River Plate, Battle of the

In World War II, naval battle in the South Atlantic between a British cruiser squadron of three ships and the German ‘pocket battleship’ Admiral Graf Spee December 1939. The British damaged the Graf Spee and pursued it as it sought refuge in Montevideo, Uruguay. The ship's captain was ordered to scuttle his vessel rather than risk it falling to the British.

Although the British cruisers were no match for the battleship, Admiral Harwood launched an attack. German fire seriously damaged HMS Exeter, put half of HMS Ajax's guns out of action, and then damaged HMS Achilles, but the cruisers did sufficient damage to the German ship to make its captain break off and run for shelter in Montevideo, Uruguay. The British followed, and waited in international waters outside the neutral port. The Uruguay government ordered the Germans to leave after 72 hours. Hitler, reluctant to risk the Graf Spee being sunk by heavier British warships which were sailing for the River Plate, ordered the captain to scuttle the vessel.