The Graf Spee was a pocket battleship of the German Navy, commissioned in 1936 and scuttled at the end of 1939 off the coast of Buenos Aires, Argentina. Belonging to a new category of warships, it was the second of its class (after the Deutschland, renamed Lützow, and before the Admiral Scheer), launched in 1934 in Wilhelmshaven.
This flagship of the Kriegsmarine was poised to terrorize the British merchant fleet at the beginning of World War II, only to meet a tragic fate almost as significant as that of the Bismarck. Its brief career concluded on the other side of the world during the “battle” of the Rio de la Plata on December 13, 1939.
—>The Battle of the River Plate was the first major naval engagement of World War II involving surface ships. It resulted in the scuttling of the German pocket battleship Admiral Graf Spee and was a morale boost for the Allies.
Graf Spee: A Privateer in the South Atlantic
The Treaty of Versailles (1919) imposed limitations on the size of battleships for Germany. The construction of vessels exceeding 10,000 tons was prohibited, effectively excluding the possibility of launching battleships. Despite the eventual circumvention by Nazi Germany through the construction of the Bismarck, they initially skillfully bypassed these restrictions by introducing a new class known as “pocket battleships.” These ships featured superior artillery compared to heavy cruisers (6x 280 mm) and armor capable of withstanding 203 mm shells, all within a limited tonnage. Additionally, their speed and autonomy made them almost elusive.
When the war broke out, Admiral Erich Raeder did not yet have the necessary ships to confront the British war fleet. Nevertheless, he possessed a substantial fleet of modern and balanced vessels capable of inflicting significant damage on the Allied merchant fleet. He decided to deploy his corsair fleet, consisting of the pocket battleships Deutschland (Lützow), Graf Spee, and Scheer (each 13,000 tons), along with the larger (16,000 tons) Scharnhorst and Gneisenau, and the heavy cruisers of the Hipper class. All these battleships were favored over U-boats.
On August 21, 1939, the Graf Spee took advantage of the night to enter the North Atlantic. It maintained a waiting position as Adolf Hitler hoped for a favorable peace following the defeat of Poland. Authorization to attack Allied ships was granted to the Kriegsmarine on September 26, but by then, the Graf Spee was already in the South Atlantic. The pocket battleship’s captain, Hans Langsdorff, deemed the sea routes of South America more strategically important for the enemy than those passing through the Cape of Good Hope. The Mediterranean was still secure for the British due to their presence at Gibraltar and Aden.
Therefore, the Graf Spee sailed westward toward Pernambuco, Brazil, without the right to engage enemy warships in battle at the end of September 1939. This, however, did not prevent the German corsair from intercepting a merchant ship on September 30: the Clement, flying the English flag. After evacuating the crew by lifeboats, Langsdorff sank the cargo ship. The German captain managed to obtain information from the English commander about the instructions given to British sailors in the event of a corsair attack: prevent the Germans from using their capture as a supply ship at all costs by destroying the radio and machinery on board.
—>In the battle, the British cruisers Exeter, Ajax, and Achilles engaged the Admiral Graf Spee. The Exeter suffered significant damage, but together, the British ships managed to force the German vessel to seek refuge in the neutral port of Montevideo.
Off to the Indian Ocean
Hans Langsdorff disembarks the crew of the Clement in a Brazilian port and resumes his pursuit, this time heading towards the Cape of Good Hope. Aware that he was now being hunted, Langsdorff employed deception to approach his prey. He had the front and side of his turret mast repainted to resemble a merchant ship. His first success comes on October 5, when he surprises Newton Beech. However, as the Germans attempt a boarding, the English captain still manages to send a signal and destroy important documents, except for one that allows Langsdorff to refine his strategy.
This tactic led to more captures in the following days: the Ashlea on October 7 and the Huntsman on October 10. Langsdorff sinks the first, then the Newton Beech, which had become too slow. He forces the Huntsman to head to an unspecified location, far from its original route; it would ultimately be caught and sunk on October 17, with its crew transferred to the German supply ship Altmark.
After leaving its supply ship and the vicinity of the island of Saint Helena, the Graf Spee positions itself on the Cape route to surprise enemy ships, thanks to information obtained from the Huntsman. The first victim was the Trevanion on October 22; the radio managed to send an imprecise signal, but it still alerted the British navy in the region. Learning of this, Langsdorff prefers to cautiously retreat, unknowingly avoiding the Renown and the French battleship Strasbourg. On the same night, the Graf Spee, still cautious, narrowly avoids encountering the aircraft carrier Furious.
