length of the gun. In this case, the L/40 gun is 40 [[Caliber (artillery)|calibers]], meaning that the gun is 40 times as long as it is in [[Caliber|bore]] diameter.{{sfn|Grießmer|p=177}}}} four in twin [[gun turret]]s, one fore and one aft of the main [[superstructure]] on the [[centerline (nautical)|centerline]], and the remaining four mounted in single [[casemate]]s in the [[hull (watercraft)|hull]] at main deck level, abreast the funnels. The [[secondary armament]] included six [[15 cm SK L/40 naval gun|{{cvt|15|cm}} SK L/40 guns]], also in individual casemates that were placed a deck below the main battery casemates. Defense against [[torpedo boat]]s was provided by a battery of eighteen [[8.8 cm SK L/35 naval gun|{{cvt|8.8|cm}} SK L/35 guns]] mounted in casemates. She was also equipped with four {{convert|45|cm|in|abbr=on|1}} submerged [[torpedo tube]]s. One was mounted in the bow, one on each [[Broadside (naval)|broadside]], and the fourth was placed in the stern.{{sfn|Gröner|p=52}}

The ship was protected by a 15&nbsp;cm [[belt armor|belt]] of [[Krupp armor]], decreased to {{convert|8|cm|abbr=on}} forward and aft of the central [[armored citadel|citadel]]. She had an armored deck that was {{convert|3.5|to|6|cm|abbr=on}} thick, with the heavier armor protecting the ship's [[engine room|engine]] and [[fire room|boiler rooms]] and ammunition [[Magazine (artillery)|magazines]]. The centerline gun turrets had {{convert|17|cm|abbr=on}} thick sides, while the casemate main guns received 15&nbsp;cm of armor protection. The casemate secondary battery was protected by a [[strake]] of armor that was {{convert|13|cm|abbr=on}} thick.{{sfn|Gröner|p=52}}{{sfn|Dodson|p=206}}

== Service history ==
[[File:SMS Gneisenau illustration.jpg|thumb|left|Illustration of ''Gneisenau'' with a [[torpedo boat]] alongside|alt=A large, light gray warship steaming in choppy seas with a small, black warship steaming close by.]]

''Gneisenau'' was the first member of the class to be ordered, on 8 June 1904; she was [[keel laying|laid down]] at the [[AG Weser]] shipyard in [[Bremen]] on 28 December under [[yard number]] 144, with the provisional designation "C".{{efn|German warships were ordered under provisional names. Additions to the fleet were given a single letter; ships intended to replace older or lost vessels were ordered as "{{lang|de|Ersatz}} (name of the ship to be replaced)".{{sfn|Dodson|pp=8–9}}}} A lengthy strike by shipyard workers delayed construction of the vessel, allowing ''Scharnhorst'' to be launched first and thus be the [[lead ship]] of the class. At ''Gneisenau''<nowiki/>'s [[Ceremonial ship launching|launching ceremony]], on 14 June 1906, she was christened ''Gneisenau'', in honor of the earlier [[screw corvette]] {{SMS|Gneisenau|1879|2}}, by General [[Alfred von Schlieffen]], the Chief of the [[German General Staff|General Staff]]. The ship moved to [[Wilhelmshaven]] for [[fitting-out]] and was [[ship commissioning|commissioned]] into the fleet on 6 March 1908, before beginning [[sea trials]] on 26 March. These lasted until 12 July, when ''Gneisenau'' joined [[I Scouting Group]], the reconnaissance squadron of the [[High Seas Fleet]]. During this period, ''[[Kapitän zur See]]'' (''KzS''—Captain at Sea) [[Franz von Hipper]] served as the ship's first commanding officer.{{sfn|Gröner|p=52}}{{sfn|Hildebrand, Röhr, & Steinmetz Vol. 3|pp=211–212}}

While serving in I Scouting Group, ''Gneisenau'' participated in the normal peacetime training routine with the fleet. She took part in a major fleet cruise in the Atlantic Ocean in company with the battleship squadrons of the High Seas Fleet immediately after completing trials. [[Prince Heinrich]] had pressed for such a cruise the previous year, arguing that it would prepare the fleet for overseas operations and would break up the monotony of training in German waters. The cruise came at a time that tensions with Britain over the developing [[Anglo-German naval arms race]] were high, though no incidents occurred as a result. The fleet departed Kiel on 17 July, passed through the [[Kaiser Wilhelm Canal]] to the North Sea, and continued to the Atlantic. The fleet returned to Germany on 13 August. The autumn maneuvers followed from 27 August to 12 September, after which Hipper was replaced by ''KzS'' {{Ill|Konrad Trummler|de}}.{{sfn|Hildebrand, Röhr, & Steinmetz Vol. 3|pp=211–212}}{{sfn|Hildebrand, Röhr, & Steinmetz Vol. 2|p=238}}

