GRAF SPEE’S FATE

Dominion, Volume 33, Issue 73, 19 December 1939, Page 9

GRAF SPEE’S FATE

Commerce Raider Sunk

EPILOGUE TO ACTION

German Scuttling Tradition

(By

S.D.W.)

. The scuttling of the battleship Admiral Graf Spee just outside the roadstead of Montevideo, in the muddy waters of the estuary of the Rio de la Plata, completes ydt another amazing chapter of the strange and-tragic history of the German Navy. One of three freak warships built at huge cost between three to six years ago to circumvent the provisions of the hateful Treaty of Versailles which permitted Germany to build no warship greater than 10,000 tons, the Graf Spee has suffered the same fate as befel the former High Sea Fleet at Scapa Flow at the moment of the signing of that bitter document in 1919. The hard facts of German naval history during the last quarter of a century are, indeed stranger and more tragic than any work of fiction. In the years before 1914 Germany, which possessed little or no naval traditions, built a mighty navy in a bid for world supremacy. For more than four long years of the Great War it waged a savage conflict against the naval might of Great Britain. Casting aside the dictates of humanity and international usages at sea the ravages of German submarines created a grave crisis for Britain and her Allies, but they were defeated at last: Germany’s battleships and cruisers were driven off the seas, and the end came in mutiny and revolution. In November, 1918, the High Sea Fleet —nine battleships, five battlecruisers, six light cruisers and 50 destroyers—as well as 100 submarines surrendered to the Grand Fleet in the North Sea. On June 21, 1919, most of the ships of the High Sea Fleet were scuttled in their anchorage in Scapa Flow. The second mightiest fleet the world had ever seen had surrendered without firing a shot and “committed suicide” in the absence of its guard. Germany’s New Navy. Troublous and grievous years passed. Impoverished Germany, fretting at her impotence on the seas, set herself to build a new fleet. ( She turned out some fine light cruisers which carried the names of predecessors of the Great War. The Treaty of Versailles had set a limit of 10,000 tons as the greatest she could build to. German naval designers produced the plans of three ships that startled the world. They were enormously costly—£3,soo.ooo apiece is said to have been their price. They combined features of capital ships —hitting power and armour —with the speed and sea endurance of cruisers. It was predicted truly that they would be dangerous commerce raiders. Their names were Deutschland, Admiral Scheer and Admiral Graf Spee. The third day of September of this year found Great Britain and Germany again at war: and it soon became known that the Deutschland and Admiral Graf Spee were cruising as commerce-raiders in the Atlantic. But, well-prepared this time, Great Britain reached out. the long arm of her seapower, and the raiders found victims hard to get. The Deutschland had little success and returned home a few weeks ago after sinking the auxiliary cruiser Rawalpindi off Iceland. The Admiral Graf Spee sank nine British merchant ships during her long cruise. For all her speed and endurance and gun power she achieved little in comparison with the successes of German raiders of the Great War. She crossed the wide Atlantic from the African trade route to try her luck in Soulli American waters and fortune failed her. When she made last week to capture a French liner she raised a hornet's nest in the form of three British light cruisers and her fate was sealed. A Battle of Tactics. There ensued a naval engagement that is unparalleled in the long history of warfare at sea. His Majesty’s light cruisers Exeter, Achilles and Ajax, mounting between them six 8-inch and twelve 6-inch guns, without hesitation tackled the Admiral Graf Spee with her six 11-inch and eight 5.9-iiieh gnus. The action opened at six in the morning, and four hours later the 8-inch gun Exeter had to fall out badly damaged. The Achilles and Ajax held on to the evening throughout the long day and at midnight the sorely-tried and badlyhammered Graf Spee took refuge in Montevideo Ilirrbour.

The story of the Battle of the River Plate has still to be told; but it will rank in naval history as an epic contest. It was a battle of the superb tactics of light cruiser captains against a heavily-gunned, armoured ship, that had always been accounted as a near match for a battle-cruiser. Indeed, the British Admiralty’s dispositions, for hunting tier down involved, the employ-

ment of such ships. But it was the light cruisers’ luck to be close at hand when the Graf Spec appeared on the River Plate trade route, and once they had found her they- did not let go. It was such an opportunity as seldom comes their way, and they certainly made the most of it. The outer seas were rid of a dangerous raider, which was run to earth in a masterly manner. In scuttling his ship after being ordered to leave the neutral port of Montevideo, Captain Lang.sdorff doubtless acted upon instructions from the German Naval High Command in Berlin. To have gone to sea would have spelled the certain destruction of Hie Admiral Graf Siam by the overwhelming concentration of British naval strength waiting offshore. That would have involved a terrible and useless sacrifice of the lives of hundreds of German seamen. The courage of her officers and men was not in question. German bravery in action has always been admitted, and' admired by British naval seamen.

The sinking of the Admiral Graf Spec l at the hands of her own crew was assuredly the best way out. It completed the victory of the British light cruisers. But it would appear also that the scuttling of ships has become a tradition of thd German Navy.