Admiral Graf Spee

Admiral Graf Spee: The German Pocket Battleship of WW2

The Admiral Graf Spee was a powerful ship, a member of the German Kriegsmarine Admiral Scheer class, and she went on to have quite an impact on early WWII naval campaigns. Designated as a "pocket battleship" because of its heavy armament in a small ship, Graf Spee was loosely based on the available Deutschland-class cruisers, but was considerably larger with increased size and improved firepower. Named after Admiral Maximilian von Spee, the ship represented Germany’s defiance of Allied naval supremacy in the face of the restrictions of the Treaty of Versailles. Its short and intense career, including the operation in the North Atlantic, for which it was designed, and a commerce-raiding cruise in 1939, was highlighted by several high-profile sorties—the most lasting being the Battle of the River Plate, after which the ship, along with the heavy cruiser (quickly repaired), was chased down by British forces and the German crew members were interned in Uruguay. This article will cover the design specifics behind the Admiral Graf Spee and what make it special, as well as its career in WWII, specifically its operational history and the incredible battle that resulted in its scuttling.

Design and Construction

Origins and Development

The Admiral Graf Spee (named after the World War I Admiral Maximilian von Spee) was the third and last panzerschiff (armored ship) of the Deutschland class of heavy cruisers, which served with the Nazi German Kriegsmarine during World War II, The ship was laid down at the Reichsmarinewerft shipyard in Wilhelmshaven in October 1932 and completed by January 1936. Ordered in October 1932, launched in June 1934, and commissioned on 6 January 1936, it was built in accordance with the Treaty of Versailles' restrictions on the size of the German navy, while at the same time, the designers attempted to maximise the ship's potential to engage in commerce raiding. Although the displacement was an official 10,000 tons, the standard displacement was 12,100 tons (16,020 tons full load), with a length of 186 m, a beam of 21.65 m, and a draft of 7.34 m. At 82 million Reichsmarks, the Graf Spee was designed to outgun smaller cruisers and out-run bigger battleships.

Armament and Propulsion

Graf Spee was armed with six 28 cm (11 in) SK C/28 guns in two triple gun turrets, which were capable of engaging targets out to 36,500 meters (36.5 km; 22.7 mi). This chasing armament out-gunned that of some larger battleships, effectively threatening merchant ships and smaller warships. Its armament was rounded out with 8 × 15-centimeter guns for smaller ships, 8 × 10.5-centimeter anti-aircraft guns, and 8 × 3.7-centimeter and 10 × 2-centimeter anti-aircraft guns against aircraft. The ship was equipped with eight 53.3 cm torpedo tubes in two quadruple mounts and carried two Arado Ar 196 seaplanes for reconnaissance, which were launched by a catapult at the middle of the ship. It was aimed by a fire-control system which included optical rangefinders and a FuMO 22 radar; the radar-aided range and automatic fire correction with radar was less sophisticated than those employed by later Allied systems.

Propulsion system The Graf Spee was powered by eight MAN diesel engines with a power of 54,000 shp which allowed her to reach a top speed of 28.5 knots. It also provided a diesel propulsion plant that was noted to be highly fuel-efficient, capable of 16,300 miles at 20 knots, a desirable feature for long-range commerce-raiding operations. The ship's armor comprised a 100 mm belt, 140 mm turret faces, and a 45—70 mm deck, that was effective against cruiser-caliber shells, but left the vessel vulnerable to battleship-caliber guns. It was protected by an underwater defense system with a double bottom and longitudinal bulkheads which was intended to minimize damage from torpedo hits but did not in actual use.

Crew and Command

The Graf Spee had a crew of about 1,150 men, including 33 officers, commanded by Kapitän zur See (Captain at Sea) Hans Langsdorff, an older, experienced officer who was well liked by his crew and considered an excellent tactician, as well as having concern for the condition of prisoners and the civilian ships he encountered during his service. The ship's company was trained in surface combat, anti-aircraft defense, and prize operations, consistent with the ship's role as a commerce raider. The Graf Spee was designed with good crew comfort in mind, allowing for the endurance of her crew on long deployments.

