Q&A · 2:19:43-2:21:05

Could the River Plate cruisers defeat Goeben at night?

If the time-displaced River Plate cruisers arrived at night with radar, their gunfire and torpedoes could defeat Goeben and Breslau.

Question

What if Exeter, Achilles, and Ajax emerged from a storm behind Goeben on 7 August 1914?

Short answer

If they arrived at night with radar, as assumed here, they could disable Breslau quickly, wreck Goeben's command positions, and close for torpedo attacks.

Notes

The outcome depends on the time of arrival and the assumption that the cruisers have radar. In the nighttime version, radar-directed fire could wreck Goeben's superstructure and command positions while the German ship struggled to return effective fire. Ajax or Achilles could quickly disable the lightly armed Breslau with 6-inch shells. The cruisers could then use their speed to close on Goeben for torpedo attacks. The predicted victory depends on the radar-equipped night-fighting force assumed for this encounter.