All the time the four ships were running im a southerly direction. When the Exeter had to drop out, the pocket battleship herself was so j badly damaged that it was obvious she would have to seek refuge in the River Plate. The Ajax and the Achilles were still on her heels, blazing away With their 6in. guns, and they continued in pursuit throughout the afternoon.
Soon after the warships passed Punta del Este, which projects far into the sea, the two cruisers turned westward towards the shore to take full advantage of the setting sur. The German battleship was silhouetted on the sky while the cruisers were protected by the shadow of the land. This forced the battleship to change her course to the south-east. Firing was renewed and continued until well after sunset. Darkness enabled the battleship to change her course again and make for Montevideo,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.