Page 49 - WW1 - 1914

Redditch Local History Society Remembering Redditch Residents & WW1

Redditch Man on the Monmouth continued

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HMS Monmouth was assigned to the 5 Cruise Squadron in 1914 in the Central Atlantic to search for German
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commerce raiders and to protect Allied Shipping. The Monmouth was sunk by gunfire on 1 November 1914 by
SMS Gneisenau which fired one shell blew the roof off Monmouths’s forward turret.. The light cruiser the
Nurnberg saw the Monmouth with a 10 degree list to port shortly afterwards. As it closed the range
Monmouth’s list increased and so that none of her guns on her port side could be used so Nurnberg opened fire
but had no response so fired a torpedo. This missed the Monmouth which then increased speed and turned
towards the Nurnberg which opened fire again. The Monmouth capsized at 21.58 taking her entire crew of 735
men with her. This was the battle of Coronel, off the Chilean Coast.

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Birmingham Daily Post - Friday 13 November 1914

Redditch Man Wounded – Private N. Smith

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