Battle Of The River Plate: British Film On Youtube

[sergio]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a04C5-znaYY&feature=player_embedded

Excellent 1956 British film based on a true story.

 

[Matiasba]

The battle of the River Plate was the first naval battle of WWII.
It could perfectly be watched from the coasts of Punta del Este, where today at the port are two big commemorative plaques.
My grandma, who lived big part of her life in Punta (moved there in 1951) told me she heard the cannons from Montevideo. And the day after went to the port to see the Graf Spee.
It is an interest story. Lots of the sailors stayed in Montevideo and BsAs to live forever, some still alive. Wrong, the last one died in 2013 at age 93.

 

[sergio]

Lots of the sailors stayed in Montevideo and BsAs to live forever, some still alive. Wrong, the last one died in 2013 at age 93.

The German sailors?

 

[Matiasba]

The German sailors?

Yep. Lots of them stayed in Montevideo, others stayed in Argentina (unlike Uruguay who was with the allies, in Arg there was a military regime which sympathized with Hitler). The last survivor in Argentina died last year in Cordoba (in a german colony called Villa General Belgrano). Maybe there are still some survivors in Montevideo.

 

[Dublin2BuenosAires]

Argentina was officially neutral up until the last minute but certainly they were a very sympathetic kind of neutral and even when they declared for the Allies they retained every sympathy in certain areas with fleeing Germans.

 

[scotttswan]

Argentina was officially neutral up until the last minute but certainly they were a very sympathetic kind of neutral and even when they declared for the Allies they retained every sympathy in certain areas with fleeing Germans.

http://en.wikipedia....64_Squadron_RAF

Don't forget the brave 4,000 ish Argentines who volunteered, joined and fought with the allies whilst stuff like this was going on in Luna Park.

 

[Matiasba]

The germans (especially prusians) had a lot of weight in the configuration of the argentine army (also happened the same in Chile) in the last part of the XIXth century and the beginning of the XXth century. They were like a model. The same happened with the english navy.
Thats why the sympathy with the germans. The military government were drastically divided in WWII here. Even Peron, an extract of that government, had sympathies with Hitler and Mussolini.

 

[Matiasba]

http://en.wikipedia....64_Squadron_RAF

didnt know about that!

 

[sergio]

http://en.wikipedia....64_Squadron_RAF

Don't forget the brave 4,000 ish Argentines who volunteered, joined and fought with the allies whilst stuff like this was going on in Luna Park.

As many as 4,000? Seems a lot. I believe most of the Argentines who volunteered for the Allies were Anglo-Argentine. Peron got military training in Nazi Germany and was sympathetic to the Nazis.

 

[Rich One]

The battle of the River Plate was the first naval battle of WWII.
It could perfectly be watched from the coasts of Punta del Este, where today at the port are two big commemorative plaques.
My grandma, who lived big part of her life in Punta (moved there in 1951) told me she heard the cannons from Montevideo. And the day after went to the port to see the Graf Spee.
It is an interest story. Lots of the sailors stayed in Montevideo and BsAs to live forever, some still alive. Wrong, the last one died in 2013 at age 93.

Captain Langsdorf sank the Grafspee and later commited suicide.

He lay on Admiral Graf Spee's battle ensign and shot himself,[sup][1][/sup] His Letter to friends and family.

" I can now only prove by my death that the fighting services of the Third Reich are ready to die for the honor of the flag. I alone bear the responsibility for scuttling the panzerschiff Admiral Graf Spee. I am happy to pay with my life for any possible reflection on the honor of the flag. I shall face my fate with firm faith in the cause and the future of the nation and of my Führer...!