 Later , during the chaotic night fighting , the battlecruisers Seydlitz and Moltke passed too closely in front of Stettin , which forced the entire Scouting Group to fall out of line , inadvertently bringing them into contact with the 2nd Light Cruiser Squadron . A ferocious firefight ensued , at a range of only 730 meters ( 2 @,@ 400 ft ) . Frauenlob opened fire on HMS Southampton and HMS Dublin , as did the rest of the IV Scouting Group . In return , Southampton launched a torpedo that struck Frauenlob at around 22 : 35 , which cut her power and caused serious flooding . British 6 @-@ inch ( 150 mm ) shellfire set the deck alight , and the stricken cruiser quickly capsized and sank , taking twelve officers and 308 men down with her . Only 9 men from her crew survived . 
