At 11.27 A.M. the _Bristol_ reported that the smoke of three steamers, enemy transports, had been sighted from the signal station at Point Pleasant to the southward of the Island, whereupon the Commander-in-Chief ordered the _Bristol_ and _Macedonia_ to destroy them. They arrived to find only two, both big colliers, the _Baden_ and _Santa Isabel_; the _Bristol_ took off the crews and then sank the vessels. Half an hour later the _Bristol_ learnt the news of the result of the action, and that the sacrifice of their valuable cargoes had been unnecessary. The _Macedonia_, who was first upon the scene, sighted smoke on the horizon, but could see no ship. Rumour had it that this third ship was the _Seydlitz_, and that she had a landing party of armed men and field guns on board, but this has never been substantiated in any way. The _Glasgow_ was ordered back, and at 12.20 P.M. the Commander-in-Chief decided to attack the enemy with the battle-cruisers, whose speed was increased to 25 knots. The enemy were steaming in two divisions in quarter-line, first the _Gneisenau_ and _Nürnberg_ on the left of the line, then the _Scharnhorst_ (flag), _Dresden_, and _Leipzig_; the latter being astern of the remainder of their ships, who were on the starboard bow of our squadron, became the first target. "Action" was sounded, and at once not a soul was to be seen about the decks, each man being busy at his appointed station. The Admiral hoisted the signal "Open fire" at 12.47, and eight minutes later the _Inflexible_ fired at the _Leipzig_ the first round of the action; the _Invincible_ followed almost immediately afterwards. Both ships were now going their full speed, nearly 27 knots, and firing slowly and deliberately at the great range of 16,000 yards (over nine land miles). The huge columns of water, over 150 feet high, thrown up by our 12-inch projectiles, which weigh 840 lb., sometimes completely blotted out the enemy target at this distance. Owing to the German ships being end-on, it was difficult to get the direction, but our shots were falling very close to them at times, and soon produced a drastic change in their movements.