Castles of Steel (157 page)

182 “To my shame”: Ibid., 33.

183 “I do not think we were far wrong”: Pochhammer, 16.

183 “Very nice place, indeed”: Ibid., 22.

183 “alone of the Marianas”: Ibid., 36.

184 “a glorious sight”: Ibid., 42–43.

184 “Strained relations”: Bennett,
Naval Battles,
53.

185 “threatened state of war”: Poch-hammer, 49.

185 “The whole beautiful world”: Ibid., 51.

185 “the British had elected”: Ibid., 55–56.

185 “The monotonous noise”: Ibid., 60.

186 “Von Spee was a cut flower”: Churchill, I, 295.

187 “In event of a war against Great Britain”: Bennett,
Coronel and the Falklands,
46.

187 “It is impossible to judge from here”: Ibid., 64.

190 “If coaling the whole squadron”: Ibid., 62.

190 “We wish you success”: Pochhammer, 68.

190 “I thank Your Excellency”: Hohenzollern-Emden, 39.

190 “I shall proceed to Chile”: Bennett,
Coronel and the Falklands,
63.

191 “The seemingly limitless desert”: Pochhammer, 83.

191 “In the evening”: Hough,
Pursuit,
58.

193 “If no enemy ship approaches”: Hirst, 72.

194 “vastly to his astonishment”: Spencer-Cooper, 46.

194 “to gaze at the outside”: Hough,
Pursuit,
78.

195 “in glorious sunlight”: Pochhammer, 135.

196 “furniture removal”: Hohenzollern-Emden, 78.

196 “we had five or six vessels collected”: Bennett,
Naval Battles,
55.

196 “The
Emden
’s company”: Ibid., 59.

196 “the chief reason”: Marder, II, 104.

197 “It is almost in our heart”: Bennett,
Coronel and the Falklands,
72–73.

CHAPTER 11: ADMIRAL CRADOCK’S VOYAGE

198 “The map of the world”: Churchill, I, 296.

198 “we could not be”: Ibid., 295.

198 “as the days succeeded one another”: Ibid., 408.

201 “Probably
Scharnhorst, Gneisenau
”: Bennett,
Coronel and the Falklands,
54–55.

203 “She was the fastest”: Chatfield, 47.

203 “the guns . . . on the main deck”: Bennett,
Coronel and the Falklands,
17.

203 “It certainly is the limit”: Ibid.

203 “Sir William White”:
FGDN,
II, 432.

204 “Sighted
Monmouth
”: Hirst, 15.

204 “Later on, when leave could be taken”: Ibid., 6.

208 “It is advisable to operate”: Ibid., 57.

208 “
Gneisenau
and
Scharnhorst
”: Bennett,
Coronel and the Falklands,
80.

208 “No certain information”: Ibid., 81.

209 “Few can steam well”:
Jane’s Fighting Ships—1914,
53.

209 “If she did not break down”: Marder, II, 106.

210 “Situation changed”: Bennett,
Coronel and the Falklands,
82.

211 “I have a feeling”: Sweetman, 79.

211 “urgent importance”: Ibid.

212 “it blew, snowed, hailed”: Spencer-Cooper, 22–23.

212 “We finally got past caring”: Ibid., 23.

212 “It seemed to both the captain”: Chatterton,
Gallant Gentlemen,
70.

213 “a good square meal”: Hirst, 52.

213 “snug as a bug”: Ibid., 54.

213 “She has already been condemned twice”: Ibid.

213 “It appears that
Scharnhorst
”: Churchill, I, 410.

213 “Does
Defence
join my command”: Ibid., 411.

213 “regulations of the Panama Canal Company”: Bennett,
Coronel and the Falklands,
91.

215 “It always appeared to me”: Chatterton,
Gallant Gentlemen,
71–72.

215 “It would be best for the British ships”: Churchill, I, 411.

215 “Settled”: Ibid.

215 “I understand from our conversation”: Ibid., 411–12.

216 “a citadel around which”: Ibid., 414.

216 “entirely a contrary opinion”: Hirst, 94.

217 “I trust circumstances”: Ibid., 93.

217 For William Denbow, see: Hough,
Great War,
96.

217 “It is clear that”: Ibid., 412.

218 “
Good Hope
left”: Bennett,
Coronel and the Falklands,
95.

218 “shining with that special, well-groomed”: Sweetman, 74.

218 “would come wandering up”: Bennett,
Coronel and the Falklands,
14.

218 “one of our very best officers”: Fisher,
FGDN,
II, 101.

218 “the navy was not”: Bennett,
Coronel and the Falklands,
15.

219 “When a hammock is being used”: Ibid., 14.

219 “fought hard, played hard”: Hough,
Pursuit,
86.

219 “Engage the enemy more closely”: Sweetman, 74.

