Could the German and American ships at Apia have survived the cyclone by following HMS Calliope's example?
Short answerThey had little chance of reproducing Calliope's escape because position, Captain Kane's decision, engineering performance, and luck all favored the British ship.
NotesThe German and American ships at Apia faced more obstacles between their anchorages and the harbor exit, while Calliope had the best position and a captain willing to slip every anchor and drive the engines at maximum pressure. Chief engineer George Bourke kept the machinery working with high-quality New Zealand coal; the escape later helped establish West Coast coal as an important Royal Navy fuel source in the Far East.