The Tiger, White Hawk, Brewster and Southampton, also poured broadsides into the Wilhelm II as they passed, but they did not even slacken their pace.

But the Wilhelm II apparently had not received her death blow.  Her crew continued to fight the ship heroically, and as the Essex approached she was greeted with a heavy fire from the German.

“The big fellows don’t seem to have made a very good job of this,” said Jack to Frank.  “We’ll finish it for them.”

The Essex slowed down and turned sharply toward the Wilhelm II.  Her guns still in condition to fight burst forth anew.  The British showed excellent marksmanship.  Shell after shell was poured into the crippled foe.  Jack ordered “cease firing.”

Taking a megaphone that lay nearby, he put it to his mouth and called: 

“Surrender!”

His answer was a shell that came crashing aboard aft from one of the Wilhelm II’s big guns.  Jack turned quietly to Frank.

“Sink her!” he said.

Frank dashed across the deck to where the crew of the forward gun turret was anxiously awaiting some command.  He addressed the captain of the crew.

“See if you can put a shell into her engine room,” he said.  “Take your time.”

The latter did so; and it was several seconds before the big gun spoke, but when it did Frank uttered an exclamation of satisfaction.

The shell had gone true.  Watching eyes aboard the Essex saw it plow its way through the side of the Wilhelm II.  Then came the explosion and the Wilhelm II seemed to part in the middle.  She sank in less than five minutes.

Meanwhile, the Peerless and Falcon had headed off the other three German ships, which, forced to fight, now stood at bay, with every gun pounding.  The Lion, Tiger and the other vessels bore down on them rapidly from astern.

For the space of half an hour the view of those aboard the Essex was obscured by the smoke from the big guns, which could not be penetrated even by the bright lights of the searchlights.  They could hear the boom of the big guns, the crash of the shells as they struck home and occasional sharp explosions that told of irrepairable damage aboard the enemy vessels, but they could see nothing.

“This will be the last of the enemy,” was Frank’s comment.

Jack nodded.

“I should think so,” he agreed.  “If they let one of those fellows get away now they should be court-martialed.”

“Don’t fret,” said Frank, “they won’t get away.”

They didn’t get away.

Firing ceased just as the first streak of light appeared in the eastern sky, and when the smoke of battle cleared away, Jack and Frank saw that the British victory had been complete.

Only two German ships were still above water.  These were the Bismarck, flagship of Admiral Krauss, and the Hamburg.  The others had all been sunk.

The Hamburg, the lads could see, was slowly sinking by the head.  She was being abandoned by her crew, who, in small boats, some even swimming, were hurrying to the side of the Bismarck, where they were lifted aboard.