The Falklands prove the value of concentration

Von Spee approached the Falklands after accepting intelligence that little British strength was present, turning a raid into another battle entered on a false picture of the enemy. He instead found the force Britain assembled after Coronel: two battlecruisers, three armored cruisers, two Town-class cruisers, and supporting ships. Sending those vessels south did not meaningfully weaken the Grand Fleet's superiority in the North Sea. One battlecruiser, Defence, and additional light cruisers could therefore have made Cradock's command an effective blocking force before the disaster. Concentration would have changed the expected outcome and each commander's incentives, making Von Spee more likely to avoid action and Cradock less likely to face an impossible choice.