Hoarse despairing shrieks went up from hundreds of Russian sailors who fought and struggled for life in the dark rolling waters, and three British torpedo boats humanely rescued a great number of them. Many, however, sank immediately with their vessels, while some strong swimmers struck out for the distant shore. Yet, without exception, all these succumbed to exhaustion ere they could reach the land, and the long waves closed over them as they threw up their arms and sank into the deep. During the first few minutes following this sudden disaster to the enemy the firing ceased, and the _Navarin_ ran up signals. This action attracted the attention of the officers of the British vessels to the approaching ships, and to their amazement and dismay they discovered that they were a squadron of the enemy who had returned unexpectedly from the direction of Dover. The British ships, in their half-crippled condition, could not possibly withstand such an onslaught as they knew was about to be made upon them, for the enemy's reinforcements consisted of the steel barbette-ships _Gangut_, _Alexander II._, and _Nicolai I._, of the Baltic Fleet, the great turret-ship _Petr Veliky_, the _Rurik_, a very powerful central-battery belted cruiser of over ten thousand tons, two new cruisers of the same type that had been recently completed, the _Enara_ and _Ischma_, with three other cruisers and a large flotilla of torpedo boats. Accompanying them were the French 10,000-ton armoured barbette-ship _Magenta_, the central-battery ship _Richelieu_, the armoured turret-ship _Tonnerre_, and the _Hoche_, one of the finest vessels of our Gallic neighbour's Navy, as well as the torpedo cruisers _Hirondelle_ and _Fleurus_, and a number of swift torpedo boats and "catchers." The captains of the British vessels saw that in the face of such a force defeat was a foregone conclusion; therefore they could do nothing but retreat hastily towards Newhaven, in the hope of finding the division of the British Coastguard Squadron which had gone there for the same purpose as they had rounded Beachy Head, namely, to destroy the enemy's transports. Without delay the three vessels swung round with all speed and were quickly headed down Channel, while the remaining attendant torpedo boats, noticing this sudden retreat, also darted away. This manoeuvre did not, of course, proceed unchecked, the enemy being determined they should not escape. Signals were immediately made by the _Alexander II._, the flagship, and the _Petr Veliky_ and _Enara_, being within range, blazed forth a storm of shell upon the fugitives. The shots, however, fell wide, and ricochetted over the water, sending up huge columns of spray; whereupon the _Narcissus_ and _Galatea_ replied steadily with their 6-inch guns, while the heavy guns of the _Hannibal_ were also quickly brought into play.