In December 1939, following the [[Battle of the River Plate]], the damaged [[German]] [[Pocket Battleship|pocket battleship]] [[Admiral Graf Spee (heavy cruiser)|''Admiral Graf Spee'']] took refuge in the neutral waters of Montevideo harbour. Under pressure from the Uruguayan government to leave, the captain of the ''Graf Spee'', Hans Langdorff, scuttled the ship on 17 December to avoid risking the lives of his crew in a hopeless fight with [[British]] naval vessels awaiting him in international waters. | In December 1939, following the [[Battle of the River Plate]], the damaged [[German]] [[Pocket Battleship|pocket battleship]] [[Admiral Graf Spee (heavy cruiser)|''Admiral Graf Spee'']] took refuge in the neutral waters of Montevideo harbour. Under pressure from the Uruguayan government to leave, the captain of the ''Graf Spee'', Hans Langdorff, scuttled the ship on 17 December to avoid risking the lives of his crew in a hopeless fight with [[British]] naval vessels awaiting him in international waters. |