|
Panzerschiff Admiral Graf Spee in December 1939
|
Named after Vice Admiral Maximilian
Graf von Spee, commander of the South East Asian cruiser squadron
who died at the Battle of the Falkland Islands on 08.12.1914.
|
|
History
After World War I the Versailles Treaty limited
the construction of new warships in Germany. It was allowed to
keep six old battleships of the Deutschland and Lothringen
class, six small cruisers, 12 DDs and 12 torpedo boats.
According to Article 190 of the treaty, the battleships could be
replaced 20 years after they were commissioned, but the replacement
must not exceed 10000 tons.
Therefore, the first replacement was ordered in
1928, the Panzerschiff A which later got the names Deutschland
and Lützow . The planing first went into two directions, a
heavy armed and protected monitor for coastal defenses or a cruiser
like ship with a larger range but less armor. Since France was the
possible enemy in this days the second alternative was chosen to
build a ship that could threaten French merchant shipping. The
concept of the new Panzerschiffe was "faster than
stronger enemies" (i.e. battleships except the British BC Hood,
Renown and Repulse), "and stronger than faster enemies" (CAs
and CLs), which was plausible in the days before the fast
battleships.
In many ways, the Panzerschiffe introduced
revolutionary techniques for ships of their size, they were Diesel
powered to increase their operational range and hull was intensively
welded to reduce weight. Although their official size was 10000 ts,
their maximum displacement was about 50% higher.
All three Panzerschiffe, which were called "Westentaschen-Schlachtschiffe"
- "Pocket Battleships" outside of Germany, had the
same basic design, their outer appearance was quite different,
especially the design of the command tower.
All ships were used in the international sea
patrols off the Spanish coast during the Spanish civil war and had
different fates in World War II. The Admiral Graf Spee was
lost early in the war when it was scuttled after the famous battle
of the River Plate.
|
| Construction
Data |
Dimensions |
Commanders |
| Laid
down: |
Reichsmarinewerft
Wilhelmshaven, 01.10.1932 |
| Launched: |
30.06.1934 |
| Commissioned: |
06.01.1936 |
| Fate: |
scuttled
17.12.1939 (La Plate estuary) |
| Costs: |
82
Mio Reichsmark |
|
| Size
(Max): |
16023
t |
| Length
(Total): |
186,0
m |
| Length
(Waterline): |
181,7
m |
| Beam: |
21,65
m |
| Draft: |
7,34
m |
| Crew: |
1001-1150 |
|
| KptzS
Konrad Patzig: |
Jan
1936 - Oct 1937 |
| KptzS
Walter Warzecha: |
Oct
1937 - Oct 1938 |
| KptzS
Hans Langsdorf: |
Oct
1938 - 17.12.1939 |
|
|
Weapons |
Armour and
Aircraft |
Engines
& Performance |
| 28
cm L/52 C/28: |
6 |
| 15
cm L/55 C28: |
8 |
8,8cm
L/75 C/32:
later replaced with 10.5 cm L/65 C/33 |
6 |
| 3,7
cm L/83: |
8 |
| 2
cm MG L/64: |
8 |
| 53,3
cm Torpedoes: |
8 |
|
| Deck: |
45
mm (max) |
| Belt: |
80mm
(max) |
| Command
Tower: |
150
mm |
| Turrets: |
140
mm (max) |
|
| Shafts: |
2 |
| Engines: |
8 |
| Type: |
MAN
9-cyl. diesel |
| Total
Performance: |
53650
shp |
| Speed: |
28,5
kn |
| Range: |
17460
miles at 15 kn |
|
|
|
Operational
History
| 06.01.1936 |
Commissioned. |
| -May
1936 |
Training
and trials. |
| 09.05.1936 |
The
Admiral Graf Spee enters active fleet service. |
| 29.05.1936 |
Fleet
parade at Laboe. |
| 06-25.06.1936 |
Atlantic
operations, visit to Santa Cruz. |
| 20.08-09.10.1936 |
First
Spain operation. |
| 13.12.1936-14.02.1937 |
Second
Spain operation. |
| 02.03-06.05.1937 |
Third
Spain operation. |
| 15-22.05.1937 |
The
Admiral Graf Spee takes part at the international
fleet parade at Spithead. |
| 23.06
- 07.08.1937 |
Forth
Spain operation. |
| Autumn
1937 |
Autumn
maneuvers, followed by visits to Wisby and Kristiansand. |
| 07-18.02.1938 |
Fifth
Spain operation. |
| 29.06-09.07.1938 |
Training
operations in Norwegian waters. |
| 22.08.1938 |
Fleet
parade at the launch of the CA Prinz Eugen . |
| 06-23.10.1938 |
Atlantic
operations, including visit to Tangier and Vigo. |
| 10-24.11.1938 |
Atlantic
operations, including visit to Portugal. |
| 22-24.03.1938 |
Flagship
during the Memel-Operations. |
| 18.04-16.05.1939 |
Atlantic
operations together with Deutschland , Admiral
Scheer , Leipzig , Köln , Leberecht
Maas , Diether
von Roeder , the U-Boat tender Erwin Wasser
and three U-boat flotillas, including visits to Ceuta and
Lisbon. |
| 21.08.1939 |
Leaves Wilhelmshaven for the South
Atlantic.
|
| 11-25.09.1939 |
Stays
900 miles east of Bahia. |
| 26.09.1939 |
Received
orders to attack allied merchant shipping. |
| 30.09.1939 |
Sinks
British steamer Clement (5051 t) off Pernabuco. |
| October
1939 |
Admiral Graf Spee sinks the
following ships:
- 05.10: Newton Beach (4651 t)
- 07.10: Ashlea (4222 t)
- 10.10: Huntsman (8196 t)
- 22.10: Trevanion (5299 t)
|
| November
1939 |
Sails
into the Indian Ocean and sinks British steamer Africa
Shell (706 t). |
| December
1939 |
Returns to the South Atlantic and sinks
the following ships:
- 02.12: Doric Star (10086 t)
- 03.12: Taiora (7983 t)
- 07.12: Steronshaln (3895 t)
|
| 06.12.1939 |
Admiral
Graf Spee meets its supply ship Altmark the
last time (25,5°S, 24,5°W) |
| 13.12.1939 |
The
Admiral Graf Spee runs into the British CA Exeter
, CL Ajax and the New Zealand CL Achilles
. The Exeter is badly damaged, the other ships are
hit, too. The Admiral Graf Spee (36 dead and 60
wounded) sails to Montevideo for repairs but has to leave
the port in 72 hours. |
| 17.12.1939 |
Admiral
Graf Spee leaves Montevideo at
6:15 pm and is scuttled in the La Plata estuary at 7:52 pm. |
|
| |
|
