Samoa, wireless stations, and overwhelming force

A large Allied convoy enabled New Zealand troops to land without meaningful resistance and take the government and communications infrastructure. German operators disabled the inland wireless station, but British and Australian ships could continue communicating from their own sets while Germany lost a regional information link. Scharnhorst and Gneisenau arrived after the escorts had departed, yet their armor-piercing ammunition was poorly suited to dug-in beach defenses and their sailors could not dislodge thousands of prepared troops. An offshore squadron still needed troops, suitable ammunition, intelligence, and communications to reverse an occupation.