Sams, Chris German Raiders of the First World War

Kaiserliche Marine Chasers and the Epic Chases

When the world entered the war in August 1914, two fleets of the Imperial Navy and several detached cruisers were stationed beyond the North Sea. These ships posed a serious threat to British merchant ships and the superiority of the naval forces. Beyond the British blockade, there was little chance of reinforcements or ammunition supplies their commanders had to make difficult decisions about what to do for their crews. Admiral Wilhelm Souchon had to cross the Mediterranean while a superior French and British fleet pursued him. Admiral Maximilian von Spee had to decide what to do half a world away from Germany, where colonies and friendly ships were quickly being overtaken by Allied forces. With only the ammunition on board his ships, he had to fight his way through British lines to bring his men home. Captain Karl von Müller led the Emden on a daring raiding campaign, as did the commander of the Karlsruhe. Other cruisers also waged a war of attrition that severely disrupted Allied merchant shipping. The Royal Navy devoted considerable resources to eliminating these threats, and Admiral Craddock hunted phantoms off the coast of America, only to find what he was looking for in Coronel with fatal consequences.