# XVII explained — Brown on Resolution > Chapter companion for Brown on Resolution by C. S. Forester. ## What happens Herr Hans Schmidt, a German agent in Panama, receives urgent news that a British battle cruiser (the Leopard) and its attendant light cruiser (the Penzance) are transiting the Panama Canal, marking the first use of the waterway by a British warship. Schmidt broadcasts a warning to German naval forces, including von Spee and the Ziethen, about the new British strategy under Admiral Fisher to hunt down and destroy von Spee's squadron using battle cruisers. ## Themes in this chapter ### War and Its Human Cost The chapter depicts the intense, sweaty labor of espionage and the strategic hunt for von Spee's squadron, highlighting the relentless and costly nature of naval warfare. ### Duty and Self-Sacrifice Herr Schmidt's thorough and dedicated work, broadcasting warnings despite the heat and personal discomfort, exemplifies a sense of duty to his cause. ### Individual vs. Institution Schmidt operates as an individual agent within the vast German naval intelligence network, while the British Admiralty's institutional strategy (under Fisher) drives the larger conflict. ## Character check-ins ### Hans Schmidt The German agent in Panama who receives intelligence about the British battle cruiser Leopard transiting the Panama Canal and broadcasts warnings to German naval forces. ### Von Spee German admiral whose squadron is the target of the new British strategy involving battle cruisers; Schmidt sends warnings to him. ### Ziethen Brown The German raider Ziethen is one of the intended recipients of Schmidt's broadcast warning about the British battle cruiser. ### Leopard British battle cruiser that transits the Panama Canal, the first British warship to do so, as part of the new offensive strategy. ### Penzance British light cruiser accompanying the Leopard through the Panama Canal. ### Admiral Sturdee British admiral sent with battle cruisers Invincible and Inflexible to hunt von Spee's squadron. ## Key lines > Battle cruisers were to be used, the most deadly enemies of the armoured cruiser. Admiral Sturdee was to be sent from England with Invincible and Inflexible and half a dozen modern cruisers round the Horn to sweep northwards up the Pacific. The British planned to deploy battle cruisers, which were far more powerful than armored cruisers, and send Admiral Sturdee with Invincible and Inflexible around South America to hunt von Spee's squadron. _This passage outlines the strategic shift after Coronel, leading to the Battle of the Falkland Islands._ > So that Leopard and her attendant light cruiser Penzance had passed out of the West Indies and the cognizance of the German agents there, and was even now making the passage of the Canal, the first ship of all Britain’s fleet to make use of the waterway⁠—one month open, only. The Leopard and Penzance had left the West Indies undetected by German spies and were transiting the Panama Canal, which had only been open for a month, making the Leopard the first British warship to do so. _Highlights the historical significance of the Canal's early use and the secrecy of the British movement._ > He did his duty thoroughly, as every German did. From down below came the faint thud-thud of the engine and the deep hum of the dynamo; the shrill whine of the mosquitoes circling round the sweating head blended with the hum. Schmidt performed his espionage duties with typical German thoroughness, working in a hot, mosquito-infested room with the sounds of machinery in the background. _Illustrates Schmidt's dedication and the harsh conditions of his work._ ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/brown_on_resolution_se/chapters/xvii - Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/brown_on_resolution_se - All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/brown_on_resolution_se/chapters