s of German naval history. The _Gneisenau_ passed
on the far side of her sunken flagship. With the guns of both
battle-cruisers now bearing upon her alone, the German was soon in sore
straits. But she fought on gallantly for a considerable time. At
half-past five she had ceased firing, and appeared to be sinking. She
had suffered severe damage. Smoke and steam were rising everywhere. Her
bridge had been shot away. Her foremost funnel was resting against the
second. Her upper deck was so shattered that it could not be crossed,
and every man upon it had been killed. An exploding shell had hurled one
of the gun-turrets bodily overboard. Fire was raging aft. Her colours
had been shot away several times, and hoisted as often. One of the flags
was hauled down at about twenty to six, though that at the peak was
still flying. She began to fire again with a single gun. The
_Invincible_, the _Inflexible_, and the _Carnarvon_, which had now come
up, closed in upon the doomed vessel. Firing was recommenced. The
_Gneisenau_ was not moving. Both her engines were smashed. Shells
striking the water near her sent up colossal columns of water, which,
falling upon the ship, put out some of the fires. She soon began to
settle down in the waves. All her guns were now out of action, and
Sturdee ordered the "Cease fire". There could be little doubt that her
stubborn resistance was nearing its end. The German commander lined up
his men on the decks. The ammunition was exhausted. The ship would soon
go down. Some six hundred men had already been killed. The survivors had
better provide themselves with articles for their support in the water.
At six o'clock the _Gneisenau_ heeled over suddenly. Clouds of steam
sprang forth. Her stem swung up into the air, and she sank. Large
numbers of her crew could be seen floating in the icy waves, hanging on
to pieces of wreckage, and uttering terribly uncanny cries. The sea was
choppy. Drizzling rain was falling. The British steamed up immediately.
All undamaged boats were got out. Ropes were lowered. Lifebuoys and
spars were thrown to the drowning men. But many of them, numbed by the
freezing water, let go their hold and sank. About 180, among them the
captain of the _Gneisenau_, were saved. It is said that much agreeable
surprise, upon the discovery that their anticipations of being shot
would not be realized, was manifested by the German sailors.

[Sidenote: The _Eitel Friedrich_ escapes.]

[Sidenote: T