Complex sentence: When the American ships arrived, they saw the German cruiser "Irene" at the island, but as the Americans cleared for action and started to head for the "Irene", she fled around the other end of Grande.
Split into simpler sentences: When the American ships arrived, they saw the German cruiser "Irene" at the island. But as the Americans cleared for action and started to head for the "Irene", she fled around the other end of Grande.