Meanwhile the duel between the _Gneisenau_ and _Inflexible_ had been going on. A 12-inch shell from one of the British cruisers struck one of the after gun turrets of the _Gneisenau_ and swept it overboard. The German ship used the sinking _Scharnhorst_ as a screen and tried to take on both British ships. Still she was able to plant some effective shells against the _Invincible_ as a final reply. By half-past five she was listing heavily to starboard and her engines had stopped. The British ship, thinking she was surely done for, ceased firing at her and watched her for ten minutes, while a single gun on board of her fired at intervals. The three ships _Carnarvon, Inflexible_, and _Invincible_ now closed in on her and punished her till the flag at her stern was hauled down. But the ensign at her peak continued to fly. Just at six o'clock, with this color still in position, she suddenly heeled to starboard, while the men of her crew made hastily up her slanting decks and then climbed over on to the exposed part of her upturned port side. Many of these unfortunate men had time to jump into the sea, but others were caught when she suddenly disappeared beneath the surface. There remained the task of picking up her survivors, but they were not numerous, for the shock of the cold water killed a large number. Having picked up those whom they could, the three British ships signaled the news of their victories to the distant cruisers which were fighting it out with the _Dresden, Leipzig, Nuernberg_, and _Eitel Friedrich_. These lighter German cruisers had left the line of battle and had turned southward at just about the time that the action between the _Scharnhorst_ and _Gneisenau_ and _Inflexible_ and _Invincible_ began. They started off with the _Dresden_ at the foremost point of a triangle and with the other two at the two remaining points. The _Glasgow, Cornwall_, and _Kent_ went after them, while the _Carnarvon_, because her speed was not high enough to accompany them, remained with the battle cruisers. The _Glasgow_ drew up with the German ships first, and at three o'clock began to fire on the _Leipzig_ at a distance of 12,000 yards. As in the other action of that afternoon, the British ship took advantage of the fact that her guns had longer range, and she drew back from the German ships so that their guns could not reach her, though her own shells began to fall upon their decks. It was her object to keep them busy until she could be joined by her accompanying ships. [Illustration: VICE ADMIRAL SIR DOVETON STURDEE'S ACTION OFF THE FALKLAND ISLANDS. DEC 8, 1914.