SMS Gneisenau (1879)
The crew attempted to drop the starboard anchor, but it did not catch in the stony ground. "Gneisenau" was driven into the mole repeatedly, striking it with her stern twice before being turned and pushed bow-first on the starboard side, forcing her aground. A merchant ship attempted to come to the crew's aid, but they were unable to connect a line between the two ships before "Gneisenau" began to list 35 degrees. A boat from shore also attempted to rescue the crew, but it too was forced ashore in the heavy seas. Wave action quickly smashed "Gneisenau"s hull against the mole, and part of her crew attempted to find safety by climbing the rigging. The ship rolled over onto her side, and the surviving crewmen reached shore with a line. Forty-one men were killed in the accident, including Kretschmann and the ship's first officer. "Charlotte" and the British ironclad were sent to aid the wounded. Those killed in the sinking were buried in Málaga's cemetery, and the survivors returned to Germany aboard the HAPAG steamship on 2 January 1901.
SMS Leipzig (1905)
"Scharnhorst" and "Gneisenau" quickly wrecked their British counterparts, while "Leipzig" fired at "Glasgow" without success. At 18:49, "Glasgow" hit "Leipzig", but the shell was a dud and did not explode. "Leipzig" and hit "Glasgow" five times before von Spee ordered "Leipzig" to close with the stricken "Good Hope" and torpedo it. A rain squall obscured the ship, and by the time "Leipzig" reached "Good Hope"s position, the latter had sunk. Unaware of the sinking of "Good Hope", no rescue operations were mounted by "Leipzig"s crew. By 20:00, "Leipzig" encountered "Dresden" in the gathering darkness, and the two initially mistook each other for hostile warships, though they quickly established their identity. "Leipzig" emerged from the battle essentially unscathed, and with no wounded crewmen.