The battle now divided itself into two separate engagements, the battle-cruisers and the _Carnarvon_, which were engaging the two enemy armoured cruisers, and the _Cornwall_, _Kent_, and _Glasgow_, which gave chase to the light cruisers. Later, a third action developed when the _Kent_ went after the _Nürnberg_. Each of these will be taken in turn and described separately. CHAPTER XI THE BATTLE-CRUISER ACTION "Are hell-gates burst at last? For the black deep To windward burns with streaming crimson fires! Over the wild strange waves, they shudder and creep Nearer--strange smoke-wreathed masts and spare, red spires And blazing hulks." --ALFRED NOYES (_Drake_). A few minutes after the German light-cruisers turned away to the S.S.E. in accordance with his orders, Admiral Count von Spee, apparently deciding to accept the inevitable, determined to try and close so as to get into the effective range of his 8.2-inch guns. With this intention, his two armoured cruisers turned in succession about 80 degrees to port, which brought them into line-ahead with the _Gneisenau_ leading, and then opened fire at 1.30 P.M. But he had reckoned without his host, as this very obvious manœuvre did not at all suit Admiral Sturdee's book, who was acting on the principle that ammunition is cheaper than human life, and was resolved to fight at his own chosen range. Our ships, therefore, eased speed to 24 knots, and turned together away from the enemy to port, which brought them at the same time into line-ahead with the flag ship _Invincible_ in the van. The two squadrons were on nearly parallel courses (_see_ facing page 79). The _Inflexible_ had checked fire for a while, but now reopened on the _Scharnhorst_ at a range of 14,500 yards. Both the enemy ships concentrated their fire on the _Invincible_ at this time, whilst ours fired each at his opponent. The respective armaments are seen from the following: _Name_ _Tonnage_ _Armament_ _Speed_ _Completion_ _Armour_ _Belt_ _Invincible_ } 17,250 { 8--12" } 26 { 1909 7 to 4 in. _Inflexible_ } { 16--4" } { 1908 7 to 4 in. _Carnarvon_ 10,850 4--7.5" 22 1903 7 to 4 in. 6--6" _Scharnhorst_} { 8--8.2" } { 23.5 1908 6 to 3 in. } 11,420 { 6--5.9" } { _Gneisenau_ } { 20--3.4" } { 23.8 1908 6 to 3 in. Compiled from "Brassey's Naval Annual."