[Illustration: THE BRITISH VICTORY OFF THE FALKLANDS: FIRST STAGE OF THE ACTION BETWEEN BRITISH BATTLE-CRUISERS AND THE GERMAN ARMOURED CRUISERS.
_Reproduced by permission of “The Illustrated London News.”_]
[A] _From “The First Year of the Great War.” By Richard Wilson, Litt.D. (W. & R. Chambers.)_
The affair off Coronel put the heads of the British navy upon their mettle, and within forty days it was followed by a counter-stroke, complete and effective. Silently and with steady determination, preparations were made to deal with the _Scharnhorst_ and her companions; and the man who was entrusted with the work was Vice-Admiral Sir F. C. Doveton Sturdee.
To the east of the southern portion of South America lies the British group known as the Falkland Islands. Due east of the large island called East Falkland, Sturdee’s squadron came within sight of Von Spee’s cruisers, the British admiral having been helped in finding the “quarry” by the clever wireless signalling of a lady and her servants who lived on the islands, and who were afterwards presented with valuable gifts by the British Admiralty as some slight acknowledgment of their timely help.
After the battle off Coronel, the _Glasgow_, along with the battleship _Canopus_, had put into the harbour of Port Stanley, in East Falkland. The former vessel had been damaged, but she was quickly repaired; and when Admiral Sturdee arrived from home, she took her place in his squadron, her officers and men being eager to set things right with the Germans. It was reported that Von Spee’s squadron was going to make a raid on the Falklands; but when he came round Cape Horn he found awaiting him eight British ships of war, and, so far as we know, this was a complete surprise to him.
At about half-past nine in the morning the _Gneisenau_ and the _Nürnberg_ drew near to Port Stanley Harbour with their guns trained on the wireless station. Between them and the harbour was a long low stretch of land running eastward, behind which lay the _Canopus_. The surprise of the Germans must have been great when they were met by a smart fire across this low-lying land at a range of about six miles! The two ships stopped, considered, and turned away, hoisting their colours, however, as they did so. About the same time the _Invincible_ sighted other hostile ships between nine and ten miles distant; and in a short time the British squadron was moving from the harbour towards the enemy’s five ships, which could be plainly seen to the south-east. The day was fine, with a calm sea, a bright sun, a clear sky, and a light breeze from the north-west.