Divers recover large piece of Graf Spee (+ lots of unique Graff Spee photos)

BBC On-Line ^ | Thursday, 26 February, 2004 | staff writer

[yankeedame]

Last Updated: Thursday, 26 February, 2004, 14:02 GMT

Divers recover piece of Graf Spee

Poor weather conditions have hampered the recovery project

A team of divers has recovered a key piece of the German World War II battleship Graf Spee from the mouth of the River Plate in Uruguay. Salvage experts managed to re-float the ship's range-finding equipment, which weighs 27 metric tons.

It is the first significant part of the ship to be recovered in the operation after several failed attempts.

The ship was sunk more than 60 years ago by its captain to keep it from falling into enemy hands.

"I am looking at the range finder and it is just fabulous," -- Alfredo Etchegaray

The salvage team have positioned a floating crane 7 km (4 miles) out to sea from Montevideo.

The first attempt to raise the equipment - known as a telemeter - failed earlier in the day when the supporting cables snapped and the piece crashed back into the water.

The Admiral Graf Spee's rangefinder is raised from the seabed. Picture: http://www.theage.com.au

But the team managed to overcome tricky currents and winds to raise it.

"I am looking at the range finder and it is just fabulous," project spokesman Alfredo Etchegaray told Reuters news agency.

Epic battle

The Graf Spee was once a symbol of German naval might. In the early days of World War II it roamed the South Atlantic, sinking as many as nine allied merchant ships.

But during the Battle of the River Plate it received several direct hits and took refuge in Montevideo harbour.

Uruguay, under diplomatic pressure from Britain, ordered the Graf Spee out to sea. And there she was scuttled by her captain, Hans Langsdorff.

Captain Langsdorff committed suicide in a Buenos Aires naval camp three days later.

The ship now lies in waters no deeper than 11 metres.

The project is being financed by private investors from the US and Europe, and has the backing of the Uruguayan Government.

Once restored, the vessel is eventually expected to become a tourist attraction in Montevideo.

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Miscellaneous Google photos/images re: Graf Spee

<"Carrying the death from the Graf Spee" http://www.armed-guard.com/memory52.jpg

Hans Langsdorff, Commander of the Graf Spree (http://ww2photo.mimerswell.com/person/d/navy/01073.jpg)

Vizeadmiral Maximilian Graf von Spee (http://www.westfront.de/img0050.1_1.jpg)

Die "Admiral Graf Spee" unter der Levensauer Hochbrücke zu Kiel(http://www.duxu.de/marine/Schiffe/graf_spee.jpg)

(http://www.military.cz/ww2_ships/Germany/CA/Admiralspee/admiralspee07_s.jpg)

(http://www.panzertruppen.org/heer/protagonistas/langsdorff1.jpg)

(Re: both photos)"Urna construida por los tripulantes del Admiral Graf Spee entregada a la familia del capitan Langsdorff"

[yankeedame]

LOL! No, no need to thank me. It was either this, or go do the ironing :op

(I only I hope I get things right)

[theDentist]

Last night they ran "Sink the Bismark" (documentary) on History Channel. Pretty cool. They'd also done a doc on the Graf Spee (sp?).

[brothers4thID]

My brain is fuzzy this morning. What size were the guns on the Graff Spee?

[theDentist]

Big.

[theDentist]

Sorry, I just don't know.... :-)

[Chewbacca]

Weren't they something like 14 inches.

Ohio class was 16 inch, and Yamato class was 18 inch.

[SAMWolf]

Armament: six 11-inch (2x3), eight 5.9-inch (8x1), six 8.8cm (6x1), eight 21-inch torpedo tubes

[Tallguy]

The Graf Spee mounted 6, 11-inch naval rifles mounted in 2 triple turrets.

The Bismark mounted 15-inch guns.

[Colonel_Flagg]

Figured I'd find you here. :)

[SAMWolf]

LOL! Good Guess. :-)

[Petronski]

Armament: six 11-inch (2x3), eight 5.9-inch (8x1), six 8.8cm (6x1), eight 21-inch torpedo tubes

Roughly speaking, huh? Just a ballpark estimate? LOL

[SAMWolf]

LOL! I knew she had 11 inch guns, couldn't remember what the secondary armament was though.

[skeeter]

Once restored, the vessel is eventually expected to become a tourist attraction in Montevideo.

Just how much of the 'vessel' are they planning to restore? I was under the impression this was kind of a 'scrap in place' effort... the wreck has long been considered a navigational hazard.

[martin_fierro]

Having lived in Uruguay, let me tell you that this is probably the biggest thing that's happened there since ... well, the sinking of the Graf Spee. <|:)~

ARRIBA URUGUAY NOMAS! <|:)~

[Dilbert56]

From what I read having only two turrets made engaging Ajax, Achilles, and Exeter at the same time a real problem. The same book also decscribed the three British crusiers as being able to coordinate their respective broadsides as if they were one ship. Pretty impressive in that era.

[KellyAdmirer]

I understand the turrets and guns were very slow to adjust, too. The Essex was pretty much out of action by the time she made harbor, though, so if she were still functional, I think she would have stood a good chance of fighting her way out.

[KarlInOhio]

Ohio class was 16 inch,

Ohio class? Maybe you're thinking of another midwestern state with lots of vowels. Iowa, perhaps?

There have been two battleships named Ohio. BB-12 (Maine class) launched 1901, commissioned 1904, finally decommisioned 1922.

BB-68 (Montana class) authorized 1940, cancelled 1943 before construction started.

[Chewbacca]

Yeah, your right.
I meant Iowa class.

Had a brain fart.
My father used to work on Ohio class subs and my brain was stuck on that name.

[U S Army EOD]

Long range 11".

[U S Army EOD]

Watch the movie, "Pursuit of the Graf Spee" it is accurate.