The year 1909 followed a similar pattern, with two more Atlantic cruises, the first in February and March and the second in July and August. The latter voyage included a visit to Spain. Later in the year, ''Gneisenau'' and the [[light cruiser]] {{SMS|Hamburg||2}} escorted [[Kaiser Wilhelm II]] aboard his [[yacht]], [[SMY Hohenzollern|''Hohenzollern'']], on a visit to [[Tsar]] [[Nicholas II of Russia]] off the coast of Finland. ''Gneisenau'' won the Kaiser's ''Schießpreis'' (Shooting Prize) for excellent shooting among armored cruisers for the 1908–1909 training year. The first half of the following year passed uneventfully for ''Gneisenau'', and in July, she took part in a fleet cruise to Norway. On 8 September, the ship was reassigned to the [[East Asia Squadron]] and ''KzS'' {{Ill|Ludolf von Uslar|de}} took command of the ship for the deployment. By that time, the British [[Royal Navy]] had begun commissioning their new [[battlecruiser]]s, which significantly outclassed armored cruisers like ''Gneisenau'', but the German command decided that the ship could still be used to strengthen Germany's colonial cruiser squadron.{{sfn|Hildebrand, Röhr, & Steinmetz Vol. 3|pp=211–212}}

===East Asia Squadron===
[[File:Contemporary map of Tsingtau and the Shandong Peninsula.png|thumb|German 1912 map of the [[Shandong Peninsula]] showing the [[Jiaozhou Bay Leased Territory]]|alt=The Jiaozhou Bay Leased Territory was located in the natural harbor at Qingdao on the southern coast of the Shandong Peninsula|upright=1.3]]

On 10 November, ''Gneisenau'' departed Wilhelmshaven, bound for Germany's [[Jiaozhou Bay Leased Territory]] in China. She stopped in [[Málaga]], Spain, while en route, for a ceremony commemorating the men killed when her namesake corvette had been wrecked there on 16 December 1900. She then passed through the Mediterranean Sea, transited the [[Suez Canal]], and while crossing the Indian Ocean, stopped in [[Colombo]], [[British Ceylon|Ceylon]]. There, she embarked [[Wilhelm, German Crown Prince|Crown Prince Wilhelm]] on 11 December, who was on a tour of [[British India]] at the time. ''Gneisenau'' carried him to [[Bombay]], where he left the ship. After resuming the voyage to East Asia, ''Gneisenau'' rendezvoused with the light cruiser {{SMS|Emden||2}} and made stops in [[Singapore]], [[British Hong Kong|Hong Kong]], and [[Amoy]] before arriving in [[Qingdao]], the German squadron's home port, on 14 March 1911. There, she rendezvoused with her sister ''Scharnhorst'', the squadron [[flagship]]. On 7 April, ''Gneisenau'' carried the new ambassador to [[Empire of Japan|Japan]], {{Ill|Arthur Graf Rex|de|Arthur Alexander Kaspar von Rex}}, from [[Taku, Saga|Taku]] to [[Yokohama]], where she met ''Scharnhorst''; the squadron commander, ''Konteradmiral'' (''KAdm''—Rear Admiral) {{Ill|Günther von Krosigk|de}}, Uslar, and ''Scharnhorst''{{'}}s captain met with the [[Emperor Meiji]]. ''Gneisenau'' thereafter went on a tour of Japanese and [[Siberia]]n waters, but she was sent back to Qingdao during the [[Agadir Crisis]] to prepare for a potential conflict.{{sfn|Hildebrand, Röhr, & Steinmetz Vol. 3|p=212}}

