| Original caption: “The ‘Graf Spee,’ scuttled off Montevideo.” The Nazi German “pocket” battleship Admiral Graf Spee in flames after being scuttled off Montevideo in Río de la Plata (“the River Plate”) estuary, off Montevideo, Uruguay. When war broke out in September 1939, the German pocket battleship Graf Spee, commanded by Captain Hans Langsdorff (March 20, 1894 – December 20, 1939), was patrolling in the Atlantic. She represented a grave threat to Allied shipping, sinking 8 merchant ships between September and December. A Kriegsmarine Panzerschiff (“Armored Ship”) very heavy cruiser, the Admiral Graf Spee, commanded by Captain Langsdorff, engaged a Royal Navy squadron, commanded by Commodore Sir Henry Harwood (January 19, 1888 – June 9, 1950), comprising the light cruisers HMS Ajax and HMNZS Achilles, and the heavy cruiser HMS Exeter on December 13, 1939. The Deutschland-class cruiser Graf Spee had 880 millimeter (11.1 inch) SK C/28 naval guns. HMS Exeter had 6 BL 8 inch (203 millimeter) Mark 8 naval guns. HMS Ajax and HMNZS Achilles had 8 BL 6 inch (152 millimeter) Mark 23 naval guns. 7 Allied “hunting groups,” totaling 23 major warships, were sent to look for her. After sinking 3 more ships, Langsdorff made for the busy shipping lanes off the River Plate in South America. Commodore Harwood of Hunting Group G correctly guessed Langsdorff’s intentions, and on December 13 he closed in with the heavy cruiser HMS Exeter and light cruisers HMS Ajax and HMS Achilles. Langsdorff concentrated his fire on the heavier Exeter, setting her alight, destroying most of her guns and forcing her to leave for the Falkland Islands. Shifting fire to Ajax, Langsdorff disabled 2 of her 4 turrets before breaking away for the port of Montevideo, in neutral Uruguay. Harwood kept watch outside while other Allied ships rushed to the area. According to international law, a warship could only remain in a neutral port for 24 hours, and British diplomats tried to have Graf Spee interned or forced to leave. Langsdorff extended his stay by 72 hours but finally had to leave on December 17. Only the cruiser HMS Cumberland had arrived to reinforce Harwood, but Langsdorff, convinced that strong forces were waiting, scuttled Graf Spee himself rather than risk another battle. Langsdorff returned to his ship between 0200 Hours and 0300 Hours where he found that Fregattenkaptän Paul Ascher (December 18, 1899 – May 27, 1941), Senior Gunnery Officer; Korvettenkapitän Jürgen Wattenburg (December 28, 1900 – September 27, 1995), Chief Navigating Officer; and Korvettenkapitän (Ingenieur) Carl Klepp (1900 – 1974), Chief Engineer; had been waiting up for him. He gave them the order to cease all repair work and to prepare the demolitions. He must then have taken a short sleep, but he was up early and at 1 point during the morning he instructed that all the demolitions be fired from 1 point, where it would be initiated by him, thus enabling him to be blown up with his ship, but the Gunnery Officer talked him out of it. Some equipment was transferred to the German merchant ship Tacoma. All equipment which could not be moved but was judged to be of potential interest to the enemy was destroyed, some by grenades, some by battering with hammers, and some thrown overboard. The main charges would use torpedo warheads and the day was spent in wiring them up with clocks, while the turret trunks were filled with shells and then filled with explosive powder. At 1530 Hours, the Uruguayan Foreign Minister convened a meeting of diplomatic representatives of all North and South American countries. He explained his country’s stance and was given unanimous support. From the early afternoon the Germans started the process of transferring some 900 men to the Tacoma, a mass movement which proved impossible to hide from the spectators on the Montevideo waterfront. By now, however, the die was cast and in mid-afternoon the Germans sent a message to the harbormaster notifying him of Langsdorff’s intention to sail that evening. At 1700 Hours, the British ambassador sent yet another note to the government, this 1 demanding that the Tacoma could no longer be regarded as a civil merchant ship, but was clearly a fully-fledged government auxiliary; the equivalent to the Royal Fleet Auxiliary in British service. Just after 1800 Hours, Battle Ensigns were hoisted by the Graf Spee; 1 at the foremast, the 2nd at the