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The Graf Spee took refuge in the Plate Estuary, and there remains some question as to why he did so, since the ship wasn't that heavily damaged. She then returned to sea where the Captain scuttled his ship.

I had read that the British had fed the Germans false info saying that HMS Renown, a battlecruiser with 6 15" guns had joined Ajax and Achilles, and Luitjens, knowing that he was out-gunned, and that he couldn't outrun the Renown, decided to scuttle the ship rather than sacrifice his men. He also shot himself.

125 posted on 07/03/2006 11:59:14 AM PDT by Antoninus (Public schools are the madrassas of the American Left. --Ann Coulter, Godless)

He also shot himself.

The interesting thing about that is he did it under the old German Imperial ensign and not the Swastika.

140 posted on 07/03/2006 12:28:16 PM PDT by COEXERJ145 (Free Republic is Currently Suffering a Pandemic of “Bush Derangement Syndrome.”)