Battle of Más a Tierra

Overview

The Battle of Más a Tierra was a World War I sea battle fought on 14 March 1915, near the Chilean island of Más a Tierra, between a British squadron and a German light cruiser. The battle saw the last remnant of the German East Asia Squadron destroyed, when SMS Dresden was cornered and scuttled in Cumberland Bay.

Overview adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Significance

The Battle of Más a Tierra eliminated the final surviving vessel of the German East Asia Squadron. SMS Dresden, a German light cruiser, was cornered by a British squadron in Cumberland Bay near the Chilean island of Más a Tierra and subsequently scuttled by her crew. The destruction of Dresden closed out the operational history of Germany's East Asia Squadron, which had posed a sustained threat to British naval commerce and communications in the Pacific and South Atlantic. With this action, Britain secured complete naval dominance in those waters, removing the last German surface raider force active in the region.

Commanders (2)