In September, Krosigk shifted his flag to ''Gneisenau'' while ''Scharnhorst'' was in dry dock for periodic maintenance. On 10 October, the [[Xinhai Revolution]] against the [[Qing dynasty]] broke out, which caused a great deal of tension among Europeans in the country, who recalled the attacks on foreigners during the [[Boxer Uprising]] of 1900–1901. The rest of the East Asia Squadron was placed on alert to protect German interests and additional troops were sent to protect the German consulate. But the feared attacks on Europeans did not materialize and so the East Asia Squadron was not needed. By late November, ''Scharnhorst'' was back in service and Krosigk returned to her.{{sfn|Hildebrand, Röhr, & Steinmetz Vol. 7|pp=108–109}} ''Gneisenau'' won the ''Schießpreis'' again for the 1910–1911 training year.{{sfn|Hildebrand, Röhr, & Steinmetz Vol. 3|p=212}} 
[[File:121c.Emil Karl Schumacher.jpg|thumb|right|The crews of the ''Scharnhorst'' and ''Gneisenau'' being entertained in Batavia in January 1913.]]
''Gneisenau'' went into dry dock in Qingdao for annual repairs in the first quarter of 1912. On 13 April, the ships embarked on a month-long cruise to Japanese waters, returning to Qingdao on 13 May. In June, ''KzS'' {{Ill|Franz Brüninghaus|de}} relieved Uslar as ''Gneisenau''{{'}}s commander. Over the course of 1–4 August, ''Gneisenau'' steamed to [[Pusan]], Korea, where she pulled the [[HAPAG]] [[steamship]] {{SS|Silesia||2}} free after it ran aground and escorted it to [[Nagasaki]]. At the end of the year, ''Gneisenau'' lay at Shanghai. In early December, Krosigk was replaced by ''KAdm'' [[Maximilian von Spee]], who took ''Scharnhorst'' and ''Gneisenau'' on a tour of the southwest Pacific, including stops in Amoy, Singapore, and [[Jakarta|Batavia]]. The cruise continued into early 1913, and the two cruisers arrived back in Qingdao on 2 March 1913. ''Gneisenau'' won the ''Schießpreis'' for the 1912–1913 year.{{sfn|Hildebrand, Röhr, & Steinmetz Vol. 3|pp=211–213}}

In April 1913, ''Gneisenau'' and ''Scharnhorst'' went to Japan so Spee and the ships' commanders could meet with the new emperor, [[Emperor Taishō|Taishō]]. The vessels then returned to Qingdao, where they remained for seven weeks. In late June, the two cruisers began a cruise through Germany's colonial possessions in the central Pacific. While in Rabaul on 21 July, Spee received word of further unrest in China, which prompted his return to the [[Wusong]] [[roadstead]] outside [[Shanghai]] by 30 July. ''Gneisenau'' thereafter patrolled in the [[Yellow Sea]] and visited [[Lüshunkou District|Port Arthur]] in October. After the situation calmed, Spee was able to take his ships on a short cruise to Japan, which began on 11 November. ''Scharnhorst'' and the rest of the squadron returned to Shanghai on 29 November, before she departed for another trip to Southeast Asia. Stops included [[Siam]], [[Sumatra]], [[North Borneo]], and [[Manila]] in the [[History of the Philippines (1898–1946)|Philippines]].{{sfn|Hildebrand, Röhr, & Steinmetz Vol. 3|pp=211–213}}{{sfn|Hildebrand, Röhr, & Steinmetz Vol. 7|pp=109–110}}

In June 1914, ''KzS'' Julius Maerker took command of the ship.{{sfn|Hildebrand, Röhr, & Steinmetz Vol. 3|p=211}} Shortly thereafter, Spee embarked on a cruise to [[German New Guinea]]; ''Gneisenau'' rendezvoused with ''Scharnhorst'' in Nagasaki, Japan, where they received a full supply of coal. They then sailed south, arriving in [[Chuuk Lagoon|Truk]] in early July where they restocked their coal supplies. While en route, they received news of the assassination of Archduke [[Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria|Franz Ferdinand]], heir to the throne of [[Austria-Hungary]].{{sfn|Hough|pp=11–12}} On 17 July, the East Asia Squadron arrived in [[Pohnpei|Ponape]] in the [[Caroline Islands]]. Here, Spee had access to the German radio network, where he learned of the Austro-Hungarian declaration of war on [[Kingdom of Serbia|Serbia]] and the [[Russian Empire|Russian]] mobilization. On 31 July, word came that the German ultimatum, which demanded the demobilization of Russia's armies, was set to expire. Spee ordered his ships be stripped for war.{{efn|name=stripped for war}} On 2 August, Wilhelm II ordered German mobilization against France and Russia.{{sfn|Hough|pp=17–18}}

[[File:East Asia Squadron in Kiaochow Bay.png|upright=2.5|thumb|center|German East Asia Squadron in Qingdao; ''Scharnhorst'' and ''Gneisenau'' are at center|alt=View of a harbor with two large vessels and several smaller ships around them.]]

