http://www.onwar.com/chrono/1939/dec39/f13dec39.htm
Battle of the River Plate
Wednesday, December 13, 1939 www.onwar.com
In the South Atlantic... The Battle of the River Plate takes place. British Commodore Harwood has brought his squadron to the River Plate estuary hoping that the German pocket battleship Graf Spee will come hunting there. Harwood has the heavy cruiser, Exeter, and the light cruisers, Ajax and Achilles. When the Graf Spee does appear at approximately 0616, there is a fierce two-hour battle. Exeter is very badly damaged, Ajax is also heavily hit and Achilles less so. Graf Spee has received some damage as well and Langsdorff decides to break off the action. He heads for Montevideo, where under international law the warship is permitted temporary neutral sanctuary, to make quick repairs and have his wounded treated. Ajax and Achilles take station off the port.
In the North Sea... The British submarine, Salmon, torpedoes the German cruisers, Leipzig and Nurnberg. Leipzig will only return to service in 1941 but solely as a training ship. Nurnberg will be out of action until May 1940.
In London... The British House of Commons meets in secret session for the first time since 1918. According to a tense statement issued seven and a half hour of debate, the Members of Parliament discussed “the organization of supplies fro the prosecution of the war.”
In the Winter War... The Finns continue a series of attacks on the Soviet 8th Army.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Harwood
Harwood commanded the squadron consisting of the heavy cruisers HMS Cumberland and HMS Exeter, and the light cruisers HMS Achilles and HMS Ajax, which flew his flag in the action against the Admiral Graf Spee at the River Plate.
Unable to divide his force, Harwood suspected that the raiding Admiral Graf Spee would try to strike next at the merchant shipping off the River Plate estuary between Uruguay and Argentina. With HMS Cumberland being absent for repairs at the Falklands, the three other cruisers were gathered off the estuary on 12 December and conducted manoeuvres. In the ensuing battle, HMS Exeter was severely damaged and forced to retire, while all other ships received moderate damage. HMS Ajax and HMS Achilles then shadowed the Graf Spee which entered the neutral Uruguayan capital Montevideo. After a tense period, the captain of the Graf Spee, Hans Langsdorff, scuttled his ship rather than face the overwhelmingly superior British force which he believed had been assembled. For this action, known as the Battle of the River Plate, Harwood was promoted to Rear-Admiral and knighted.
From December 1940 to April 1942, Rear-Admiral Harwood served as a Lord Commissioner of the Admiralty and Assistant Chief of Naval Staff (Foreign) (HMS President). In April 1942, Harwood was promoted to Vice-Admiral and Commander-in-Chief, Mediterranean Station, flying his flag on HMS Nile. This station was renamed Levant in 1943, during which year he engaged in flank support and seaborne supply of the British Eighth Army.
In April 1945, Sir Henry Harwood became Flag Officer Commanding the Orkneys and Shetlands (HMS Prosperine) until he retired from the service on 15 August 1945 with the rank of Admiral, having been declared medically unfit for further duty.
Sir Henry Harwood died in Goring-on-Thames in 1950