At 6.36 the enemy ceased fire altogether, the _Kent_ followed suit, and for a short while awaited developments. Being now on fire all along her fore part, the German ship looked a complete wreck, and showed not a vestige of life as she lay helpless on the water. She had a list, and was at a dead standstill. In vain the _Kent_ waited for her to strike her colours, and so, as she showed no signs of sinking, opened fire once more, slowly closing and keeping well before her beam, firing at her with all guns that would bear. Not till 6.57 did she haul down her colours, whereupon all firing ceased. On examination it was found that nearly all the _Kent's_ boats were splintered or smashed up by the enemy's fire, and there were only two that could be temporarily patched up in a short space of time. While the necessary repairs were in progress, the _Nürnberg_, which had been heeling over more and more, turned over on her starboard side, and in a deathlike silence disappeared beneath the surface at 7.27 P.M. Captain J. D. Allen, in Writing of his Men, says, "No sooner had she sunk than the _Kent's_ men displayed the same zeal and activity in endeavouring to save life as they had done in fighting the ship. Boats were hastily repaired and lowered, manned by men eagerly volunteering to help. Unfortunately, the sea was rough and the water very cold, so we only succeeded in picking up twelve men, of whom five subsequently died." The search for the survivors was continued till 9 A.M. It is said that even the living were attacked by albatrosses. While the ship was sinking a few German seamen gathered at the stern and waved their ensign to and fro before going down with the ship. The _Kent_ was hit thirty-seven times altogether, but suffered no damage affecting her seaworthiness. Her wireless telegraphy transmitting instruments were smashed to pieces by a shell, which passed through the wireless office. She was thus unable to report the result of her action, and caused the Commander-in-Chief some anxiety regarding her fate. The receiving instruments, however, were intact, so all the wireless signals made by the Commander-in-Chief inquiring as to her whereabouts were taken in and read, though she was powerless to reply. The upper works on the starboard side presented a sorry spectacle, but the armour, though hit, was unpierced. Only two shots burst against the unarmoured part of the ship's side, one making a hole about four feet square just before the foremost starboard 6-inch gun on the main deck, and the other a hole of about equal size on the same side immediately below the after shelter deck. A German officer who was saved said that they had heard by wireless that the British had "blown up the harbour" at the Falklands, and had fled to the west coast of Africa! He also stated that the _Nürnberg_ had not been refitted for three years, and that her boilers were in a very bad state, which was borne out by some of them having burst during the chase.