=== World War I ===
[[File:Die Kreuzer GNEISENAU und SCHARNHORST beschießen Papeete, die Hautpstadt von Tahiti.jpg|thumb|Illustration of ''Scharnhorst'' and ''Gneisenau'' bombarding [[Papeete]]]]

When [[World War I]] broke out, the East Asia Squadron consisted of ''Scharnhorst'', ''Gneisenau'', and the light cruisers ''Emden'', {{SMS|Nürnberg|1906|2}}, and {{SMS|Leipzig|1905|2}}.{{sfn|Halpern|p=66}} At the time, ''Nürnberg'' was returning from the west coast of the United States, where ''Leipzig'' had just replaced her, and ''Emden'' was still in Qingdao.{{sfn|Staff|p=29}} On 6 August 1914, ''Scharnhorst'', ''Gneisenau'', the supply ship ''Titania'', and the Japanese [[collier (ship)|collier]] ''Fukoku Maru'' were still in Ponape.{{sfn|Halpern|p=71}} Spee had issued orders to recall the light cruisers, which had been dispersed on cruises around the Pacific.{{sfn|Hough|pp=1–2}} ''Nürnberg'' joined Spee that day, after which Spee moved his ships to [[Pagan Island]] in the [[Northern Mariana Islands]], a German possession in the central Pacific. Spee left for Pagan in the night, without ''Fukoku Maru'', to avoid having the Japanese crew betray his movements.{{sfn|Halpern|p=71}}{{sfn|Staff|p=29}}{{efn|Japan, though still neutral, was [[Anglo-Japanese Alliance|allied with Britain]] and would soon enter the war against Germany.{{sfn|Halpern|pp=71–74}}}}

All available colliers, supply ships, and passenger liners were ordered to meet the East Asia Squadron in Pagan{{sfn|Hough|pp=3–4}} and ''Emden'' joined the squadron there on 12 August.{{sfn|Staff|p=29}} The [[auxiliary cruiser]] {{SS|Prinz Eitel Friedrich|1904|2}} joined Spee's ships there as well.{{sfn|Hough|p=5}} On 13 August, Commodore [[Karl von Müller]], captain of the ''Emden'', persuaded Spee to detach his ship as a commerce raider. The four cruisers, accompanied by ''Prinz Eitel Friedrich'' and several colliers, then departed Pagan on 15 August, bound for Chile. While en route to [[Enewetak Atoll]] in the [[Marshall Islands]] the next morning, ''Emden'' left the formation with one of the colliers. The remaining ships again coaled after their arrival in Enewetak on 20 August.{{sfn|Hough|pp=23, 33}}

To keep the German high command informed, on 8 September Spee detached ''Nürnberg'' to [[Honolulu]] to send word through neutral countries. ''Nürnberg'' returned with news of the [[Occupation of German Samoa|Allied capture of German Samoa]], which had taken place on 29 August. ''Scharnhorst'' and ''Gneisenau'' sailed to [[Apia]] to investigate the situation.{{sfn|Strachan|p=471}} Spee had hoped to catch a British or Australian warship by surprise, but upon his arrival on 14 September, he found no warships in the harbor.{{sfn|Staff|pp=29–30}} On 22 September, ''Scharnhorst'' and the rest of the East Asia Squadron arrived at the French colony of [[Papeete]]. The Germans attacked the colony, and in the ensuing [[battle of Papeete]], they sank the French gunboat [[French gunboat Zélée|''Zélée'']]. The ships came under fire from French shore batteries but were undamaged.{{sfn|Staff|p=30}} Fear of mines in the harbor prevented Spee from entering the harbor to seize the coal, which the French had set on fire.{{sfn|Halpern|p=89}}

By 12 October, ''Gneisenau'' and the rest of the squadron had reached [[Easter Island]]. There they were joined by the light cruisers {{SMS|Dresden|1907|2}} and ''Leipzig'', which had sailed from American waters, on 12 and 14 October, respectively. ''Leipzig'' also brought three more colliers with her.{{sfn|Staff|p=30}} After a week in the area, the ships departed for Chile.{{sfn|Hawkins|p=34}} On the evening of 26 October, ''Gneisenau'' and the rest of the squadron steamed out of [[Alejandro Selkirk Island|Mas a Fuera]], Chile and headed eastward, arriving in [[Valparaíso]] on 30 October. On 1 November, Spee learned from ''Prinz Eitel Friedrich'' that the British light cruiser {{HMS|Glasgow|1909|6}} had been anchored in [[Coronel, Chile|Coronel]] the previous day, so he turned towards the port to try to catch her alone.{{sfn|Halpern|p=92}}{{sfn|Staff|pp=30–31}}

