... Light against darkness, Liberty
Against all dark old despotism, unsheathed
The sword in that great hour."
—Alfred Noyes (Drake).
It will be recollected that during the chase the battle-cruisers were firing at the Leipzig before the main battle with Admiral von Spee took place. This compelled the Germans to divide into two separate squadrons, since a direct hit from a 12-inch gun might easily prove fatal to one of their light-cruisers. Foreseeing that this manœuvre was likely to occur, Admiral Sturdee had directed the Cornwall, Kent, and Glasgow to follow in pursuit. No time was lost, therefore, in giving chase to the enemy light-cruisers when they turned off to the S.S.E. at 1.20 P.M., the Glasgow leading the way at 26 knots, followed by the Kent and the Cornwall keeping neck and neck and going about 23½ knots. The Dresden led the enemy light-cruisers with the Leipzig and Nürnberg on her starboard and port quarter respectively.
In the ever-increasing distance between our two squadrons, the main battle could still be seen through field glasses, which made the necessity for turning away from a spectacle of such absorbing and compelling interest all the more tantalising. But there was solid work to be done, requiring concentration, thought, and cool judgment.
A stern chase is proverbially a long one, and the difference in speed between our ships and the Germans' was not sufficient to justify any hope of getting to business for at least two hours, as the slowest enemy ship was probably doing 23 knots at this time. Every effort was now made to go as fast as possible, and the Cornwall and Kent had quite an exciting race as they worked up to 24 knots or slightly more—a speed actually exceeding that realised along the measured mile when these ships were new. The engine-room staffs on both ships "dug out for all they were worth," and the keenest rivalry prevailed.
It was very evident that a long chase lay before us, for the Glasgow was the only ship of the three that had a marked superiority in speed to the enemy. The Cornwall and Kent were gaining very slowly but surely on the Leipzig and Nürnberg, but were losing on the Dresden.
The enemy kept edging away to port continually, and about 2.15 we passed over the spot where later in the day the Gneisenau was sunk by our battle-cruisers.
About 2.45 P.M. the positions of the ships were as plan (see [page 112]). The Leipzig was the centre rearmost ship, with the Dresden some four to five miles on her starboard bow, while the Nürnberg was about a mile on her port bow. Both these ships were diverging slightly from the Leipzig, spreading out in the shape of a fan to escape being brought to action. The Cornwall and Kent were some eleven miles astern of the Leipzig, and the Glasgow was four miles distant on the starboard bow.