 They returned again on 11 July , after having repaired the damage sustained in the first attempt . The two monitors conducted a five @-@ hour bombardment . Königsberg opened fire at 12 : 12 , initially with four guns , but only three guns remained in action after 12 : 42 , two guns after 12 : 44 , and one gun after 12 : 53 . The two monitors did not respond until 12 : 31 , once they had been anchored into their firing positions , and scored several serious hits that caused a major fire at the ship 's stern and inflicted heavy casualties . By 13 : 40 , Königsberg had run low on ammunition and her gun crews had suffered very heavy casualties , and so Looff ordered the crew to abandon ship and to drop the breech blocks for the guns overboard to disable them . Two torpedo warheads were detonated in the ship 's bow to scuttle her ; the ship rolled over slightly to starboard and sank up to the upper deck with her flags still flying . Nineteen men had been killed in the battle , with another forty @-@ five wounded , including Looff . 
