A signal was sent out to two of the cruisers, the Klopstock and the Coblentz, which immediately steamed off, to be followed a little later by the Schiller herself and the Ariadne, which took a slightly different direction, in order, as was intended, to take the enemy on the opposite flank and so envelop them.
In the open sea, outside Heligoland, and beyond the area of the German mines, British destroyers and submarines, supported by light cruisers and battle cruisers had for a week past been busily reconnoitring, showing themselves boldly, and inviting the Kaiser's ships to come out. But until this morning the invitation had been ignored.
Now, however, as the flotilla of German torpedo boats sallied forth to give chase to what they supposed was a mere patrol of light craft which they might easily deal with, a strong, picked force of our destroyers, headed by the new light cruiser Athene, dashed out from the mist to cut off the German boats from home and engage them at leisure in the open sea.
The action was begun by the Levity and the Lupin in a running fight, and so well were their 4-inch guns served that one of the enemy destroyers was crippled in trying to escape, and shortly afterwards a second was seen to sink. The Athene manoeuvred to get clear of Hermann Körner's submarine, which was within torpedo range.
Then the German destroyers scattered, drawing back to the mine-field, and to the support of the Klopstock and the Coblentz, which were now coming out.
The Athene, leading the line of destroyers, met the heavy gunfire of the Klopstock, and engaged her at a range of about three thousand yards.
For half an hour the two cruisers fought, the Athene holding her own against a ship more than double her size. She sustained some damage and a few casualties, and the situation was becoming critical when a second British light cruiser, the Sarpedon, steamed up to her support. Three destroyers joined in the attack with their torpedoes, whereupon the German turned tail and disappeared in the mist.
The Athene and the Sarpedon, followed by the destroyers Levity and Lupin, now gave chase to the German Coblentz, and drove her, seriously injured, to the protection of the mine-field. Ten minutes later the armoured cruiser Schiller came out, with Admiral von Hilliger in command, and his nephew, Max, on board.
She at once opened her guns on the Athene and the Sarpedon. Salvo after salvo was directed towards the two British cruisers, but every shell fell short, while many of the Athene's 6-inch shells battered her sides. A division of our destroyers joined in the fray with their deck-guns, and the Levity in particular annoyed the Germans by the accuracy of her aim.
Max Hilliger watched her through a pair of powerful binoculars, and once, when the air was momentarily clear of smoke, he caught sight of Rodney Redisham in a prominent position on her high bridge.