mainmast. The anchors were weighed, the warship turned to face the harbor entrance and then slowly proceeded seawards, watched by a vast crowd. Once clear of the breakwater she headed southeast for a short period, but then altered course to the west in the direction of the Recalda pontoon at the eastern end of the swept channel to Buenos Aires. Shortly after the warship left, she was followed by the Tacoma. The spectators thought that Graf Spee intended to proceed to Buenos Aires but, very shortly after passing the 3-mile limit, the ship stopped and dropped anchor. All remaining crew disembarked into tenders for Tacoma, except for Langsdorff and 5 officers who went to the quarterdeck where the Kriegsmarine ensign was lowered for the last time. The 20-minute timer was then initiated, and they departed, Langsdorff in compliance with maritime tradition being the last to leave. The explosion came at precisely 2000 Hours, and was spectacularly effective, although there were minor malfunctions. It appeared that 1 explosion took place prematurely which seems to have disrupted the circuit to Turret Anton, which survived the explosion as can be clearly seen in pictures taken the next day. Graf Spee settled on the bottom, at a distance of precisely 4 miles 117 yards (4,935 meters) from the nearest point on the Uruguayan coast. Thus far the plan had gone like clockwork, but there was a last-minute hitch when Uruguayan marine officials appeared on the scene and attempted to halt the move to Buenos Aires, although their objections were to the presence of Argentine tugs rather than to the Germans. At 1 point Langsdorff had to climb aboard 1 of the Uruguayan ships, but after a short discussion the Uruguayans received instructions from a just-arrived gunboat to allow the Germans to leave. For some reason the 6 Chinese laundrymen had gone to sea aboard the Graf Spee and were now in 1 of the launches. This became separated from the rest and the occupants, together with the German crew of 4, were taken aboard a Uruguayan vessel and returned to Montevideo. The 4 Germans were interned but the Chinese produced certificates of neutrality signed by Langsdorff and were released. Commodore Harwood and his 3 cruisers heard the news when HMS Ajax’s Fairey Seafox reconnaissance seaplane with Pilot Lieutenant Edgar D. Lewin and Observer Lieutenant Richard E. N. Kearney, who had watched the whole act, signaled: “Graf Spee has blown herself up.” HMNZS Achilles’s Captain Sir W. Edward Parry (April 8, 1893 – August 21, 1972) wrote later: “…One realized that the drama was over. Both Ajax and ourselves simultaneously had ordered all hands on deck; and C.S.A. (Commodore, South Atlantic) then ordered us to take station ahead of him.” “We were both steaming as fast as we could in the shallow water some thirty miles east of Montevideo, which made the ships almost unmanageable. But as we passed Ajax everybody went mad and cheered and yelled themselves hoarse.” “We then eased down while Ajax hoisted in her aircraft. Her pilot complained that no one seemed to be taking any interest in him.” “However, in he came. By this time it was dark. I suddenly heard another roar coming out of the darkness, and there was Ajax passing us only about a hundred yards (ninety meters) away, while both ships’ companies again yelled at the tops of their voices.” “Ahead of us there was visible a red glow in the sky, flickering up and down like a bonfire; and as we approached it turned into a sort of witch’s cauldron blazing away in the sea a few miles west of the Montevideo channel…” “Soon after midnight, having gazed our fill on this unique sight, we turned south; and all those who could do so turned in to enjoy their first real night’s rest for some days.” Royal Navy photographers made pictures of the burning wreck as the cruisers passed the “pocket” battleship. The dramatic destruction of the Graf Spee had a major impact around the world, but just when everyone thought that the story had reached its climax came the news that Langsdorff had shot himself in his Buenos Aires hotel room. This act, coupled with the sombre scenes of his funeral, has remained in the popular conscience ever since. Langsdorff and his men arrived in Buenos Aires on the morning of December 18 and, after some prevarication on the part of the Argentine authorities, were allowed ashore in the middle of the afternoon. The rest of the day