In December 1939, little military action was occurring on land in Western Europe. The war at sea, however, was a different story. One of the most sensational naval encounters of all time came in that month. This was the Battle of the River Plate, a running battle between the German pocket battleship, Admiral Graf Spee, and the British cruisers Ajax, Exeter, and Achilles.
On August 21, 1939, Graf Spee sailed from Wilhelmshaven, Germany. Her mission was to raid Allied merchant shipping in the South Atlantic and Indian Ocean. From September to December, Graf Spee sank nine British merchant ships, but, adhering to the rules of contemporary mercantile warfare, Graf Spee's captain, Hans Langsdorff was careful to save the crew of all victim ships.
The Royal Navy formed seven hunting groups in the Atlantic and one in the Indian Ocean to search for Graf Spee. On December 13, 1939, a hunting group that included the British cruisers Exeter, Ajax, and Achilles found Graf Spee. These cruisers engaged Graf Spee in the Battle of the River Plate, and although they appeared to sustain greater damage than their foe, they forced Graf Spee into the neutral harbour of Montevideo, Uruguay for repairs early in the morning of December 14.
In accordance with international law, Uruguayan officials permitted Graf Spee to remain in port for only 72 hours. Not having finished repairs on the ship, expecting a much more powerful British force than the one actually gathered off the coast of Montevideo, and hoping to avoid unnecessary loss of life, Captain Langsdorff made the decision to scuttle his ship.
In the morning of December 17, a large crowd gathered on the coast of Montevideo in anticipation of a major naval battle. The Germans, however, did not give this crowd a battle. After sailing the ship immediately beyond the limits of Montevideo harbour and evacuating the crew, Graf Spee was blown up and sank in about twenty-five feet of water.
Today, Graf Spee is being salvaged through a project that began in February 2004. If your Host is giving you that 'sinking feeling', maybe you need Pocket Host.
