What was happening? As a matter of fact, our First and Third Destroyer Flotillas, supported by the First Light-cruiser Squadron, and with the First Battle-cruiser Squadron in reserve, were carrying out an ingenious plan which was described as "a scooping movement" against the German war-craft known to be in the neighbourhood of Heligoland. Some of our submarines were also playing their part, and it is probable that the "scoop" was planned on information previously gained by these little craft, since it was officially announced by the Press Bureau, after the battle, that "the success of this operation was due in the first instance to the information brought to the admiral by the submarine officers, who have, during the past three weeks, shown extraordinary daring and enterprise in penetrating the enemy's waters". [Illustration: THE SINKING OF THE GERMAN CRUISER _MAINZ_ A snapshot from one of the British war-ships engaged in the fight off Heligoland.] The three submarines were a decoy to draw the enemy's flotillas to the westward. Then down came the saucy _Arethusa_, looking not unlike a big destroyer herself, flying the broad pennant of Commodore R. Y. Tyrwhitt, and the destroyers of the Third Flotilla. The new-comers immediately attacked the German Flotilla, which was now making for Heligoland. The _Arethusa_, in her turn, was attacked by two German cruisers, and there was something in the nature of a general mêlée, in which the _Fearless_ and the First Destroyer Flotilla very shortly took a hand. Our gunnery seems to have been the more effective, but all the same our flotillas were somewhat hardly pressed until the Light Cruiser Squadron, and finally the battle-cruisers, with their enormous guns, came looming colossal out of the mist and gave the German cruisers the _coup de grâce_. The _Köln_ and _Mainz_ were set on fire and sunk outright, the third cruiser, subsequently understood to have been the _Ariadne_, disappeared blazing into the fog, only to founder shortly afterwards, while two destroyers were also accounted for. The _Arethusa_ was somewhat damaged, and was towed out of the fight by the _Fearless_. Of course, with the arrival of our reinforcements, we were in overwhelming superiority, and our principal risk lay in the enemy submarines, which attempted an attack that was balked by the high speed of our ships and the alertness of our destroyers.