The German squadron, which was commanded by Admiral Graf von Spee, consisted of the _Scharnhorst_, _Gneisenau_, _Dresden_, _Nürnberg_, and _Leipzig_. The two former had been on the Chinese station and were big armoured cruisers of 11,600 tons, dating from 1907. They were sister ships, each mounting eight 8·2-inch, six 6-inch, and several smaller guns. The _Scharnhorst_ (flag) was the crack gunnery ship of the German fleet. The other three ships were third-class cruisers of between 3000 and 4000 tons, similar to the _Emden_, and carried ten 4·1-inch guns apiece, firing 34-pound projectiles. They had been carrying on various separate commerce-raiding operations in the Pacific, had bombarded the French port of Papeete in Tahiti, and now, when the numerous cruisers of the allied Powers were beginning to make the Pacific Ocean "unhealthy" for them, had apparently concentrated off the Chilian coast with the view of slipping out of it into the Atlantic in hopes of doing further mischief, after capturing the Falkland Islands as a base, or possibly of eventually attempting to find their way back to a German port. On 1st November at 2 p.m. a British squadron consisting of the _Good Hope_ (14,100 tons), _Monmouth_ (9800 tons), _Glasgow_ (4800 tons), and _Otranto_ (12,100 tons) were at sea to the westward of Coronel, in Chile, when it was reported that there were enemy's ships in the neighbourhood. The two first-named ships were armoured cruisers of large size, but not too well gunned for their displacement. The _Good Hope_ had a couple of 9·2-inch guns and sixteen 6-inch guns, the _Monmouth_ fourteen 6-inch guns. The _Glasgow_ was a light cruiser with two 6-inch and ten 4-inch guns, while the _Otranto_ was merely a big mail-boat, belonging to the Orient line, armed as a mercantile auxiliary. At 4.20 the smoke of hostile ships was made out on the horizon, and about a quarter to six the British squadron was formed in line ahead in the order in which their names have been already noted. The enemy came in sight about this time at 12 miles distance, but kept away as long as the sun was above the horizon, as it showed them up well to our gunners and was in the eyes of their own. As soon as it dipped, the light was entirely in their favour. The grey forms of their ships were but dimly discernible, whilst ours were silhouetted black against the ruddy glow of the sunset.