tingency, and the " Glasgow," " Cornwall " and " Kent " went after them in hot pursuit. Von Spec turned to E.N.E. to ac- cept action and took station ahead of the " Gneisenau," while Sturdee's battle cruisers to the northward of him turned into line ahead on an easterly course. At 1 125 P.M. they opened fire, the " Invincible " on the " Gneisenau " and the " Inflexi- ble " on the " Scharnhorst," at first, shifting target later when the " Scharnhorst " passed ahead.
The action which followed may be divided into three phases; an opening encounter from 1 125 P.M. to 2 P.M., then a pause from 2 P.M. to 2:45 P.M. in which the chase was resumed, and the final engagement. The opening shots were fired at about 14,000 yd., and von Spee led round to the north-east for a few minutes to close, continuing at 13,000 yd. on a north-easterly course, which gave the " Carnarvon " a chance of coming up. About 1:40 P.M. the "Invincible" was hit, and Sturdee turned to port to open the range and take advantage of his heavier guns.
Dense clouds of smoke were pouring from the battle-cruisers' funnels, and the north-easterly course and north-westerly wind carried it southward towards the enemy, smothering the range. By 2 P.M. the range had increased to 16,000 yd. and fire was checked. The " Invincible " led round to the south-east at 2:05 P.M. to close, but the enemy was lost to sight for a few minutes in the smoke, and when he reappeared he was found to have turned right away to the southward in the direction of his light cruisers. Sturdee in reply turned to the southward and increased speed, and the chase began again. It continued for nearly 40 minutes. By 2:45 the range was down again to 15,000 yd. and turning two points to port Sturdee opened fire. Von Spee did not reply for some minutes, then deciding to accept action he turned to the east again and opened fire at 2:55 P.M. The action ran to the eastward till 3:15 P.M. with the range falling from 12,000 to 10,000 yards.
The British guns were now establishing their mastery. A fire had broken out in the " Scharnhorst " and the " Gneisenau " was listing and showing signs of severe damage. But again the smother of smoke down the range made spotting difficult, and at 3:15 P.M. Adml. Sturdee to escape from it turned the battle cruisers to port together. The " Inflexible " was now leading to the westward and found herself for the first time free from smoke. Von Spee might have continued his course to the eastward which would have opened the range again to something like 17,000 yd. at the expense of a concentration of fire on the " Gneisenau " in rear, but he preferred to continue the battle on a parallel course, and led round to starboard in succession bringing his starboard guns into action. The " Scharnhorst " shifted fire to the " Inflexible " and was engaged by her. The action now ran to the south-westward with the British battle cruisers circling widely round the enemy, maintaining a range of about 14,000 yards. By 4:5 P.M. the " Scharnhorst " was bearing east on a south-westerly course; she had been hit several times and was listing heavily to port ; her superstructure was a mass of ruins, and her speed had been reduced to 1 2 knots. The smoke was again driving down the range, and at 4:10 P.M. the " Inflexible " to get rid of it turned to starboard and engaged the " Gneisenau " on a north-easterly and opposite course. The " Invincible " did not follow her but ran on to the south-eastward. The end was now near. At 4:17 P.M. the " Scharnhorst " heeled completely over to port; her stern rose steeply in the air and she went down. As she disappeared the "Invincible" turned to starboard and ran to the northward for ten minutes, then ordering the " Inflexible " to take station astern, and turning to port at 4:30 P.M. shaped course to the westward. The " Gneisenau " was some 13,000 yd. to the south-eastward, still struggling along on a south-westerly course. No sooner had the " Inflexible " formed astern of the flagship than the range was again obscured by smoke, and finding it impossible to see the enemy she turned 14 points to port at 4:45 P.M., and leaving the flagship ran to the eastward towards the enemy, opening on him with her starboard guns before the beam and turning to the south-westward at 4:55 on his starboard quarter at 10,000 yards. The " Invincible " meanwhile held on,
and turning to the south-westward at 4:52 kept the " Gneisenau " on her port beam at about 12,000 yards. The " Gneisenau " was now under a heavy concentrated fire. By 5:15 she was in a sorry plight. The after turret was out of action, the foremost funnel gone and the ship was barely making headway. A drizz- ling rain had commenced to fall. At 5:30 P.M. the " Inflexible " ceased fire under the impression that she had struck, but the enemy's fore turret still maintained the contest. At 5:45 P.M. she fired her last shot. She had received some 50 hits and was sinking slowly. At 6 P.M. she went down, stern first. The British battle cruisers rescued 188 survivors from the icy water.