[[File:The German East Asia Squadron 1914 1915-en.svg|upright=2.5|thumb|center|Map showing the route of the East Asia Squadron]]

==== Battle of Coronel ====
[[File:Battle of Coronel map.svg|thumb|Ship movements during the Battle of Coronel. British ships are shown in red; German ships are shown in blue.|alt=The British and German fleets converged from the south and north, respectively. Two British ships split off to escape.|upright=1.3]]

{{main|Battle of Coronel}}

The British had scant resources to oppose the German squadron off the coast of South America. Rear Admiral [[Christopher Cradock]] commanded the armored cruisers {{HMS|Good Hope|1901|6}} and {{HMS|Monmouth|1901|2}}, ''Glasgow'', and the converted [[armed merchant cruiser]] {{HMS|Otranto||2}}. The flotilla was reinforced by the elderly [[pre-dreadnought battleship]] {{HMS|Canopus|1897|2}} and the armored cruiser {{HMS|Defence|1907|2}}. The latter, however, did not arrive until after the Battle of Coronel.{{sfn|Herwig|p=156}} ''Canopus'' was left behind by Cradock, who probably felt her slow speed would prevent him from bringing the German ships to battle.{{sfn|Halpern|p=92}}

The East Asia Squadron arrived off Coronel on the afternoon of 1 November; to Spee's surprise, he encountered ''Good Hope'', ''Monmouth'', and ''Otranto'' in addition to ''Glasgow''. ''Canopus'' was still some {{convert|300|nmi|abbr=on}} behind, with the British colliers.{{sfn|Halpern|pp=92–93}} At 16:17, ''Glasgow'' spotted the German ships. Cradock formed a line of battle with ''Good Hope'' in the lead, followed by ''Monmouth'', ''Glasgow'', and ''Otranto'' in the rear. Spee decided to hold off engaging until the sun had set more, at which point the British ships would be silhouetted by the sun, while his own ships would be obscured against the coast behind them. Spee turned his ships on a course nearly parallel to Cradock's ships, slowly closing the range. Cradock realized the uselessness of ''Otranto'' in the line of battle and detached her. Heavy seas made working the casemate guns in both sides' armored cruisers difficult.{{sfn|Halpern|p=93}}{{sfn|Staff|pp=32–33}}

By 18:07, the distance between the two squadrons had fallen to {{convert|13500|m|ft|abbr=on}} and at 18:37 Spee ordered his ships to open fire, by which time the range had dropped to {{convert|10400|m|abbr=on}}. Each ship engaged their opposite in the British line, ''Gneisenau''{{'}}s target being ''Monmouth''. ''Gneisenau'' struck ''Monmouth'' with her third salvo, one shell hitting her forward turret, blowing the roof off, and starting a fire. ''Gneisenau'' fired primarily [[armor-piercing shell]]s and scored numerous hits, knocking out many of ''Monmouth''{{'}}s guns. By 18:50, ''Monmouth'' had been badly damaged by ''Gneisenau'' and she fell out of line; ''Gneisenau'' therefore joined ''Scharnhorst'' in battling ''Good Hope''. At around that time, ''Gneisenau'' received a hit that struck her rear turret but did not penetrate the armor, instead exploding outside and setting fire to [[life jacket]]s stored there, though the crew quickly suppressed the blaze.{{sfn|Staff|pp=33–35}}

At the same time, ''Nürnberg'' closed to point-blank range of ''Monmouth'' and poured shells into her.{{sfn|Herwig|p=157}} At 19:23, ''Good Hope''{{'}}s guns fell silent following two large explosions; the German gunners ceased fire shortly thereafter. ''Good Hope'' disappeared into the darkness. Spee ordered his light cruisers to close with his battered opponents and finish them off with torpedoes, while he took ''Scharnhorst'' and ''Gneisenau'' further south to get out of the way. ''Glasgow'' was forced to abandon ''Monmouth'' after 19:20 when the German light cruisers approached, before fleeing south and meeting with ''Canopus''. A squall prevented the Germans from discovering ''Monmouth'', but she eventually capsized and sank at 20:18.{{sfn|Staff|p=36}}{{sfn|Strachan|p=36}} More than 1,600&nbsp;men were killed in the sinking of the two armored cruisers, including Cradock. German losses were negligible; ''Gneisenau'' had been hit four times but was not significantly damaged and suffered only two crewmen lightly injured. However, the German ships had expended over 40&nbsp;percent of their ammunition supply.{{sfn|Halpern|p=93}}{{sfn|Staff|p=39}}

