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, Nürnberg_, 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.
This plan shows the track followed by H.M.S. INVINCIBLE (Flagship, Capt. P.T.H. Beamish) and H.M.S. INFLEXIBLE (Capt. R.F. Phillimore) during an action which started at 1.0 pm and finished at 6.0 pm resulting in the sinking of the German armoured cruisers SCHARNHORST (Flagship of Vice Admiral Count Von Spee) and GNIESNAU. The LEIPSIG was engaged and sunk by H.M.S. CORNWALL (Capt. W.M. Ellerton) and H.M.S. GLASGOW (Capt. John Luce) in the near vicinity, also the Nurnberg by H.M.S. KENT (Capt. J.D. Allen). H.M.S. CARNARVON (Flagship of Rear Admiral R.P. Stoddart. Capt. H.L. D'E. Skipwith) was also engaged with SCHARNHORST and GNIESNAU.]
The _Cornwall_ by four o'clock was also near enough to the _Leipzig_ to open fire on her, and three hours later the German cruiser was having a time of it with a large fire in her hold. British faith in heavy armament with long range had again been vindicated. There was something of human interest in this duel between the _Glasgow_ and the _Leipzig_. In their previous meeting, off Coronel, the German ship had had all the better of it and now the men of the British ship were out for revenge. Consequently the _Glasgow_ signaled to the other British ships: "Stand off--I can manage this myself!" By eight o'clock in the evening the _Glasgow_ had her in bad condition, and the _Carnarvon_ came up to assist in raking her till there was nothing left but a mass of wreckage on her decks. But her flag was still flying and the British ships kept circling around her, thinking she still wished to fight, but not coming near enough to permit the use of her torpedo tubes. Miserable was the plight of the _Leipzig_'s crew, for the two hundred men who were still alive were unable to get to her flag on account of the fire aboard her, and they had to remain inactive while the _Carnarvon_ and _Glasgow_ poured round after round into their ship. Only twelve remained alive at nine o'clock, when she began to list to port. Slowly more and more of the under-water part of her hull showed above the sea, and she continued to heel until her keel was right side up. In this position she sank, a large bubble marking the spot.