A decision was made to change course: by the end of October, the pocket battleship heads towards the Indies, but adverse weather prevents hopes of captures in early November. It was not until the second half of the same month that Langsdorff managed to find new potential victims: first, the Dutch ship Holland, which was only glimpsed but allowed to escape, then the Africa Shell, which was sunk west of Madagascar on the 15th.
The next day, the Dutch ship Mapia was stopped, but after verifying its papers and considering the good behavior of its captain, Langsdorff decided to let it go. The Graf Spee’s raid in the Indian Ocean was not a great success, to say the least. Simultaneously, intercepting numerous messages from Durban reveals that the Allies were aware of the presence of a “German corsair” in the region.
Two British squadrons were pursuing Langsdorff, but he decided to take chances. On November 24, he informs his crew of an imminent return to Germany for machinery maintenance, this time without avoiding potential encounters with enemy warships. The pursuit of merchant ships continued in early December: the Doric Star and the Tairoa were captured and sunk on December 2 and 3 off the coast of Africa, respectively. Then, on December 7, it’s the turn of the Streaonshalh, this time off the coast of Brazil.
This proves to be the last victim of the Graf Spee. Langsdorff discovers documents on the cargo attesting to the presence of numerous potential victims in the region. However, instead of finding easy targets, the Graf Spee will have to face the British navy.
Battle of the River Plate
On the night of December 12–13, the German ship patrolled off the Rio de la Plata. The lookout then spotted two masts on the horizon; believing it to be a “nice catch,” Langsdorff ordered the ship to head towards the spotted vessel. But instead of a merchant ship, the Graf Spee found itself facing the light cruiser Exeter, then Achilles, and Ajax.
The Admiralty had not received news of the Graf Spee for nearly twenty days when Exeter and Ajax left Port Stanley in the Falklands on December 2nd. The British squadron, led by Commodore Harwood and joined by the cruisers Achilles and Cumberland, attempted to locate the German raider. Technical issues separated Cumberland. The attack on the Tairoa allowed the British navy to calculate the possible route of the Graf Spee, and the three cruisers regrouped at the Rio de la Plata on December 10th.
The balance of power may appear very favorable to the British, three against one. However, the Graf Spee was better armed and better protected than its opponents. Each side had several possible tactics, depending on who spotted the other first (the Germans had a higher lookout) or whether they chose to divide their forces or not (obviously for the English). Harwood chose two groups: Exeter on one side and Ajax and Achilles on the other. Similarly, it was the Graf Spee that first spotted the enemy.
Langsdorff identified Exeter but mistakenly took the other two for destroyers. He also believed that these ships were escorting a merchant convoy, leading him to decide to attack without hesitation. The British lookouts initially mistook the raider for a merchant ship, and Exeter approached without knowing what awaited. Fortunately, Ajax arrived just a minute before the first German shell was fired, alerting Exeter to the raider’s identity. It was 6:17; the battle began.
Time-delayed shells struck Exeter on the third salvo, causing significant damage and reducing its firing power. The British cruiser also managed to hit its opponent on its third salvo, but the eighth German shot disabled one of its main turrets.
Exeter, heavily damaged, did not turn correctly to be in an ideal position but still managed to correct its course and hit Graf Spee again. The latter was at 12,000 meters, taking an opposite but parallel route to its opponent. The other two British ships opened fire at 6:20, at a distance of 17,000 meters but aimed too short; the raider reserved its secondary artillery, using its main guns against Exeter.
Langsdorff, considering the English cruiser sufficiently damaged for the moment, decided to turn towards Ajax, which posed a torpedo threat. The German captain maneuvered and struck Ajax, and then targeted its companion, Achilles, on the starboard rear, successfully avoiding the anticipated attack. Meanwhile, Exeter was positioned on the port rear.
The latter was already heavily damaged, as Langsdorff correctly assessed, directing his main fire on Ajax and Achilles. Yet, on Exeter, they don’t give up, and three torpedoes are launched, but Graf Spee anticipates the move and turns: at 6:39, he turns back most of his fire on Exeter and finally disables it. Two minutes earlier, Ajax and Achilles had turned to approach the raider, catching him off guard. Graf Spee, at 7 am, heads north at 24 knots, followed to starboard by the two cruisers and to port by a dying Exeter; Langsdorff then decides to hide behind a smoke screen, ending the first phase of the battle.