====Voyage to the Falklands====
[[File:Ostasiengeschwader Graf Spee in Chile.jpg|thumb|The German squadron leaving [[Valparaíso]] on 3 November after the battle, ''Scharnhorst'' and ''Gneisenau'' in the lead and ''Nürnberg'' following. In the middle distance are the Chilean cruisers [[Chilean cruiser Esmeralda (1895)|''Esmeralda'']], [[Chilean cruiser O'Higgins (1897)|''O'Higgins'']] and [[Chilean cruiser Blanco Encalada|''Blanco Encalada'']], and the old battleship [[Chilean battleship Capitán Prat|''Capitán Prat'']].|alt=A group of large warships steaming slowly off a city.]]

After the battle, Spee took his ships north to Valparaiso. Since Chile was neutral, only three ships could enter the port at a time; Spee took ''Scharnhorst'', ''Gneisenau'', and ''Nürnberg'' in first on the morning of 3 November, leaving ''Dresden'' and ''Leipzig'' with the colliers at Mas a Fuera. In Valparaiso, Spee's ships could take on coal while he conferred with the [[German Imperial Admiralty Staff|Admiralty Staff]] in Germany to determine the strength of remaining British forces in the region. The ships remained in the port for only 24 hours, in accordance with the neutrality restrictions, and arrived at Mas a Fuera on 6 November, where they took on more coal from captured British and French steamers. On 10 November, ''Dresden'' and ''Leipzig'' were detached for a stop in Valparaiso, and five days later, Spee took the rest of the squadron south to [[St. Quentin Bay]] in the [[Gulf of Penas]]. On 18 November, ''Dresden'' and ''Leipzig'' met Spee while en route and the squadron reached St. Quentin Bay three days later. There, they took on more coal, since the voyage around [[Cape Horn]] would be a long one and it was unclear when they would have another opportunity to coal.{{sfn|Staff|pp=58–59}}

Once word of the defeat reached London, the Royal Navy set to organizing a force to hunt down and destroy the East Asia Squadron. To this end, the powerful battlecruisers {{HMS|Invincible|1907|2}} and {{HMS|Inflexible|1907|2}} were detached from the [[Grand Fleet]] and placed under the command of Vice Admiral [[Doveton Sturdee]].{{sfn|Strachan|p=41}} The two ships left [[HMNB Devonport|Devonport]] on 10 November.  En route to the [[Falkland Islands]], they were joined by the armored cruisers {{HMS|Carnarvon||2}}, {{HMS|Kent|1901|2}}, and {{HMS|Cornwall|1902|2}}, the light cruisers {{HMS|Bristol|1910|2}} and ''Glasgow'', and ''Otranto;'' the force of eight ships reached the Falklands by 7 December, where they immediately coaled.{{sfn|Strachan|p=47}}

In the meantime, Spee's ships departed St. Quentin Bay on 26 November and rounded Cape Horn on 2 December. They captured the Canadian [[barque]] ''Drummuir'', which had a cargo of {{cvt|2500|MT|LT|0}} of good-quality [[Cardiff]] coal. ''Leipzig'' took the ship under tow and the following day the ships stopped off [[Picton Island]]. The crews transferred the coal from ''Drummuir'' to the squadron's colliers. On the morning of 6 December, Spee held a conference with the ship commanders aboard ''Scharnhorst'' to determine their next course of action. The Germans had received numerous fragmentary and contradictory reports of British reinforcements in the region; Spee and two other captains favored an attack on the Falklands, while three other commanders, including Maerker, argued that it would be better to bypass the islands and attack British shipping off Argentina. Spee's opinion carried the day and the squadron departed for the Falklands at 12:00.{{sfn|Staff|pp=61–62}}

==== Battle of the Falkland Islands ====
[[File:Battle of the Falklands Islands 1914.svg|thumb|Map showing the movements of both squadrons|alt=The German ships approached the islands from the south before turning back to the south to try to escape, but each ship was chased down and sunk save one.|upright=1.5]]

