Against ships with 12-inch guns and four times their weight of broadside the _Gneisenau_ and _Scharnhorst_ made a creditable record of over 20 hits. The British, however, suffered no casualties or material injury. While Admiral Sturdee's tactics are thus justified, the prolongation of the battle left him no time to join in the light cruiser chase, and even opened the possibility, in the rain squalls of the late afternoon, that one of the armored cruisers might get away. In spite of a calm sea and excellent visibility during most of the action, the gunnery of the battle cruisers appears to have been less accurate at long range than in the later engagement off the Dogger Bank. [Illustration: BATTLE OF THE FALKLAND ISLANDS, DEC. 8, 1914 From _Official British Naval History_, Vol. I. _British Squadron_ _Name Type Guns Speed_ Invincible Battle Cruiser 8--12", 16--4" 26.5 Inflexible Battle Cruiser 8--12", 16--4" 26.5 Carnarvon Armored Cruiser 4--7.5", 6--6" 23.0 Cornwall Armored Cruiser 14--6" 23.5 Kent Armored Cruiser 14--6" 23.0 Bristol Scout Cruiser 2--6", 10--4" 26.5 Glasgow Scout Cruiser 2--6", 10--4" 26.5 Canopus Coast Defense 4--12", 12--6" 16.5 _German Squadron_ Scharnhorst Armored Cruiser 8--8.2", 6--6" 23.5 Gneisenau Armored Cruiser 8--8.2", 6--6" 23.5 Leipzig Protected Cruiser 10--4" 23.0 Nuernberg Scout Cruiser 10--4" 24.0 Dresden Scout Cruiser 10--4" 24.0] Following similar tactics, the _Glasgow_ and _Cornwall_ overtook and finally silenced the _Leipzig_ at 7 p.m., four hours after the _Glasgow_ had first opened fire. Defiant to the last, like the _Monmouth_ at Coronel, and with her ammunition gone, she sank at 9.25, carrying down all but 18 of her officers and crew. The _Kent_, stoking all her woodwork to increase steam, attained at 5 o'clock a position 12,000 yards from the _Nuernberg_, when the latter opened fire. At this late hour a long range action was out of the question. As the _Nuernberg_ slowed down with two of her boilers burst, the _Kent_ closed to 3000 yards and at 7.30 finished off her smaller opponent. The _Dresden_, making well above her schedule speed of 24 knots, had disappeared to southwestward early in the afternoon. Her escape entailed a long search, until, on March 14, 1915, she was destroyed by the _Kent_ and _Glasgow_ off Juan Fernandez, where she had taken refuge for repairs. _Cruise of the "Emden"_