What Set the Graf Spee Apart

Innovative Pocket Battleship Concept

The Deutschland-class design of the Graf Spee, labeled as “pocket battleships” by the press, was a unique compromise between cruiser speed and battleship firepower. Its 28 cm guns were heavier than those of most cruisers, and its speed of 28.5 knots meant that it could outrun battleships. That made it suitable for commerce raiding, for it could sink merchant convoys and then outrun larger warships. The Graf Spee’s high-capacity diesel engines also gave it unparalleled range, and the ability to operate far from German bases was crucial in the Atlantic and the Indian Oceans.

Strategic and Psychological Impact

The Graf Spee was a thorn in the flesh for the Kriegsmarine's opponents, committing valuable naval assets to the protection of merchant shipping. Its position in the South Atlantic interdicted important trade routes, which forced both Britain and France to organize hunter groups and siphon off warships from other areas. The Graf Spee was, as much as anything, a psychological tool that both boosted German naval morale and intimidated Allied planners. It is ability to work independently, similar to the supply ships such as the Altmark, also contributed to its potential effectiveness as a raider.

Versatility and Deception

The versatility of the Graf Spee was that it could hunt the whole spectrum of potential victims, unarmed merchantmen to armed cruisers, and use deception so it wouldn’t be detected. It used ruses such as fake funnels and neutral flags to appear as a merchant or an Allied warship. Its seaplanes provided an extended reconnaissance range and spotted convoys and threats, while its radar and optical systems meant it could achieve the gunnery standard it set. Contrasting its destructive mission was the humane treatment by the ship of captured crews at the behest of Langsdorff, which earned it a professional reputation.

Combat and Operation Missions

Commerce-Raiding Cruise (August–December 1939)

The Admiral Graf Spee sailed on its only operational cruise, which began on 21 August 1939 and lasted 86 days, when - shortly after the outbreak of World War II - the ship was already damaged and needed some 998 of its crew evacuated. Its purpose was to attack Allied merchant shipping in the South Atlantic and the Indian Ocean, preventing Britain from receiving vital supplies. With his supply ship Altmark, the Graf Spee headed into the South Atlantic, maintaining radio silence in order not to be located. Langsdorff was ordered to avoid encounters with enemy warships and concentrate on commerce raiding in accordance with prize rules, capturing or sinking vessels after allowing the crew to evacuate.

Early Raiding Operations (September–November 1939)

On 30 September 1939, the Graf Spee became the first victim of the ship when she sank the 5,051-ton British steamer Clement off the coast of Brazil near Pernambuco. The crew was evacuated and the ship sunk by gunfire and torpedoes after it was found, transmitting a distress signal. Langsdorff disguised the ship to confuse Allied pursuers, adding a fake turret and funnel to look like a French cruiser. On 5 October this vessel went down the British freighter Newton Beech (4,651 tons) and on 7 October the Ashlea (4,222 tons). The Graf Spee took the British steamer Huntsman (8,196 tons) on October 10 and transferring the crew to the Altmark, employed the ship for provisions before scuttling it.

The Graf Spee destroyed the British steamer Trevanion (5,299 tons) in the South Atlantic on October 22. It operated briefly in the Indian Ocean, sinking the British tanker Africa Shell (706 GRT) on 15 November south of Mozambique. Returning to the South Atlantic, it sank the Dutch steamship Mapia(9,250t) on 26 November and the British steamship Doric Star(10,086t) on 2 December. On December 3, it sent down the British steamer Tairoa (7,983 tons) and on December 7 it was the Streonshalh (3,895 tons). The nine sinkings, totalling 50,089 tons, effectively crippled Allied attempts to sustain trade in the Atlantic – indeed, failing that, it prompted Britain and France to dispatch eight naval hunting groups, even aerial carriers and battleships hunting down the Graf Spee.

The Graf Spee’s day to day activities depended on its seaplanes to spot targets and on the Altmark, which supplied fuel, stores and carried out prisoner transfers, with more than 300 prisoners by December. Langsdorff’s strict interpretation of prize rules meant that there were no casualties among the crews of captured ships, but distress calls transmitted before the ships were scuttled put Allied resources on high alert and mounted additional pressure on the Graf Spee.

Battle of the River Plate(13th December 1939)

Its most notable confrontation was the Battle of the River Plate, the first major naval battle in the Second World War, on Dec. 13, 1939, near Uruguay and Argentina’s Río de la Plata estuary. The Graf Spee was sighted at dawn at 0614 hours by a British hunting group, Force G, commanded by Commodore Henry Harwood, consisting of the heavy cruiser HMS Exeter (8,390 tons, six 8-inch guns), and light cruisers HMS Ajax (6,985 tons, eight 6-inch guns) and HMNZS Achilles (7,030 tons, eight 6-inch guns). Langsdorff thought he was dealing with a convoy with soft escorts and fought rather than retiring and paid the price.