{{main|Battle of the Falkland Islands}}

''Gneisenau'' and ''Nürnberg'' were delegated for the attack; they approached the Falklands the following morning, with the intention of destroying the wireless transmitter there. Observers aboard ''Gneisenau'' spotted smoke rising from [[Port Stanley]], but assumed it was the British burning their coal stocks to prevent the Germans from seizing them. As they closed on the harbor, {{cvt|30.5|cm|in|0}} shells from ''Canopus'', which had been beached as a guard ship, began to fall around the German ships. Lookouts on the German ships spotted the large [[tripod mast]]s of the battlecruisers, though these were initially believed to be from the battlecruiser {{HMAS|Australia|1911|6}}; the reports of several enemy warships combined with fire from ''Canopus'' prompted Spee to break off the attack.{{sfn|Strachan|p=47}}{{sfn|Staff|pp=62–63}} The Germans took a southeasterly course at {{convert|22|kn|abbr=on}} after having reformed by 10:45.{{sfn|Staff|p=64}} Spee formed his line with ''Gneisenau'' and ''Nürnberg'' ahead, ''Scharnhorst'' in the center, and ''Dresden'' and ''Leipzig'' astern.{{sfn|Bennett|p=115}} The fast battlecruisers quickly got up steam and sailed out of the harbor to pursue the East Asia Squadron.{{sfn|Strachan|p=47}}

Spee realized his armored cruisers could not escape the much faster battlecruisers and ordered the three light cruisers to attempt to break away while he turned about and allowed the British battlecruisers to engage the outgunned ''Scharnhorst'' and ''Gneisenau''. Meanwhile, Sturdee detached his cruisers to pursue the German light cruisers.{{sfn|Bennett|p=117}} ''Invincible'' opened fire at ''Scharnhorst'' while ''Inflexible'' attacked ''Gneisenau'' and Spee ordered his two armored cruisers to similarly engage their opposites. Spee had taken the [[Windward and leeward|lee]] position; the wind kept his ships swept of smoke, which improved visibility for his gunners. This forced Sturdee into the windward position and its corresponding worse visibility. ''Gneisenau'' quickly scored two hits on her opponent. In response to these hits, Sturdee attempted to widen the distance by turning two points to the north. This would place his ships beyond the effective range of the German guns, but keep his opponents within range of his own. Both sides checked their fire for the time being; ''Gneisenau'' had been hit twice during this stage of the battle, the first shell striking the aft funnel, killing and wounding several men with shell splinters. The second shell damaged some of the ship's [[Cutter (boat)|cutters]] and penetrated into some cabins amidships. Shell fragments from a near miss penetrated into one of the magazines for the 8.8&nbsp;cm guns, forcing it to be flooded to prevent a fire.{{sfn|Staff|p=66}}

Spee countered Sturdee's maneuver by turning rapidly to the south, which significantly widened the range and temporarily raised the possibility of escaping by nightfall. The maneuver forced Sturdee to turn south as well and pursue at high speed. Given the speed advantage and the clear weather, the German hope to escape proved to be short-lived. Nevertheless, the maneuver allowed Spee to turn back north, bringing ''Scharnhorst'' and ''Gneisenau'' close enough to engage with their secondary 15&nbsp;cm guns; their shooting was so effective that it forced the British to haul away a second time. After resuming the battle, the British gunfire became more accurate, and as the British were firing at very long range, the shells approached [[plunging fire]], which allowed them to penetrate the thin deck armor rather than the thicker belt. ''Gneisenau'' took several hits during this phase, including a pair of underwater hits that began to flood boiler rooms 1 and 3.{{sfn|Staff|pp=66–67}}

[[File:Cfbattlepainting (Retouched).jpg|thumb|left|''Scharnhorst'' rolls over and sinks while ''Gneisenau'' continues to fight|alt=A large warship on its side in the water, exposing the red bottom; another large warship is seen in the distance afire and shooting its guns]]

Sturdee then turned to port in an attempt to take the leeward position, but Spee countered the turn to retain his favorable position; the maneuvering did, however, reverse the order of the ships, so ''Gneisenau'' now engaged ''Invincible''.{{sfn|Bennett|p=118}} During the reversal, ''Gneisenau'' became temporarily obscured by smoke, so the British ships concentrated their fire on ''Scharnhorst'', which suffered severe damage during this phase of the action. Spee and Maerker exchanged a series of signals to determine the state of each other's vessels; Spee concluded the exchange with a signal noting that Maerker was correct to have opposed the attack on the Falklands. At 15:30, ''Gneisenau'' received a major hit that penetrated to her starboard engine room and disabled that engine, leaving her with just two operational screws. Another hit at 15:45 knocked over her forward funnel, and at 16:00 her number 4 boiler room was disabled.{{sfn|Staff|pp=68–69}}

