What happened to the German battleship Graf Spee?

The German battleship Graf Spee in flames after being scuttled in the River Plate Estuary off Montevideo, Uruguay.

What happened to the crew of the Graf Spee?

Thirty-seven German sailors were killed in the confrontation and Captain Langsdorff was wounded, along with 57 other of the Graf Spee’s men. The Graf Spee was hit more than 30 times by shells fired from the British vessels, rendering it practically unable to function.

Did the captain of the Graf Spee commit suicide?

Her commander, Captain Hans Langsdorff, believed he was facing impossible odds against a superior force beyond the horizon and defied Hitler’s order to fight to the last man. Three days later, he committed suicide, shooting himself in the head in a Buenos Aires hotel room.

Was the Graf Spee ever raised?

The ship is only eight metres below the surface, but it has broken into two and been engulfed by mud. Once raised and restored, the Graf Spee is expected to become a major tourist attraction in Montevideo, where reminders of the battle which made it famous still abound: museums, memorials, street names, graves.

Why did the Graf Spee scuttle itself?

Admiral Graf Spee inflicted heavy damage on the British ships, but she too was damaged and was forced to put into port at Montevideo, Uruguay. Convinced by false reports of superior British naval forces gathering, Hans Langsdorff, commander of the ship, ordered the vessel to be scuttled.

Can the Graf Spee be raised?

A salvage operation will be launched next week to raise from the estuary of the river Plate the wreck of the German battleship Graf Spee, which spread terror across the south Atlantic at the start of the second world war.

Has the Graf Spee been found?

The Graf Spee’s captain scuttled the ship before committing suicide, and it has remained in waters less than 25 feet (7.5 meters) deep only miles outside the port of Montevideo ever since.