219 he hoped when his time came: Dreyer, 90.

219 “That ribbon”: Bennett,
Coronel and the Falklands,
26.

219 “Cradock thought his chances were small”: Marder, II, 111.

219 “only in case”: Ibid., 112.

219 “I will take care”: Ibid., 111.

219 “The admiral was a very brave old man”: Bennett,
Coronel and the Falklands,
92.

219 “He knew what he was up against”: Ibid., 95.

219 “With reference to orders”: Churchill, I, 416.

220 “gravely preoccupied” and “This telegram is”: Ibid.

220 “
Defence
is to remain”: Ibid., 417.

221 “The words ‘sufficient force’ must have seared”: Hirst, 96–97.

221 “tired of protesting”: Ibid., 97.

221 “I am going to attack the enemy now”: Ibid., 29.

221 “I am sure I should”: Churchill, I, 416.

221 “Speaking of Admiral Cradock’s position”: Ibid., 418.

221 “Two of the lieutenant commanders”: Hirst, 99.

221 “
Monmouth, Good Hope
and
Otranto
coaling”: Churchill, I, 417–18.

222 “alone this time”: Chatterton,
Gallant Gentlemen,
72.

222 “that we expected to sight the enemy”: Ibid.

224 “Clear the decks”: Pochhammer, 138.

224 “Maneuver well executed”: Hirst, 101.

224 like a haystack: Pitt, 5.

CHAPTER 12: THE BATTLE OF CORONEL

225 “in a quarter of an hour”: Pitt, 57.

225 “Does my smoke”: Pochhammer, 141.

225 “When the sun was sufficiently low”: Ibid, 141–43.

226 “We had in sight”: Chatterton,
Gallant Gentlemen,
74.

226 “But when we saw those damned four funnels”: Copplestone, 236.

227 “We all thought he would leave
Otranto
”: Bennett,
Coronel and the Falklands,
38.

227 “I cannot go down and engage”: Ibid.

228 “Follow in the admiral’s wake”: Pitt, 8.

228 “I am going to attack”: Hirst, 105.

228 “And now began the saddest”: Churchill, I, 422.

229 “the most rotten show imaginable”: Marder, II, 113.

229 “The waves rose high”: Bennett,
Coronel and the Falklands,
31.

230 “The enemy had the range perfectly”: Hirst, 106.

230 “As the two big enemy ships”: Copplestone, 143.

231 “her funnels illuminated”: Hickling, 47.

231 “She looked like a splendid firework display”: Copplestone, 143.

232 “The moon was rising”: Chatterton,
Gallant Gentlemen,
77.

232 “Are you all right”: Hirst, 109.

233 “I want to get stern to sea”: Ibid., 110.

233 “I felt that I could not help her”: Chatterton,
Gallant Gentlemen,
78.

233 “It was obvious”: Hirst, 110.

233 “It was awful having to leave”: Bennett,
Coronel and the Falklands,
35.

233 “utterly dispirited”: Hickling, 50–51.

234 “Both British armored cruisers”: Bennett,
Coronel and the Falklands,
36.

235 “I fired until the
Monmouth
”: Sweet-man, 72.

235 “It was terrible to have to fire”: Bennett,
Coronel and the Falklands,
37.

235 “Have sunk enemy cruiser”: Ibid.

235 “Bravo,
Nürnberg
”: Pochhammer, 154.

235 “With God’s help”: Ibid., 157.

236 “The creature just lay there”: Copplestone, 145.

236 “
Good Hope,
though bigger than
Scharnhorst
”: Pitt, 65.

236 “pretty, black-eyed women”: Pochhammer, 163.

237 “When I went ashore”: Pitt, 64.

237 “drunken, mindless idiot”: Ibid., 66–67.

237 “I drink to the memory”: Ibid.

237 “They will do nicely for my grave”: Ibid.

237 “I am quite homeless”: Hough,
Pursuit,
116.

237 “
Defence
has been ordered”: Churchill, I, 419.

238 “We were already talking to the void”: Ibid.

238 “The Admiralty have no official confirmation”:
Official Naval Dis-patches,
32.

238 “a belligerent warship”: Ibid., 33.

238 “Can you imagine”: Marder, II, 115.

238 “the British have allowed their old cruisers”: Sweetman, 73.

238 “Poor old Kit Cradock”:
Beatty Papers,
I, 159.

239 “He had no clear plan”: Marder, II, 110.

239 “I fear he saw red”: Chalmers, 180.

239 “let himself be caught”: Marder, II, 110.

239 “I cannot accept for the Admiralty”: Churchill, I, 414–16.

239 “It ought not to be necessary”: Ibid., 424.

240 “we could instantly concentrate”: Ibid., 414.

240 “The
Defence
had been refused him”: Marder, II, 111.

