The Admiralty considered routes toward Africa, the West Indies, South America, and Fiji while assembling cruisers to find the German East Asia Squadron. Britain initially concealed its battlecruiser dispatch, so the French lacked the full deployment picture when asked to supply three armoured cruisers and a flag officer. French authorities suggested other likely destinations for von Spee and continued to refuse ships after Britain explained the wider dispositions. A British squadron was then organised to operate from Sierra Leone and cover trade and troop movements off West Africa. Japan promptly supplied a strong squadron toward Fiji. The pursuit depended on sharing plans with allies as well as persuading them to release ships.
Chapter · 11:43-13:27
Allied navies search for von Spee after Coronel
The post-Coronel pursuit shows how Britain tried to cover von Spee's possible escape routes and how differently its French and Japanese allies answered requests for naval help.