Emden opened first at about 9,100 meters and found the range with her fourth salvo. Sydney's narrow bow-on profile and the steep angle of fall limited the result: fifteen shells hit, only five exploded, and the Australian ship lost four men with sixteen wounded. The hits nevertheless disabled both rangefinders, forcing each six-inch mounting to aim and fire locally. Sydney tried to open the distance while relying on individual gun crews to recover the gunnery fight with the cruiser's heavier weapons.
Chapter · 34:50-37:09
Emden's opening salvos test Sydney at long range
Emden scores early at the edge of effective range, but shell angle, Sydney's protection, and local gun control keep the Australian cruiser fighting.