1939 8th December
Battle of River Plate
The Graf Spee has sunk 9 merchant ships, not a single life had been lost
Second World War · permanent subject timeline
Battle of the River Plate
The December 1939 cruiser action against Admiral Graf Spee. This page combines historical context with 8 matching records drawn directly from the World History Database World War II battle archive.
Historical context
Battle of the River Plate: overview and significance
What happened?
British cruisers Ajax, Achilles and Exeter engaged the German pocket battleship Admiral Graf Spee off the River Plate in December 1939. Damaged in the action, Graf Spee entered neutral Montevideo before Hans Langsdorff ordered the ship scuttled.
Why was it important?
The battle was one of the first major naval actions of the war and removed a dangerous German commerce raider. It also demonstrated the importance of intelligence, diplomacy and sea control in the Atlantic war.
World History Database records
Battle of the River Plate timeline
The records below are selected from the 797-record World War II battles archive and rendered as static HTML in chronological order.
1939
1939 13th December
Battle of River Plate
The Graf Spee enters the neutral port of Montevideo. Allowed to stay for 24 hours under the terms of the Hague convention of 1907
1939 15th December
Battle of River Plate
Buries the casualties of the battle
1939 17th December
Battle of River Plate
The crew are evacuated & the Graf Speee is scuttled, Langsdorf then shoots himself. Decides to scuttle his ship in the Plate Estuary to avoid unnecessary loss of life for no military advantage, against Hitler's will
1939 December
Battle of River Plate
A major propaganda victory for the British during the Phony War, Churchills reputation is enhanced
1939 December
Battle of River Plate
Ajax & Achilles shadow the Graf Spee into the neutral port of Montevideo
1939 December
Battle of River Plate
Commands the HMS Achilles during the Battle of the River Plate
1939 December
Battle of River Plate
Ajax & Achilles shadow the Graf Spee into the neutral port of Montevideo
Editorial provenance
Sources and editorial review
Compiled and edited by World History Database.
Historical context is editorial material; the chronology is generated from World History Database Second World War records.
Last reviewed: September 2026.
Imperial War Museums · National WWII Museum · Australian War Memorial
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