was spent in processing the men as asylum seekers and in allocating them to accommodation. On the morning of December 19 Langsdorff was dismayed to find that while the Argentine newspapers naturally led with the news of the arrival of his crew they were also unanimous in castigating him as “a coward and a traitor to the tradition of the sea’ because he had ‘failed to go down with his ship.” To add to his humiliation a photograph of him, flanked by 2 of his officers, reading these stories was beamed around the world. He had already written to his wife while in Montevideo and was almost certainly already determined to take his own life, but these headlines must have been mortifying for a man who prized honor so highly. He spent most of that day negotiating with the Argentine authorities in an abortive attempt to have his men recognized and treated as distressed mariners rather than as belligerents. Then in the afternoon he gave an identical talk to 4 separate groups of his crew before spending the evening with friends. He then went to his room, where, after writing 2 letters, he lay down on 1 of his ship’s battle ensigns and shot himself. 1 of the letters was to the Nazi German Government via the ambassador: Buenos Aires, December 19, 1939, To the Ambassador, Buenos Aires. Your Excellency, After a long struggle I reached the grave decision to scuttle the Panzerschiff Graf Spee, in order to prevent her from falling into enemy hands. I am convinced that under the circumstances no other course was open to me, once I had taken my ship into the trap of Montevideo. For, with the ammunition remaining, any attempt to fight my way back to open and deep water was bound to fail. And yet, only in deep water could I have scuttled the ship after having used the remaining ammunition, and thus been able to prevent her falling to the enemy. Rather than expose my ship to the danger of falling partly or completely into enemy hands after her brave fight, I have decided not to fight but to destroy the equipment and then the ship. It was clear to me that this decision might be consciously or unwittingly misconstrued by persons ignorant of my motives, as being attributable entirely or partly to personal considerations. Therefore, I decided from the beginning to accept the consequences involved in this decision. For a Captain with a sense of honor, it goes without saying that his personal fate cannot be separated from that of his ship. I postponed my intention as long as I still bore responsibility for decisions concerning the welfare of the crew under my command. After today’s decision of the Argentine Government, I can do no more for my ship’s company. Neither shall I any longer be able to take an active part in the present struggle of my country. It only remains to prove by my death that the men of the fighting services of the 3rd Reich are ready to die for the honor of the flag. I alone bear the responsibility for scuttling the Graf Spee. I am happy to pay with my life for any possible reflection on the honor of the flag. I shall face my fate with firm faith in the cause and the future of the nation and of my Führer. I am writing this letter to Your Excellency in the quiet of the evening, after calm deliberation, in order that you may be able to inform my superior officers, and to counter public rumors if this should become necessary. (Signed) Langsdorff. Captain, Commanding Officer of the sunken Panzerschiff Graf Spee The Battle of the River Plate has exercised a unique fascination in naval history. In all this Graf Spee’s commanding officer, Hans Langsdorff, proved to be a particularly sympathetic figure. He had never killed any victims in his commerce raiding activities; he was respected, even liked, by his prisoners; indeed, 1 of his English prisoners, Captain Patrick G. G. “Paddy” Dove (1896 – 1957), wrote a book, published in early 1940, which gave a unique, closely-observed and sympathetic insight into Langsdorff as a man. Finally, Langsdorff’s suicide awoke echoes of the “captain goes down with his ship” in the popular imagination. Original caption: “The ‘Graf Spee,’ scuttled off Montevideo.” The Nazi German “pocket” battleship Admiral Graf Spee in flames after being scuttled off Montevideo in Río de la Plata (“the River Plate”) estuary, off Montevideo, Uruguay. When war broke out in September 1939, the German pocket battleship Graf Spee, commanded by