The British vessels at once began a chase in extended order, and the hearts of our men must have been deeply stirred by the admiral’s simple signal, “God save the King!” One of the signallers afterwards wrote: “It was taken up and flung far and wide through space by each of the fleet in turn, until it seemed as though it would never cease. I consider it a privilege to have been one of the few to bear the signal.” A little after noon Admiral Sturdee came within suitable range of the five enemy ships, and decided to attack with the _Invincible_, the _Inflexible_, and the _Glasgow_. How the officers and crew of the last-named vessel had longed for this happy moment! The signal was given, “Open fire and engage the enemy,” and the _Inflexible_ began the battle, followed a few minutes later by the _Invincible_. This firing was at a range of about nine miles--no opportunities for boarding here, cutlass in teeth, and pistols in both hands!--but the British gunnery was so good that three of the German ships turned away. Then the _Glasgow_, with the _Cornwall_ and the _Kent_, gave chase. We shall follow their work when we have considered that of the heavier craft. The _Invincible_ engaged the enemy’s flagship, the _Scharnhorst_, and the _Inflexible_ the _Gneisenau_, the fight being a running one, and the range varying from about eight to nine miles. Before long the German flagship took fire, lost one of her funnels, and slackened her firing. “The effect of our fire,” writes Admiral Sturdee, “became more and more apparent in consequence of smoke from fires, and also escaping steam. At times a shell would cause a large hole to appear in her side, through which could be seen a dull red glow of flame.” Yet the German kept grimly on with her work. The _Gneisenau_ now gamely faced the _Invincible_ and the _Inflexible_, but about 5 o’clock she lost one funnel and was on fire in several places. She continued, however, to reply to the British gunners with a single gun, until, an hour later, she suddenly heeled over and sank. Here is an entry in the diary of one of her officers: “5.10, Hit, hit! 5.12, Hit! 5.14, Hit, hit, hit again! 5.20, After turret gone. 5.40, Hit, hit! On fire everywhere. 5.41, Hit, hit! Burning everywhere and sinking. 5.45, Hit! Men dying everywhere. 5.46, Hit, hit!” After this the officers had something else to do than make entries in a diary. Boats had been lowered from the _Invincible_ and the _Inflexible_, life-buoys and ropes were thrown into the water, and about 300 men were saved, “including their captain--a tall man with a black beard.” Meanwhile the _Glasgow_ and the _Cornwall_ had fought and sunk the _Leipzig_. Like the other German ships, she took fire fore and aft, and as the shades of night were closing in she turned over on her port side and disappeared. The _Cornwall_ began to lower boats when the _Leipzig_ was settling down, but the British Captain leant over the rail of the bridge and said, “It’s no good; she’s going.”