Theatres of War - WWII - Battle of River Plate
Below is some information on the Battle of River Plate. Were your ancestors part of the battle? It also includes the regiments involved in the Battle of River Plate with some suggested websites that may be of interest in researching your ancestors or genealogy in general.
Theatres of War, Army Regiments, Naval Detachments, RAF
Description: The battle of River Plate was the first major naval conflict of the Second World War and was fought between British and New Zealand ships and the German Empire, specifically against the Admiral Graf Spee, a German pocket battleship who had been attacking trade routes in South America. The allied task force of the HMS Exeter, HMS Ajax and HMS Achilles (part of the Royal Navy's New Zealand division) located and engaged the Graf Spee at the mouth of the River Plate in Argentina on 13 December 1939. The Exeter was heavily damaged in the encounter and all other ships received damage too resulting in the Graf Spee fleeing for the safe harbour of Montevideo, Uraguay. Whilst the allies were not allowed to attack the neutral harbour, the Germans were only allowed to stay for 72 hours, had used more than 60% of their ammunition and believing that more allied ships awaited them, decided to spare lives and scuttle the ship, much to the embarrassment and annoyance of the German High Command and particularly Hitler. The action is considered an allied propaganda victory more than anything else.
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