Captain Hans Langsdorff (March 20, 1894 – December 20, 1939), was patrolling in the Atlantic. She represented a grave threat to Allied shipping, sinking 8 merchant ships between September and December. A Kriegsmarine Panzerschiff (“Armored Ship”) very heavy cruiser, the Admiral Graf Spee, commanded by Captain Langsdorff, engaged a Royal Navy squadron, commanded by Commodore Sir Henry Harwood (January 19, 1888 – June 9, 1950), comprising the light cruisers HMS Ajax and HMNZS Achilles, and the heavy cruiser HMS Exeter on December 13, 1939. The Deutschland-class cruiser Graf Spee had 880 millimeter (11.1 inch) SK C/28 naval guns. HMS Exeter had 6 BL 8 inch (203 millimeter) Mark 8 naval guns. HMS Ajax and HMNZS Achilles had 8 BL 6 inch (152 millimeter) Mark 23 naval guns. 7 Allied “hunting groups,” totaling 23 major warships, were sent to look for her. After sinking 3 more ships, Langsdorff made for the busy shipping lanes off the River Plate in South America. Commodore Harwood of Hunting Group G correctly guessed Langsdorff’s intentions, and on December 13 he closed in with the heavy cruiser HMS Exeter and light cruisers HMS Ajax and HMS Achilles. Langsdorff concentrated his fire on the heavier Exeter, setting her alight, destroying most of her guns and forcing her to leave for the Falkland Islands. Shifting fire to Ajax, Langsdorff disabled 2 of her 4 turrets before breaking away for the port of Montevideo, in neutral Uruguay. Harwood kept watch outside while other Allied ships rushed to the area. According to international law, a warship could only remain in a neutral port for 24 hours, and British diplomats tried to have Graf Spee interned or forced to leave. Langsdorff extended his stay by 72 hours but finally had to leave on December 17. Only the cruiser HMS Cumberland had arrived to reinforce Harwood, but Langsdorff, convinced that strong forces were waiting, scuttled Graf Spee himself rather than risk another battle. Langsdorff returned to his ship between 0200 Hours and 0300 Hours where he found that Fregattenkaptän Paul Ascher (December 18, 1899 – May 27, 1941), Senior Gunnery Officer; Korvettenkapitän Jürgen Wattenburg (December 28, 1900 – September 27, 1995), Chief Navigating Officer; and Korvettenkapitän (Ingenieur) Carl Klepp (1900 – 1974), Chief Engineer; had been waiting up for him. He gave them the order to cease all repair work and to prepare the demolitions. He must then have taken a short sleep, but he was up early and at 1 point during the morning he instructed that all the demolitions be fired from 1 point, where it would be initiated by him, thus enabling him to be blown up with his ship, but the Gunnery Officer talked him out of it. Some equipment was transferred to the German merchant ship Tacoma. All equipment which could not be moved but was judged to be of potential interest to the enemy was destroyed, some by grenades, some by battering with hammers, and some thrown overboard. The main charges would use torpedo warheads and the day was spent in wiring them up with clocks, while the turret trunks were filled with shells and then filled with explosive powder. At 1530 Hours, the Uruguayan Foreign Minister convened a meeting of diplomatic representatives of all North and South American countries. He explained his country’s stance and was given unanimous support. From the early afternoon the Germans started the process of transferring some 900 men to the Tacoma, a mass movement which proved impossible to hide from the spectators on the Montevideo waterfront. By now, however, the die was cast and in mid-afternoon the Germans sent a message to the harbormaster notifying him of Langsdorff’s intention to sail that evening. At 1700 Hours, the British ambassador sent yet another note to the government, this 1 demanding that the Tacoma could no longer be regarded as a civil merchant ship, but was clearly a fully-fledged government auxiliary; the equivalent to the Royal Fleet Auxiliary in British service. Just after 1800 Hours, Battle Ensigns were hoisted by the Graf Spee; 1 at the foremast, the 2nd at the mainmast. The anchors were weighed, the warship turned to face the harbor entrance and then slowly proceeded seawards, watched by a vast crowd. Once clear of the breakwater she headed southeast for a short period, but then altered course to the west in the direction of the Recalda pontoon at the eastern end of the swept channel to