Screened by the land, Sturdee waited for the Germans to draw nearer, so as to make victory doubly secure. At about a quarter to nine the _Kent_ steamed down the harbour, and took up a position at the entrance. The advance ships of the enemy came boldly on, anticipating an easy victory against the feeble force which they imagined to be in the harbour. Then they turned broadside on, with the intention of destroying the wireless station. Directed by officers on the hills above the town, the _Canopus_ from her moorings opened fire over the narrow neck of land, and five shots in quick succession fell around the German ships, which immediately hoisted their colours and wheeled round to close in with the other three vessels of their squadron. Soon the British admiral knew that the ships in the offing were the _Scharnhorst_, _Gneisenau_, _Leipzig_, _Nürnberg_, and _Dresden_. He could hardly believe his good luck. He had come out to seek this very squadron, and it had come to find him instead. A few minutes later the two leading cruisers of the enemy altered their course and made directly for the harbour mouth, where the _Kent_ was ready to engage them. Meanwhile the British battle cruisers were rapidly raising steam by means of oil fuel, and while doing so were sending up dense clouds of smoke with which to shroud themselves. Nearer and nearer came the leading ships of von Spee's squadron, and soon their commanders and crews had the surprise of their lives. They could now see the masts and funnels of the battle cruisers, and they knew for the first time that the British were waiting for them in great strength. Van Spee was well aware that he could not cope with such a force. The British ships were faster, and their guns were heavier and of longer range. He had played into the enemy's hands, and only a miracle could save him. Immediately the ships of his vanguard changed direction and hurried back to their consorts. It was a beautiful morning. The sun was bright, the sky was clear, and the sea was calm--one of those rare days which come to the foggy, wind-swept islands like angels' visits, few and far between. Leaving the _Canopus_ in harbour, Admiral Sturdee about ten o'clock ordered the chase to begin, and the _Glasgow_, followed by the _Kent_, _Invincible_, _Cornwall_, _Inflexible_, and _Carnarvon_, steamed out to sea. The colliers and supply ships of the German squadron at once retreated to the south, and the _Bristol_ and _Macedonia_ followed them up. The remainder of van Spee's ships turned tail, and at top speed hurried away eastward. Their only hope lay in flight. The great gray warships tore through the sunlit seas, the white foam streaming from their bows as they furrowed the waves. The _Invincible_ and the _Inflexible_ soon drew ahead, but had to slacken off to enable the slower cruisers to keep up with them. At about eleven o'clock the position of the ships was as shown in the diagram on the next page.