Battle of the River Plate
South Atlantic, off the River Plate estuary, and Montevideo, Uruguay
What happened
British and New Zealand cruisers Exeter, Ajax and Achilles under Commodore Henry Harwood fought the German warship Admiral Graf Spee under Captain Hans Langsdorff. The Graf Spee had been sinking merchant ships in the South Atlantic. Three British-led cruisers found and attacked it. Both sides were damaged, and the Graf Spee went into the neutral port of Montevideo; believing a large British fleet was waiting, Langsdorff had his ship sunk by its own crew on 17 December.
Why it matters
Why it matters: It was the first British naval battle of the Second World War. It showed that a German raider could be hunted down and stopped.
What came next
More than 1,000 of the Graf Spee's crew were held in Argentina, and many settled in South America.
Did you know?
Before the battle, the Graf Spee sank several merchant ships without loss of life, because Langsdorff took their crews on board first.
Timeline
- 13 December 1939The British cruisers attack the Graf Spee.
- 14 December 1939The damaged Graf Spee enters Montevideo.
- 17 December 1939The crew scuttles the Graf Spee off Montevideo.
- 2004-2006Parts of the wreck are raised from the shallow water.