The German captain was wounded twice during the engagement, but his ship suffered no major damage despite being hit seven times. Now, Langsdorff faced a crucial decision: to attack or not? Although he knew Exeter posed no threat, he mistakenly believed Ajax and Achilles were destroyers. Once he learned their true nature, he was not inclined to flee.
Shortly after 7 am, Ajax’s seaplane was assigned the task of informing the British gunners. Damage to the various ships made coordinating gunfire by radio impossible, leading to total confusion for several minutes between the cruisers Achilles and Ajax. This confusion provided an opportunity for the Graf Spee. Harwood, present on Ajax, nevertheless decided to approach his opponent. It was a make-or-break situation, aiming to either secure a definitive victory or disable his last two viable ships. However, with pursuit impossible, this was likely his only choice.
When Graf Spee turns to port to the west, Harwood thinks he wants to finish off Exeter; he turns to starboard with his two cruisers to fire on the German. The latter then turns his guns away from the dying cruiser to aim at Ajax and Achilles. At 7:24, Ajax launches its torpedoes at about 8 kilometers, but Graf Spee spots and avoids them. Moreover, it hits Ajax with a shell that destroys its two rear turrets! At 7:38, the German raider seems in a good position to use all its advantages against its adversaries, who remain cautious.
Furthermore, Ajax’s firepower was significantly reduced; in addition to the damage to its artillery, it had only 20% of its ammunition left. Pessimism then takes over the British side, feeling like they are throwing snowballs at the German ship. Harwood decides to break off the battle. Graf Spee heads west, followed to starboard by Achilles and port by Ajax. At 8:30, the two cruisers follow their enemy at a distance of 28 kilometers. It was the end of the second phase of the battle.
On board the Graf Spee, the damage report recommended a swift return to port. Despite its courageous resistance, the ship could no longer withstand the conditions of the North Atlantic. Consequently, the decision was made to head towards Montevideo. Langsdorff’s decision appeared somewhat hasty; the damage sustained did not seem severe, despite receiving seventeen shells. On the British side, concerns arose for Exeter. Considering the extent of the damage, Harwood ordered it to abandon the fight and return to the Falklands. Simultaneously, Cumberland received orders to reverse course from Port Stanley, allowing the pursuit to continue.
Graf Spee’s Suicide
During the ensuing hours, the intentions of the German corsair are unclear to his adversaries: is he heading towards Montevideo or Buenos Aires? Is he severely damaged? The three ships exchanged a few more shots in the early evening of December 13, 1939. At 20:48, the Graf Spee sets course for Uruguay.
In the meantime, the British Admiralty has decided to dispatch the aircraft carrier Ark Royal and the battlecruiser Renown, along with three cruisers and three destroyers. Simultaneously, intense diplomatic activity unfolds in Montevideo through the British ambassador.
It’s paradoxical to note that when the Graf Spee enters the bay of Montevideo, it has suffered very little damage, yet the Uruguayan port will be its grave. Diplomacy takes precedence over cannons. The British aimed to prevent the German corsair from returning to the sea. The Germans are not idle on the diplomatic front, and the Uruguayan authorities find themselves greatly inconvenienced by this unwelcome guest.
Negotiations lasted for several days, and the British deployed imaginative tactics to both convince the Uruguayans and entrap the Germans. The English objective is to make Langsdorff believe that massive reinforcements are heading towards Montevideo, trapping him into surrendering.
However, the British do not anticipate what they are about to witness: they learn that the Graf Spee is set to sail again on December 17, 1939, but simultaneously, most German sailors are transferred to the cargo ship Tacoma. At 18:15, the Graf Spee sets sail, covers three miles, and stops the engines; the crowd gathers in the bay, anticipating a great battle.
But as the sun disappears behind the shadow of the German corsair, a tremendous explosion resounds, followed by a blinding light: the Graf Spee had scuttled itself. It would burn for four days. On December 20, Captain Langsdorff took his own life after addressing a letter to the German ambassador. In the letter, he asserts that he made this decision to prevent the Graf Spee from falling into enemy hands.