Shortly after dawn on Wednesday 13 December 1939 the New Zealand cruiser HMS ACHILLES was with HM Ships AJAX and EXETER, cruising off the mouth of the River Plate. At 6.13 am smoke was sighted on the horizon and one minute later the Battle of the River Plate began.
Opposing the three cruisers was the German armoured ship ADMIRAL GRAF SPEE. After an hour and a half of heavy firing EXETER was out of action and the other two British cruisers took up a shadowing position on GRAF SPEE. The German ship had also been hit and went into the neutral port of Montevideo for repairs.
Four days later, on the evening of 17 December, GRAF SPEE emerged from harbour, but instead of restarting the battle, she was scuttled by her crew in the estuary of the River Plate.
Consequences of a Choice: A German View of the Battle of the River Plate
Why was the New Zealand ship, HMS Achilles, at the River Plate?
The Battle of the River Plate was a huge morale boost for the Royal Navy at the start of the war. For New Zealanders the contribution by ACHILLES, mostly manned by New Zealand sailors, almost achieved mythical proportions. The ACHILLES’...