Glasgow went to Coronel to restore contact with the Admiralty and collect information for Cradock. Von Spee sailed to catch Glasgow, while his ships' use of Leipzig's call sign led the British to expect one German light cruiser. Messages gathered shortly before contact left at most about two hours to digest the information and alter plans. The precise circumstances are unlikely to recur, but a comparable combination of delayed information, deception, and command confusion remains possible.
Chapter · 3:39:22-3:42:41
How Coronel's command and intelligence failures converged
Both squadrons sought what they believed was one enemy cruiser, while delayed messages and deceptive radio traffic prevented a clear assessment of the forces approaching.