[Southack]

Just a little trivia, but "Graf" is German for Count or Earl. So the battleship "Admiral Graf Spree" was named for an Admiral who was also Germanic Royalty...a bit quirky considering that Hitler's rise to power depended upon the German Kaiser (Ceasar / King) being out of the picture.

[John H K]

Well, Nazism eventually had to co-opt and incorporate the old royalist elites, largely through their dire fear of Communism.

Always was a lot of tension in the regime between the "old guard" and the upstart "corporals" like Hitler who had the power.

[Tallguy]

I believe the Graf Spee was completed in the '20's -- before Hitler came to power. He could have changed the name as he had done with the "Deutschland" (which was the Graf Spee's sister ship).

[Jimmy Valentine]

Von Spee was a very famous German Admiral in the First World War. His squadron (including the cruisers Scharnhort and Gneisnau) raised havoc in the Southern Atlantic and sank Adm. Christopher Craddock's squadron off the coast of Argentina (I think).

Von Spee in turn was sunk with all of his ships by HMS Invincible and HMS Inflexible (I think) Commanded by Admiral Sir Dovton Sturdee.

Regards,