"Gowanlea" was confronted by the "Helgoland", which demanded the surrender of the tiny ship and ordered the crew to abandon ship prior to sinking. Instead, Watt ordered his crew to open fire on their large opponent with the drifter's tiny 6-pounder guns. "Gowanlea" was quickly hit by four heavy shells, seriously damaging the boat and wounding several crewmen. The other drifters around "Gowanlea" followed her example but were also subject to heavy fire, three sinking and the last lurching away seriously damaged. The Austrian cruisers headed for home but were engaged on their return by British, Italian and French units and became involved in the inconclusive battle of the Otranto Barrage.