Buenos Aires. Shortly after the warship left, she was followed by the Tacoma. The spectators thought that Graf Spee intended to proceed to Buenos Aires but, very shortly after passing the 3-mile limit, the ship stopped and dropped anchor. All remaining crew disembarked into tenders for Tacoma, except for Langsdorff and 5 officers who went to the quarterdeck where the Kriegsmarine ensign was lowered for the last time. The 20-minute timer was then initiated, and they departed, Langsdorff in compliance with maritime tradition being the last to leave. The explosion came at precisely 2000 Hours, and was spectacularly effective, although there were minor malfunctions. It appeared that 1 explosion took place prematurely which seems to have disrupted the circuit to Turret Anton, which survived the explosion as can be clearly seen in pictures taken the next day. Graf Spee settled on the bottom, at a distance of precisely 4 miles 117 yards (4,935 meters) from the nearest point on the Uruguayan coast. Thus far the plan had gone like clockwork, but there was a last-minute hitch when Uruguayan marine officials appeared on the scene and attempted to halt the move to Buenos Aires, although their objections were to the presence of Argentine tugs rather than to the Germans. At 1 point Langsdorff had to climb aboard 1 of the Uruguayan ships, but after a short discussion the Uruguayans received instructions from a just-arrived gunboat to allow the Germans to leave. For some reason the 6 Chinese laundrymen had gone to sea aboard the Graf Spee and were now in 1 of the launches. This became separated from the rest and the occupants, together with the German crew of 4, were taken aboard a Uruguayan vessel and returned to Montevideo. The 4 Germans were interned but the Chinese produced certificates of neutrality signed by Langsdorff and were released. Commodore Harwood and his 3 cruisers heard the news when HMS Ajax’s Fairey Seafox reconnaissance seaplane with Pilot Lieutenant Edgar D. Lewin and Observer Lieutenant Richard E. N. Kearney, who had watched the whole act, signaled: “Graf Spee has blown herself up.” HMNZS Achilles’s Captain Sir W. Edward Parry (April 8, 1893 – August 21, 1972) wrote later: “…One realized that the drama was over. Both Ajax and ourselves simultaneously had ordered all hands on deck; and C.S.A. (Commodore, South Atlantic) then ordered us to take station ahead of him.” “We were both steaming as fast as we could in the shallow water some thirty miles east of Montevideo, which made the ships almost unmanageable. But as we passed Ajax everybody went mad and cheered and yelled themselves hoarse.” “We then eased down while Ajax hoisted in her aircraft. Her pilot complained that no one seemed to be taking any interest in him.” “However, in he came. By this time it was dark. I suddenly heard another roar coming out of the darkness, and there was Ajax passing us only about a hundred yards (ninety meters) away, while both ships’ companies again yelled at the tops of their voices.” “Ahead of us there was visible a red glow in the sky, flickering up and down like a bonfire; and as we approached it turned into a sort of witch’s cauldron blazing away in the sea a few miles west of the Montevideo channel…” “Soon after midnight, having gazed our fill on this unique sight, we turned south; and all those who could do so turned in to enjoy their first real night’s rest for some days.” Royal Navy photographers made pictures of the burning wreck as the cruisers passed the “pocket” battleship. The dramatic destruction of the Graf Spee had a major impact around the world, but just when everyone thought that the story had reached its climax came the news that Langsdorff had shot himself in his Buenos Aires hotel room. This act, coupled with the sombre scenes of his funeral, has remained in the popular conscience ever since. Langsdorff and his men arrived in Buenos Aires on the morning of December 18 and, after some prevarication on the part of the Argentine authorities, were allowed ashore in the middle of the afternoon. The rest of the day was spent in processing the men as asylum seekers and in allocating them to accommodation. On the morning of December 19 Langsdorff was dismayed to find that while the Argentine newspapers naturally led with the news of the arrival of his crew they were also unanimous in castigating him as “a coward and a traitor to the tradition