The German light cruisers when they left the squadron had headed south at full speed with the " Kent," " Cornwall " and " Glasgow " in pursuit. When the chase began, the " Niirn- berg " was the centre ship, with the " Leipzig " about a mile on her starboard beam, and the " Dresden " ahead about four m. on the port bow. The speeds attained by various ships are diffi- cult to ascertain with absolute certainty. The " Leipzig " was the slowest ship and was probably unable to go more than 205 knots; the "Dresden" was the fastest and was able to go about 25 j knots, and possibly something over, while the " Niirnberg " could probably go 22. All the German ships had been cruising continuously for four months with no facilities for repair, and probably found it difficult to maintain their speeds. On the British side, the " Glasgow " could go 25^ knots, and the " Corn- wall " and " Kent " can be credited with 22-j and 22 knots respectively. There could be no doubt as to the sequel once the British armoured cruisers got within range. The Germans had nothing heavier than the 4-i-in., good guns for their size but no match for the 14 6-in. carried by the armoured cruisers. When the German light cruisers broke off at 1:25 P.M. and the chase began the British cruisers were some 10 to n miles behind them. The " Glasgow " did not turn after them till 1:33 P.M., then going 24 knots she overhauled the " Kent " and " Corn- wall " and crossed their bows.
According to German accounts Capt. Luce was overhauling the " Dresden " slowly for a time, but at 2:53 P.M. when some four m. ahead of the armoured cruisers he yawed and opened fire with his 6-in. guns on the " Leipzig," damaging one of her ventilating fans, which brought the steam pressure down. The armoured cruisers were now gradually creeping up, and about
4 P.M. the enemy cruisers began to scatter, the " Dresden " going off to the south-west, the " Niirnberg " to the south-east, and the " Leipzig " continuing to the southward. Capt. W. M. Ellerton of the " Cornwall " immediately arranged with Capt. J. D. Allen of the " Kent " that he would take the " Leipzig," leaving the " Nurnberg " to the " Kent." This left the " Dres- den " to the " Glasgow," but Capt. Luce thought her speed too great and preferred to remain with the armoured cruisers.
About 4:15 P.M. the " Kent " opened fire on the " Nurnberg " and the " Cornwall " on the " Leipzig," and by 4:30 the latter was being straddled. The " Glasgow " now definitely abandoned all attempt to follow the " Dresden," which disappeared about
5 P.M. in a squall of rain. Turning to the eastward at 4:27 P.M. she passed astern of the " Cornwall," bringing her broad- side to bear on the " Leipzig." The chase continued to the south- eastward, for half an hour the " Cornwall " keeping the enemy on the starboard bow, and steering a more easterly course to keep her guns bearing. About 4:50 the "Leipzig" turned to the south-west, and the " Cornwall " following suit had her now on the port bow and brought her port guns into action. The " Leipzig " was now beginning to suffer from the effects of the combined fire, and the " Cornwall " and " Glasgow " had no difficulty in keeping her at ranges of 9,000 to 10,000 yards. By 6 P.M. rain was falling, and as the target was becoming indistinct Capt. Luce made a signal to close. The " Corn- wall " now began to fire lyddite with immediate effect. By 6:35 P.M. the " Leipzig " was blazing fore and aft, though still firing fitfully and going some 15 knots. At 7 P.M. her mainmast and her funnels had gone and she was practically only a burning wreck, though her flag still flew defiantly at the foremast. After opening the seacocks about 150 of her crew mustered amidship
