 Good Hope rendezvoused with the rest of the squadron at Vallenar Roads in the remote Chonos Archipelago of Chile on 27 October to recoal . They departed two days later , just as Canopus arrived , Cradock ordering the battleship to follow as soon as possible . He sent the light cruiser Glasgow to scout ahead and to enter Coronel , Chile to pick up any messages from the Admiralty and acquire intelligence regarding German activities . The cruiser began to pick up German radio signals from the light cruiser SMS Leipzig on the afternoon of 29 October , and delayed entering Coronel for two days with Cradock 's permission to avoid being trapped by the fast German ships . A German supply ship was already there and radioed Spee that Glasgow had entered the harbour around twilight . The cruiser departed on the morning of 1 November , but Spee had already made plans to catch her when informed of her presence the previous evening . 
