On the morning of September 3, 1914, a fleet led by Rear Admiral Carol was escorting a large number of merchant ships towards the British mainland. They were nearing the Azores, and with just another day of sailing, they would reach there for resupply.
"It seems the Germans truly lack the courage to approach," Rear Admiral Carol lamented.
He felt a sense of regret for missing the opportunity to decisively deal with the German Navy's commerce raiding fleet. Nonetheless, he and the other British naval officers were determined not to relent. If they could not succeed this time, they would persist until the German commerce raiders were vanquished.
Of course, if the German raiders refrained from attacking, the British fleet could safely arrive at home, which would still constitute a victory for Britain. In essence, regardless of the Germans' decisions, the British Navy stood on the side of triumph.
However, Rear Admiral Carol was oblivious to the fact that a seaplane had just taken off from above the fleet. Cloaked by the clouds, the British vessels remained unaware of its presence. This seaplane belonged to the German Navy, and every German battlecruiser and heavy cruiser was equipped with one. Not only could it be used for reconnaissance, but it also served to provide artillery spotting. This capability placed the German Navy ahead of the British in this regard.
An hour later, dark clouds loomed over the northern skies of the fleet; however, these were not ordinary clouds but thick smoke rising from the sea. The German vessels operated heavy oil boilers, which emitted vast quantities of black smoke when burned.
The lookouts on the British ships quickly noticed the issue and reported it immediately to Rear Admiral Carol.
"Ha! Wonderful! Those Germans actually dare to come!" Rear Admiral Carol exclaimed. "Immediately send a telegram to General Beatty; the fish is on the hook. We will hold them fast."
Though he had great confidence in the King George V-class battleships, he understood that the German battlecruisers were formidable adversaries. The sinking of the Lion was a stark reminder. Moreover, the objective was to eliminate the German raider fleet. Should his recklessness lead to the failure of this plan, the Royal Navy and the British government would certainly not let him escape unscathed.
"Order the fleet to prepare for battle. The merchant ships are to turn immediately and vacate the battlefield," Rear Admiral Carol commanded with urgency. Once naval combat commenced, they could not afford to protect the merchant vessels. Evacuating them would ensure their safety while also safeguarding the valuable supplies aboard.
To achieve the goal of ensnaring the German Navy, the cargo on these merchant vessels was genuine. Losing it would indeed be a great pity.
"Yes, sir," the British fleet quickly readied themselves for combat.
Four King George V-class battleships, accompanied by several cruisers and destroyers, steered towards the advancing German raider fleet. The remaining light cruisers and destroyers escorted the merchant fleet southward, attempting to evade the impending naval conflict.
Meanwhile, Rear Admiral Carol had already sent a telegram to Vice Admiral David Beatty, requesting reinforcements.
Vice Admiral Beatty, commanding other British naval vessels, was following at a distance of two hours' sail from the fleet.
When the communications officer delivered the telegram to him, Vice Admiral Beatty erupted with excitement.
"Excellent! Splendid! The damned Germans have finally taken the bait! This time, we shall annihilate them completely!" Vice Admiral Beatty shouted with fervor.
"Send a telegram to the 1st and 2nd Battle Cruiser Squadrons, as well as the 2nd Battleship Squadron, instructing them to spring into action immediately. We must encircle the Germans. This time, I do not want a single German ship to escape," Vice Admiral Beatty commanded decisively.
In Beatty's estimation, his fleet was three times the size of the German raider fleet. In such circumstances, a decisive victory was entirely within reach.
"Yes, sir."
The British Navy promptly set their plan in motion. Three Invincible-class battlecruisers, three Indefatigable-class battlecruisers, along with two Lion-class battlecruisers and the Tiger battlecruiser, swiftly moved to execute a pincer attack on the German raider fleet.
This time, Vice Admiral Beatty harbored ambitious aspirations to obliterate the German raider fleet, thereby neutralizing the threat it posed to Britain's maritime supply lines.
With great resolve, the British Navy commenced its encirclement of its prey, while at that moment, the German Navy also regarded the British as its quarry.
Aboard the Moltke, Vice Admiral Spee observed the approaching British fleet with a smile.
"Order all ships to prepare for battle. The British have delivered themselves to us. We have at least an hour, perhaps even more, to deal with them. I am eager to see the expressions of the British reinforcements when they arrive to find their ships sunk," Vice Admiral Spee remarked.
"Ha ha!" Laughter erupted among the German naval officers in the command tower.
Despite their awareness of the trap set for the German raider fleet, they remained unperturbed. They were prepared, and this time, the British would surely pay a hefty price.
"Sir, General Hippler has sent a telegram inquiring whether we should dispatch two capital ships to pursue the British merchant vessels fleeing southward," a staff officer reported.
Vice Admiral Spee pondered for a moment before shaking his head. "Let the British merchant vessels be for now. We will first concentrate our forces to eliminate the four King George V battleships."
After all, no one could predict how many reinforcements the British had prepared for this encounter. It was paramount to eliminate the four King George V-class battleships before the British reinforcements arrived, ensuring they would not face overwhelming disadvantage in the ensuing naval battle. As for the British merchant ships, sinking them would be ideal; even if they escaped this time, as long as the British Navy lost, those merchant vessels would become irrelevant.