battle-of-the-river-plate-commemorative-booklet

BATTLE OF THE RIVER PLATE ◊ 27By Kelly Ana MoreyOn the 19 December 1939, two days after scuttling theADMIRAL GRAf spee, captain Hans Langsdorff, havingconsidered his options, sat down in his room at theNaval Hotel in Buenos Aires and wrote letters to hisfamily and superiors.I am convinced… he wrote to the GermanAmbassador… that under the circumstances, no othercourse was available to me, once I had taken my shipinto the trap of Montevideo. For with the ammunitionremaining, any attempt to fight my way back to openand deep water was bound to fail. ...For a captainwith a sense of honour, it goes without saying thathis personal fate cannot be separated from that ofhis ship. ...I can do no more for my ship’s company.Neither shall I any longer be able to take an active partin the present struggle of my country. …I alone bearthe responsibility for scuttling the pocket-battleshipADMIRAL GRAF SPEE. I am happy to pay with my lifefor any possible reflection on the honour of the flag.I shall face my fate with firm faith in the cause and thefuture of the nation and of my Führer...In 1937 Langsdorff was promoted to captain. In late 1938he was given command of the vessel. Within months of thishappening Germany was at war with Britain and Langsdorff wasissued with orders to steam the ADMIRAL GRAf spee for thesouth Atlantic to disrupt enemy commercial shipping. Oncethe vessel arrived off the south American coast Langsdorff andhis crew had a productive 10 weeks, stopping and sinking nineBritish merchant ships with no loss of life.However, the German ship’s run of luck came to an end onthe morning of 13 December when it engaged the AJAX,AcHILLes and eXeTeR at the Battle of the River plate.With his correspondence taken care of, Langsdorff lay downon a German Naval ensign and shot himself. It was a dramaticand tragic end to the life of a naval officer who had alwaysconducted himself with great loyalty, honour and integrity.GRAF SPEE dead on ammunition bargeAWARDED THE IRoN CRoSSLangsdorff, the eldest son of a family with a history in legaland religious quarters, was born in Bergen in 1894. At 18, andvery much against his parent’s wishes, he entered the KielNaval Academy and quickly acquitted himself, gaining rapidpromotion. His talents as an officer during the first World Warsaw the then 22-year-old, Lieutenant Langsdorff awarded theIron cross 2nd class in 1916, for his role in the Battle of Jutlandand later receiving the Iron cross 1st class. It wasn’t all aboutthe navy though. In early 1924 Langsdorff, then 30, marriedRuth Hager. A son, Johann, was born exactly nine months later.ADMIRAL GRAF SPEEThe outbreak of the spanish civil War in 1936 saw Langsdorffposted for a little over a year, to the then brand new battleshipADMIRAL GRAf spee.Captain Langsdorff with the German AmbassadorCaptain Langsdorff’s funeral