This naval history tells the dramatic story of the destruction of Germany's East Asiatic Squadron in the opening weeks of the World War I. This crack force of armoured cruisers, led by Vice-Admiral von Spee, had the potential to be a menace to Allied shipping in the Pacific. On Winston Churchill's orders, a flotilla was dispatched to find and destroy the German warships. However, at the Bay of Coronel, it was the ships of the Royal Navy that were destroyed by von Spee's cruisers. Britain was stunned by the news. The Admiralty sent two powerful battle cruisers to deal with the German squadron once and for all. While refuelling at the Falkland Islands, the British were surprised to see von Spee appear over the horizon. He believed the islands to be unprotected. This was a fatal mistake. In the pursuit that followed, all but one of the German ships was sunk and there were few survivors. This was the last naval action fought without fear of mines, torpedoes or aircraft.