 At 08 : 14 , Kolberg spotted the light cruiser Aurora and several destroyers from the Harwich Force . Aurora challenged Kolberg with a searchlight , at which point Kolberg attacked Aurora and scored two hits . Aurora returned fire and scored two hits on Kolberg in retaliation . Hipper immediately turned his battlecruisers towards the gunfire , when , almost simultaneously , Stralsund spotted a large amount of smoke to the northwest of her position . This was identified as a number of large British warships steaming toward Hipper 's ships . Hipper later remarked : 
