This map shows the route followed by the German 'pocket battleship' Admiral Graf Spee between late August 1939, when it headed towards the South Atlantic, and 17 December, when it was scuttled in South America's River Plate. During this time the German commerce raider sank nine British merchant ships and captured two others; it also stopped then released a neutral Dutch ship. On 13 December, about 240 miles off the east coast of Uruguay, Graf Spee went into action against the British cruisers HMS Exeter, Achilles and Ajax, before retiring to the neutral port of Montevideo.
Image from Achilles at the River Plate, by S.D. Waters
War History Branch, Department of Internal Affairs, Wellington 1948
Further information on this image may be obtained from the New Zealand Electronic Text Collection website.
