Since the British guns had insufficient range to match the German guns, Cradock attempted to close on the German ships. By 19:30, he had reached but as he closed, the German fire became correspondingly more accurate. "Good Hope" and "Monmouth" caught fire, presenting easy targets to the German gunners now that darkness had fallen, whereas the German ships had disappeared into the dark. "Monmouth" was first to be silenced. "Good Hope" continued firing, continuing to close on the German ships and receiving more and more fire. By 19:50, she had also ceased firing; subsequently her forward section exploded, then she broke apart and sank, with no one witness to the sinking.