Wreck site S.M.S. Dresden

SMS Dresden was the lead ship in a class of German light cruisers, commissioned in 1908 and armed with ten 10.5cm/ 4.1 inch and 8 5,2cm/2 inch guns and two torpedo tubes, with a crew of 361. At the outbreak of War in 1914 she had been visiting the Caribbean and was unable to return to Germany, She set out in the role of commerce raider in South American waters. Dresden then met up with Graf Spee's East Asia Squadron at Easter Island in the Pacific. Dresden took part in the German victory at the Battle of Coronel on 1st November 1914,where she engaged with HMS Glasgow. As the Germans moved into the South Atlantic they encountered a reinforced British fleet at the Falkland Islands. In the subsequent battle, on 7 December 1914, only Dresden escaped. With the help of German guide, Albert Pagels, she was to hide in amongst the many islands and fjords of Cape Horn despite British naval forces hunting her. After several months the German captain decided to escape but was hampered by the poor condition of her engines and lack of coal. On 8th March she encountered HMS Kent but managed to escape after a 5 hour chase which made her engine and coal conditions even worse, forcing her to anchor in Cumberland Bay with the intention of surrendering.
On the 14th March 1914 HMS Kent, HMS Glasgow and HMS Orana entered Cumberland Bay and engaged SMS Dresden despite her flying the white flag and being in neutral territory. Unable to manoeuvre, Dresden was swiftly overwhelmed but the crew were able to fire scuttling charges. German losses were 8 killed and 29 wounded of which 4 more died in transit to Valparaiso. The crew were imprisoned on Quiriquina Island and most did not return to Germany until 1920.

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