The Battle of Cocos took place on 9 November 1914, when the Australian light cruiser HMAS Sydney responded to an attack on a communications station on Direction Island by the German light cruiser SMS Emden

Following the retreat of the German East Asia Squadron from south-east Asia, Emden stayed behind operating as a commerce raider. During a two-month period, she captured or sank 25 civilian vessels, bombarded Madras and destroyed two Allied warships at Penang. In early November, her Captain decided to attack the communications station at Direction Island, in the Cocos Islands, to hamper Allied communications and frustrate the search for his ship. Around the same time, a convoy of Europe-bound transports carrying ANZAC soldiers left Australia escorted by HMAS’s Sydney and Melbourne along with HMS Minotaur.

During the night of 8–9 November, Emden reached the islands, and sent a party ashore early in the morning to disable the wireless and cable transmission station on Direction Island. The station was able to transmit a distress call before it was shut down. Melbourne received the message, and ordered Sydney to investigate. She arrived off Direction Island shortly after 0900, and sighted Emden. Emden opened fire, surprising those aboard Sydney as the range was greater than British intelligence thought Emden was capable of. The German ship scored several hits, but was unable to inflict great damage to Sydney, who opened up with her more powerful armament. Later that morning Emden, badly damaged, beached herself on North Keeling Island.

Sydney detached to pursue Emden’s collier, the Buresk, who scuttled herself. On returning to North Keeling Island at 1600, Emden's was still flying her battle ensign. Emden did not respond to instructions from Sydney to lower the ensign, so Sydney opened fire again with two salvoes, hammering into Emden forcing her to strike her ensign. Sydney established the status of the transmission station and then returned to provide medical assistance to the Germans.

Of Emden's crew, 134 were killed and 69 wounded, compared to only 4 killed and 16 wounded aboard Sydney. The German survivors were taken aboard Sydney before being transferred to the auxiliary cruiser Empress of Russia on 12 November.

 Sydney rejoined the troop convoy in Colombo, then spent the rest of the war on the North America and West Indies station before transferring the the Grand Fleet of the Royal Navy.

Emden’s captain and some of his officers were imprisoned on Malta, and the rest of the crew were sent to POW camps in Australia. The defeat of the last German ship in the region allowed RAN warships to be deployed to other theatres, and troopships were able to sail unescorted between Australia and the Middle East until renewed raider activity in 1917.

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