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What name is given to this battle between a German pocket battleship, two British light cruisers and one British heavy cruiser?

The Battle off the River Plate. The River Plate estuary stretches for 120 miles between Argentina and Uruguay. During WWII most South American countries were neutral.

What was the name of the pocket battleship that faced three smaller adversaries in 1939?

KMS Admiral Graf Spee. The Admiral Graf Spee was one of Germany's three "Panzerschiffe", the others being the Admiral Scheer and Deutschland. Britain may have underestimated these ships.

Name the three Royal navy ships involved in an uneven action at the start of WWII?

HMS Achilles, HMS Ajax, HMS Exeter. HMS Ajax and HMS Achilles were both Leander Class cruisers, while HMS Exeter was a smaller version of the County Class cruiser. HMS Achilles was a 'Kiwi' cruiser belonging to the Royal Navy's New Zealand branch, but at the time of the action there was no New Zealand navy.

Germany's pocket battleships could pass themselves off as one another, which of her sisters did Graf Spee try to be?

Admiral Scheer. The Germans built many of their ships to very similar lines, with the added benefit that recognition was not always easy for an enemy or inquisitive neutral. (The Deutschland was built before the Nazis came to power).

What was the top speed of Germany's pocket battleships?

28kts. The Deutschland class's eight diesel engines were coupled to two shafts which gave great flexibility and economy. Although designed for 26kts, they could reach 28kts. This speed meant that very few of the Royal Navy's heavy ships could force them to action, while the pocket battleship could avoid any other units.

What calibre were the main armaments (in inches) of the four combatants who fought off the coast of South America in 1939?

6in, 8in, 11in. When the action started Captain Langsdorff believed he was facing HMS Exeter and 2 destroyers. Graf Spee's main armament could outreach all of her opponents, and her secondary armament of 5.9in guns was only just below the main armamnet of the light cruisers. Yet victory lay with the smaller ships.

Which port did Graf Spee make for after her defeat?

Montevideo. Langsdorff headed for Montevideo because his engineers were worried that the pumps that cooled Graf Spee's engines would drag up mud in the shallower water heading towards Buenos Aires. The German Embassy believed he should have headed for Argentina since Uruguay was pro- British. There are still unanswered questions about this and other decisions made.

What fate befell Langsdorff's ship?

Scuttled. After receiving instructions from Berlin, Langsdorff decided to scuttle the Graf Spee. The water within three miles of Montevideo was not sufficient for the ship to sink (and was Urugayan territorial water, anyway) so Langsdorff destroyed all secret equipment aboard. This was so the British could not discover anything that could be used against Germany if they searched the wreck.

Did Graf Spee's Captain die in action?

n. Although Langsdorff survived the action off the River Plate and was not aboard when the Graf Spee was scuttled. His personal sense of honour could not allow his fate to be seperate from his ship. He shot himself after making sure that all possible help had been given to his crew. His body was found on 20 December 1939.

Which tanker acted as supply ship/prison ship for the pocket battleship Graf Spee?

Altmark. The Altmark fulfilled these roles. Her Captain, Dau, was a Nazi who hated the British. Langsdorff sent an officer and several men from Graf Spee to make sure that nothing happened to the prisoners while aboard Altmark. These prisoners were freed by boarding parties of HMS Cossack on 15 February 1940 in Norway, with the cry 'The Navy's here!'