240 “I will take care I do not suffer”: Ibid.

241 “We are of the opinion”: Churchill, I, 426.

241 “Why did . . . [Cradock] attack”: Corbett, I, 356–57.

242 “by attacking the memory”: Bennett,
Naval Battles,
102.

242 “Not under control”: Hirst, 124.

CHAPTER 13: “VERY WELL, LUCE, WE’LL SAIL TOMORROW”

244 “
Carnarvon, Cornwall
should join”: Churchill, I, 469.

245 “But I found Lord Fisher in a bolder mood”: Ibid., 465.

245 “Order
Invincible
”: Ibid., 466.

245 “Sir John Jellicoe rose to the occasion”: Ibid.

245 “important not to weaken the Grand Fleet”:
Jellicoe Papers,
I, 82.

246 “Once ships fall into dockyard hands”: Churchill, I, 473.

246 “The earliest possible date”: Ibid.

246 “Friday the thirteenth”: Ibid.

246 “
Invincible
and
Inflexible
are needed”: Ibid., 475.

247 “to keep an eye on Charlie”: Bennett,
Coronel and the Falklands,
124.

247 “that damned fool”: Bennett,
Naval Battles,
105.

247 “one of the most brilliant”: Hough,
Great War,
105.

247 “pedantic ass”: Tarrant,
Invincible,
44.

248 “Never such utter rot”: Fisher,
FGDN,
III, 77.

248 “The destruction of the German [Spee’s] Squadron”: Bennett,
Naval Battles,
105.

248 “Very well, we sail”: Ibid., 58.

248 “Your main and most important duty”: Ibid., 59.

248 “small flocks”: Tarrant,
Invincible,
46.

250 “In some trepidation”: Hickling, 66.

250 “Very well, Luce, we’ll sail tomorrow”: Ibid.

253 “1. Little result”: The Naval Staff guidelines for Spee appear in Hirst, 156–58.

253 “proposed to put”: Tirpitz, II, 83–84.

254 “to encroach in any way”: Ibid., 84.

254 “What are your intentions”: Hirst, 159.

254 “The cruiser squadron intends to break through”: Pitt, 72.

254 “German if possible”: Ibid., 73.

255 “The seas were huge”: Bennett,
Coronel and the Falklands,
134.

255 “Rain clouds hung over the jagged peak”: Pochhammer, 191.

CHAPTER 14: THE BATTLE OF THE FALKLAND ISLANDS

258 “A four-funnel and a two-funnel”: Hirst, 171.

258 “Enemy in sight”: Ibid.

258 “Well, for God’s sake, do something”: Hickling, 74.

258 “Mr. Hirst, go to the masthead”: Hirst, 173.

259 “Send the men to breakfast”: Pitt, 103.

259 “He came at a very convenient hour”: Bennett,
Coronel and the Falklands,
140.

259 “engage the enemy”: Ibid., 142.

259 “As we got near the harbor entrance”: Dixon, 26.

260 “Admiral Spee arrived at daylight this morning”: Churchill, I, 436.

260 “As we approached”: Pochhammer, 201.

261 “Do not accept action”: Bennett,
Coronel and the Falklands,
143.

262 “The visibility of the fresh, calm atmosphere”: Pochhammer, 202.

262 “It was a perfect day”: Hough,
Great War,
113.

262 “struck by the magnificent weather”: Tarrant,
Invincible,
56.

262 “No more glorious moment”: Hirst, 177.

263 “Two vessels soon detached themselves”: Pochhammer, 202–3.

263 “ships’ companies have time”: Tarrant,
Invincible,
57.

263 “Picnic lunch”: Ibid.

264 “transports or colliers”: Bennett,
Coronel and the Falklands,
144.

264 “Towards noon”: Pochhammer, 203–4.

264 “to get along with the work”: Bennett,
Coronel and the Falklands,
145.

264 “Engage the enemy”: Hirst, 179.

264 Fidgety Phill: Tarrant,
Invincible,
58.

264 “the roar from the forward turret guns”: Verner, 8.

265 “
Gneisenau
will accept action”: Pitt, 110.

266 “The German firing was magnificent”: Bennett,
Coronel and the Falklands,
147.

266 “It is certainly damned bad shooting”: Hickling, 82.

267 “we did not seem to be hitting”: Tarrant,
Invincible,
61.

267 “At this rate”: Hickling, 82.

267 “With the sun still shining on them”: Pitt, 112.

267 “A shell grazed”: Pochhammer, 206.

268 “Every minute we gained”: Ibid., 208.

268 “The thick clouds of smoke”: Ibid., 209.

269 “for the first time, I experienced the luxury”: Verner, 10–11.

270 “a truly lovely sight”: Hough,
Pursuit,
155.