SMS.Sharnhorst Wreck Found

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The wreck of Admiral Graf von Spee's Flagship SMS Sharnhorst. sunk during the Battle of the Falklands Islands in 1914 has

been recently found off the coast of the Falklands.

During the Battle the Sharnhorst was sunk first with the Admiral aboard, his sons on the Gneisenau and the Nurnberg also

went down with their ships, the Leipzig was also sunk the only ship in the South Seas Squadron to escape was the Dresden.

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Untergang der SMS "Leipzig"

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Here are images of the 5 Ships of the German South Seas Squadron.

All images from other sources.

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Auch wenn der Mann fällt, muß die Flagge wehen

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After SMS Dresden escaped destruction, she managed to eluded the British warships following her for several months until March 1915

when she arrived at Robinson Crusoe Island. Almost out of coal and her engines worn out, her Captain asked the Chilean Authorities

to have the ship interned there. By now the British warships HMS Kent and Glasgow had caught up with her as she lay in harbour, the

British ignoring Chilean Neutrality opened fire on the Dresden hitting the ship several times and injuring several of her crew. The Captain

ran up the white flag and sending over one of his officers for talks with the British. This gave him time for most of the crew to escape and

Scuttle the ship. The crew were interned till the end of the war.

In 2006 Chilean and German divers found and recovered the ships bell and in November 2008 the bell was presented to the Museum of the

German Armed Forces at Dresden, by the Republic of Chile.

Images from other sources.