All four ships were belching forth heavy black smoke that hung low over the water after it left the funnels.  A moderate breeze carried it northward, and Von Spee moved his ships this way and that till his smoke blew straight against the guns of the British ships, making it almost impossible for the British gunners to take aim and note effect.  But the superior speed of the two British battle cruisers stood them in good stead, and their commanders brought them up south of the enemy—­on their other side.  It was now the German gunners who found the smoke in their faces, and the advantage was with the British.

By three o’clock in the afternoon fire had broken out on the Scharnhorst and Von Spee replied to Sturdee’s inquiry that he would not quit fighting, though some of his guns were out of action and those which still replied to the Britisher did now only at intervals.  There was evidently something wrong with the machinery that brought shells and ammunition to her guns from out of her hold, the fire probably interfering with it.  A 12-inch shell cut right through her third funnel and carried it completely off the ship.  She turned so that she could bring her starboard guns into action, and they did so feebly.  The fire on board her grew worse and worse, and it could be seen blood-red through holes made by the shells from the Invincible whenever her hull showed through the dense clouds of escaping steam that enveloped her.  Just at four o’clock she began to list to port, thus having her starboard guns put out of action, for they pointed toward the sky, and the shells which came from them described parabolas, dropping into the water at safe distance from the English ship.  More and more she listed, till her port beam ends were in the cold waters of the South Atlantic, and while in that position she sank some fifteen minutes later.

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.