Victory in the Battle of the River Plate, the first major naval engagement of the Second World War, was a great boost to British morale during the For the Battle of River Plate, she sailed alone without escort. Entries are listed below by date of occurrence ascending. Refine your search for battle of the river plate. THE BATTLE OF THE RIVER PLATE: Also known as 'Pursuit of the Graf See'. Timeline of the Battle of the River Plate (December 1. The Who. Captain Hans Langsdorff, Commanding Officer of the KMS Admiral Graf Spee. Commodore Henry Harwood, British Royal Navy. The When and Where. During the early days of World War II, the Nazis tried to starve Great Britain by targeting its merchant fleet. One of Germany's deadliest weapons was the pocket battleship Graf Spee, where Captain Langsdorff(Peter Finch. Edit this page; Talk:Battle of the River Plate. This is the talk page for discussing improvements to the Battle of the River Plate article. This is not a forum for general discussion of the article's subject. Amazon.com: Battle of the River Plate: John Gregson, Anthony Quayle, Ian Hunter, Jack Gwillim, Bernard Lee, Lionel Murton, Anthony Bushell, Peter Illing, Michael Goodliffe, Patrick Macnee, John Chandos, Douglas Wilmer, Emeric. The Battle Of The River Plate FilmThe pocket battleship KMS Admiral Graf Spee set sail with official orders on August 2. North Atlantic. Before Christmas of that year, the battleship would be scuttled in the neutral port of Montevideo, Uruguay in the South Atlantic with Captain Langsdorff committing suicide rather than surrendering to the enemy. The What. For the Germans, control of the Atlantic shipping lanes was always part of neutralizing (and ultimately containing) the British Empire from involving itself heavily in the German conquest of Europe. Prior to the war, the German Navy commissioned three . Their primary mission would be to assail all manner of British commerce crossing the ocean from the Americas and Africa, ultimately subduing her potential enemy across the English Channel. The KMS Graf Spee served the German Navy under the . The Deutschland would be charged with containment of the North Atlantic with the Graf Spee controlling the South Atlantic. The . Graf Spee saw her keel forged in 1. She was crewed by over 1,0. For the Battle of River Plate, she sailed alone without escort. However, she was also only one of two German fleet warships to be outfitted with radar and this assisted her gun ranging. After a month of sailing, the Graf Spee had already done considerable enough damage that no fewer than eight joint French- British parties were formed to hunt her down. This continued into early december when a pair of British vessels managed to relay the Graf Spee's position prior to being sunk. This stroke of fortune allowed the Royal Navy vital information as to the Graf Spee's sailing course which set it heading towards Brazilian waters. The Royal Navy further estimated the vessel was directing towards the River Plate region - just south of Rio de Janeiro - and readied three nearby cruisers for the vital engagement, the HMS Exeter, HMS Ajax and HMS Achilles. What Happened? Expecting their enemy, the Royal Navy prepared. However, Langsdorff surprised the British positions by arriving from from the Northwest on December 1. Graf Spee already having settled itself into an advantageous position to engage an outgoing convoy suspected in the area. The Graf Spee had already sighted the HMS Ajax as dawn arose from the East and moved in to strike - assuming she formed part of the convoy in question. The Graf Spee held the advantage of armor and firepower against the three British vessels who could counter with speed and agility. The HMS Exeter plotted a course to meet the Graf Spee from a southerly position while HMS Ajax and HMS Achilles rounded the battlefield to approach from the East. The Exeter took a lethal hit to her bridge and lost her two frontal turrets. Listing to starboard, Exeter could only mount an attack with her stern turret and torpedoes and managed two direct hits against the Graf Spee in turn. HMS Ajax and HMS Achilles entered the fray and managed to strike the German vessel over a dozen times which forced the German ship to take evasive action. The HMS Exeter steered clear of the battle and sped to the Falkland Islands for repair. Herself damaged, Graf Spee broke engagement and set sail for neutral Uruguay and the port city of Montevideo with the two remaining British cruisers in pursuit. Graf Spee arrived on December 1. The neutrality of Uruguay in the war allowed the Graf Spee entry into port under the consideration that she leave within 2. The Germans were granted an extended stay to enact repairs and treat to their wounded. During this lull, the Royal Navy reinforced its firepower and worked its deception channels to allow Langsdorff to think a greater force awaited him outside of the safety of the port. On December 1. 