of the sea’ because he had ‘failed to go down with his ship.” To add to his humiliation a photograph of him, flanked by 2 of his officers, reading these stories was beamed around the world. He had already written to his wife while in Montevideo and was almost certainly already determined to take his own life, but these headlines must have been mortifying for a man who prized honor so highly. He spent most of that day negotiating with the Argentine authorities in an abortive attempt to have his men recognized and treated as distressed mariners rather than as belligerents. Then in the afternoon he gave an identical talk to 4 separate groups of his crew before spending the evening with friends. He then went to his room, where, after writing 2 letters, he lay down on 1 of his ship’s battle ensigns and shot himself. 1 of the letters was to the Nazi German Government via the ambassador: Buenos Aires, December 19, 1939, To the Ambassador, Buenos Aires. Your Excellency, After a long struggle I reached the grave decision to scuttle the Panzerschiff Graf Spee, in order to prevent her from falling into enemy hands. I am convinced that under the circumstances no other course was open to me, once I had taken my ship into the trap of Montevideo. For, with the ammunition remaining, any attempt to fight my way back to open and deep water was bound to fail. And yet, only in deep water could I have scuttled the ship after having used the remaining ammunition, and thus been able to prevent her falling to the enemy. Rather than expose my ship to the danger of falling partly or completely into enemy hands after her brave fight, I have decided not to fight but to destroy the equipment and then the ship. It was clear to me that this decision might be consciously or unwittingly misconstrued by persons ignorant of my motives, as being attributable entirely or partly to personal considerations. Therefore, I decided from the beginning to accept the consequences involved in this decision. For a Captain with a sense of honor, it goes without saying that his personal fate cannot be separated from that of his ship. I postponed my intention as long as I still bore responsibility for decisions concerning the welfare of the crew under my command. After today’s decision of the Argentine Government, I can do no more for my ship’s company. Neither shall I any longer be able to take an active part in the present struggle of my country. It only remains to prove by my death that the men of the fighting services of the 3rd Reich are ready to die for the honor of the flag. I alone bear the responsibility for scuttling the Graf Spee. I am happy to pay with my life for any possible reflection on the honor of the flag. I shall face my fate with firm faith in the cause and the future of the nation and of my Führer. I am writing this letter to Your Excellency in the quiet of the evening, after calm deliberation, in order that you may be able to inform my superior officers, and to counter public rumors if this should become necessary. (Signed) Langsdorff. Captain, Commanding Officer of the sunken Panzerschiff Graf Spee The Battle of the River Plate has exercised a unique fascination in naval history. In all this Graf Spee’s commanding officer, Hans Langsdorff, proved to be a particularly sympathetic figure. He had never killed any victims in his commerce raiding activities; he was respected, even liked, by his prisoners; indeed, 1 of his English prisoners, Captain Patrick G. G. “Paddy” Dove (1896 – 1957), wrote a book, published in early 1940, which gave a unique, closely-observed and sympathetic insight into Langsdorff as a man. Finally, Langsdorff’s suicide awoke echoes of the “captain goes down with his ship” in the popular imagination. | |
| Image Filename | wwii0750.jpg |
| Image Size | 649.85 KB |
| Image Dimensions | 2952 x 2082 |
| Photographer | |
| Photographer Title | Royal Navy official photographer |
| Caption Author | Written or Adapted by Jason McDonald |
| Date Photographed | December 17, 1939 |
| Location | |
| City | Montevideo |
| State or Province | Montevideo |
| Country | Uruguay |
| Archive | National Archives and Records Administration |
| Record Number | NLR-PHOCO-A-48223835(232) |
| Status | Caption ©2026 MFA Productions LLC Please Do Not Duplicate or Distribute Without Permission; Image in the Public Domain |
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