British forces opened fire at 0618, Exeter bombarded Graf Spee’s turrets and Ajax and Achilles came closer in order to utilise their speed. The Graf Spee’s 28-centimeter guns made early hits, knocking out Exeter’s forward turret and bridge and killing 61 crewmen while wounding 23. At 06:40, Exeter had been crippled with both turrets out of action and taking on a serious amount of water and was forced to pull out. The Graf Spee shifted its aim to Ajax and Achilles, which used their 6-inch guns and speed to keep up the pressure, getting in hits to the Graf Spee’s superstructure and radar.

Graf Spee was hit some 70 times, which inflicted significant damage to her fuel system, desalination plant and galleys, and killed 36 crewmen and wounded a further 60, including Langsdorff. Although the German ship's firepower was greater, Graf Spee's ammunition was reduced to 60% of capacity for her 11-inch guns, with an impaired fuel processer that restricted her to a range of 16 hours. At 07:25, Langsdorff detached and set course for the neutral port of Montevideo in Uruguay, shadowed by Ajax and Achilles. The action lasted~90 minutes and whilst the Graf Spee had caused considerable damage, her effort had not destroyed the British force.

Destruction by her crew in Montevideo (December 14 – 17, 1939)

In Montevideo, the Graf Spee was allowed a 72-hour stay under the rules of neutrality being observed, which would expire on 17 December. Langsdorff sought repairs, but Uruguayan officials, under British pressure, restricted the repairs to ensuring seaworthiness. British intelligence, commanded by Naval Attaché Captain Henry McCall, circulated misinformation that there was a large force with the battlecruiser HMS Renown and carrier HMS Ark Royal waiting outside the harbour. The Ajax, Achilles and the crippled cruiser HMS Cumberland were in fact the only ships there. Accepting that escape was impossible and not prepared to risk his crew or surrender the ship, Langsdorff then scuttled the Graf Spee.

The Graf Spee left Montevideo on 17 December 1939 with a skeleton crew. At 19:52 in shallow water at the entrance to the harbor she was sunk by scuttling charges and set ablaze, eventually sinking in the Plata River. Langsdorff protected the crew, the majority of whom were interned in Argentina. On 20 December, overcome by the loss, Langsdorff shot himself in the head in Buenos Aires, along with a note expressing his wish to prevent further loss among the crew. The Altmark later freed the 299 prisoners it had been carrying after being boarded by HMS Cossack in February 1940.

Aftermath and Legacy

The cruise of the Admiral Graf Spee and the Battle of the River Plate had far-reaching effects on the war at sea during its early stage. The sinking of nine of ships disturbed the allied supply lines and triggered the deployment of substantial naval forces, including 23 of the major warships, upon which to search for it. The battle was a propaganda success for Britain, coming as it did just after the destruction of the Exeter and it also demonstrated the vulnerability of even the most potent ships to a combination of cruiser tactics. The loss of the scuttled Graf Spee was a relatively significant setback to the Kriegsmarine, losing such a valuable ship early in the war and leading the service to concentrate on U-boat activities instead of commerce raiding.

The Graf Spee wreck, partly visible in the shallow waters of the Río de la Plata, was minimally salvaged from 2004, and its main rangefinder and eagle figurehead was collected for museums. Langsdorff treated prisoners humanely and earned respect, in stark contrast to the Kriegsmarine’s image in the later war years. The action had a significant impact on naval tactics and proved the value of fast, small vessels in naval combat, and was an early hint of the end of surface raiders.

final thoughts

The Admiral Graf Spee was a marvel of German naval engineering that combined cruiser speed with battleship firepower to wreak havoc on Allied shipping. Its innovative form as a pocket battleship, with diesel engines and heavy armament, made it a singular threat. Its 1939 cruise, which sank 50,089 tons of commercial shipping, and its action against the Battle of the River Plate demonstrated its strengths but revealed weaknesses. The Graf Spee’s scuttling marked a watershed, revealing the difficulties German surface ships faced in waging war against a committed Allied fleet. Its memory is preserved as an icon of early World War II naval combat and the short-lived heyday of pocket battleships.