7th, the Graf Spee was readied and sailed out to meet her expected fate. Langsdorff altered the British plans when the German ship was abandoned and scuttled to prevent her becoming a war prize or worse. With the loss of the ship and the humiliation of defeat, Captain Langsdorff committed suicide on December 2. KMS Admiral Graf Spee. The loss of the KMS Graf Spee was gained the Allies a much needed early victory in the war. There are a total of (1. Timeline of the Battle of the River Plate (December 1. Entries are listed below by date of occurrence ascending. Text . No Reproduction Permitted. Email corrections/comments to Second. World. War. History at Gmail dot com. THE BATTLE OF THE RIVER PLATEThis book from our friends in Barnsley is from a series I don’t think I’ve had dealings with before. Regardless of this I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. If others in the range are as good then I’d happily see more. The clever title refers to the fact that events in the South Atlantic in 1. For the Germans the glorious scuttling of the Graf Spee, was magnificent but it wasn’t war. In fact it was a waste of a fine ship. For the British the victory masked deficiencies in the Royal Navy that would be exposed in the Mediterranean and by the Japanese. The author also makes the sad observation that the victor of the River Plate, Henry Harwood, was promoted away from where he served his country best into a role he was ill- suited for and it took an awful toll on him. The author tips a nod to the well- known eponymous movie of the Battle of the River plate that used the USS Salem as the Graf Spee and two real ships from the battle, the former HMNZS Achilles and the elderly HMS Cumberland. He fully appreciates that the film is of a sort that transposes reality. When I think of Hans Langsdorff I always see Peter Finch. Although the plot is not entirely accurate it has the effect of relaying that Langsdorff, the honourable man who committed suicide, was the kind of German we could admire back in 1. All this is light years away from the modern world and when you consider these impressions it is easy to understand why some Germans see a stereotype of British people obsessing with the war when only a very small percentage probably do. I guess the impact of the film detracts from the story itself. But fear not, for this is a ripping yarn told in a pleasing old sea dog’s language by Richard Woodman that recalling a no nonsense time when Britannia ruled the waves. The battle itself is explained with clarity and it is all genuinely exciting. The build up with the capture and sinking of a host of merchant ships is delivered in a dispassionate and neutral style. It is right to point out that Langsdorff and his crew were not a bunch of killers. They followed the rules and seem to have been fair- minded. Langsdorff had a decent relationship with the masters he held prisoner aboard the Graf Spee. There is a chivalry to the saga it is impossible not to admire. But it was war and there would be death and destruction a plenty off South America when the British cruisers arrived. The important thing to take from this is admiration for the crews of the British cruisers and the excellent leadership and tactical nous of Henry Harwood. Somewhere in my house I have a contemporary booklet of cigarette cards depicting the battle and I have handled photos of the crew of HMS Exeter parading through a grateful City of London. These men were heroes admired by the whole country. Their success created the chimera that the Royal Navy was unbeatable just a short time after the tragedy of the Royal Oak at Scapa Flow. Unfortunately things were going to get much worse later on when seas from Crete to Java would be a collective graveyard of British warships. This is a well- told story that is so fast paced it will take you little time to get through. It has the effect of using great prose and imagery to mask the very serious arguments the author presents. Mr Woodman writes the best kind of history – atmospheric, entertaining and incisive. If you have an interest in naval warfare then getting a copy of this book would add up to good money well spent. Superior stuff. Reviewed by Mark Barnes for War History Online. THE BATTLE OF THE RIVER PLATEA Grand Delusion. By Richard Woodman. Campaign Chronicles series. Pen & Sword Naval. ISBN: 9. 78 1 4. 73.
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