At 16:00, Spee ordered ''Gneisenau'' to attempt to escape while he reversed course and attempted to launch torpedoes at his pursuers. Damage to the ship's engine and boiler rooms had reduced her speed to {{convert|16|kn|abbr=on}}, however, and so the ship continued to fight on. ''Gneisenau'' nevertheless could not evade British fire, and at around the same time her bridge was hit. Two more hits followed at 16:15, one passing completely through the ship without detonating and the other exploding in the main [[dressing station]], killing most of the wounded crew there. At 16:17, ''Scharnhorst'' finally capsized to port and sank; the British, their attention now focused on ''Gneisenau'', made no attempt to rescue the crew.  By this time, ''Carnarvon'' joined the fray and contributed her guns to the bombardment. As the range fell to {{convert|8500|m|abbr=on}}, heavy fire from the surviving German guns forced the British to turn away again, widening the range to {{convert|13500|m|abbr=on}}.{{sfn|Staff|pp=69–71}}

[[File:HMS Infexible Falklandy.jpg|thumb|HMS ''Inflexible'' picking up German sailors from ''Gneisenau'' after the battle|alt=A large warship sits idly while several small boats pick up the numerous men swimming in the water.]]

During the final phase of the battle, ''Gneisenau'' ran out of ammunition and resorted to firing inert training rounds; one of these struck ''Invincible''. Three more shells struck ''Gneisenau'' at around 17:15, two of them underwater on the starboard side and the other on a starboard casemate. The former hits caused serious flooding, but the third had little effect, as the gun crew had already been killed by an earlier hit and the casemate was already on fire. Several more hits followed, and by 17:30, ''Gneisenau'' was a burning wreck; she had a severe list to starboard and smoke poured from the ship, which came to a stop. At 17:35, Maerker ordered the crew to set [[scuttling]] charges and gather on the deck, as the ship was unable to continue fighting. The forward gun turret fired a final shell despite Maerker's instructions, prompting a return shot from ''Inflexible'' that struck the forward dressing station, killing many wounded men there. At 17:42, the scuttling charges detonated and the forward torpedo crew launched a torpedo to clear the tube and hasten the flooding.{{sfn|Bennett|pp=119–120}}{{sfn|Staff|p=71}}

The ship slowly rolled over and sank, but not before allowing some 270 to 300 of the survivors time to escape. Of these men, many died quickly from exposure in the {{convert|39|°F|°C|abbr=on|order=flip}} water.{{sfn|Bennett|p=120}} A total of 598 men of her crew were killed in the engagement,{{sfn|Gröner|p=52}} though boats from ''Invincible'' and ''Inflexible'' picked up 187&nbsp;men from ''Gneisenau'', including her [[executive officer]], ''[[Korvettenkapitän]]'' (Corvette Captain) Hans Pochhammer, the highest ranking German officer to survive and the source of German records of the battle.{{sfn|Hildebrand, Röhr, & Steinmetz Vol. 3|p=213}}{{sfn|Hough|p=152}} ''Leipzig'' and ''Nürnberg'' were also sunk. Only ''Dresden'' managed to escape, but she was eventually tracked to the [[Juan Fernández Islands|Juan Fernandez Islands]] and sunk. The complete destruction of the squadron killed some 2,200 German sailors and officers, including Spee and two of his sons.{{sfn|Herwig|p=158}}

== Notes ==

===Footnotes===

{{notelist
| notes =

{{efn
| name = stripped for war
| This meant the removal of all non-essential items, to include dress uniforms, tapestries, furniture, and other flammable objects.{{sfn|Hough|p=17}}
}}

}}

===Citations===

{{reflist|20em}}

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{{Scharnhorst class armored cruiser}}
{{December 1914 shipwrecks}}

{{featured article}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gneisenau}}
[[Category:Scharnhorst-class cruisers]]
[[Category:Ships built in Bremen (state)]]
[[Category:1906 ships]]
[[Category:World War I cruisers of Germany]]
[[Category:World War I shipwrecks in the Atlantic Ocean]]
[[Category:Shipwrecks of the Falkland Islands]]
[[Category:Maritime incidents in December 1914]]