River Plate 1939

Author : Angus Konstam
Publisher : Bloomsbury Publishing
Page : 100 pages
File Size : 47,8 Mb
Release : 2016-08-25
Category : History
ISBN : 9781472817976

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River Plate 1939 by Angus Konstam Pdf

Days before the outbreak of World War II a handful of German commerce raiders put out to sea to prey on Allied merchantmen. Amongst them was the Panzerschiff ('armoured ship') Graf Spee, a formidable warship that boasted the firepower of a battleship but the size, speed and range of a cruiser. When World War II commenced, under the command of Captain Langsdorff the Graf Spee began a hunting spree across the South Atlantic and the Indian Ocean that eventual took her to the River Plate in search of her next victim – an Allied convoy. Instead she found three Royal Navy cruisers under the command of Commodore Harwood, eager to put an end to the 'pocket battleship' that had been terrorizing Allied merchant ships. Featuring full colour artwork, archive photographs and meticulous research, this comprehensive volume explores the thrilling story behind the Battle of the River Plate, an engagement that unquestionably demonstrated the effectiveness of British seapower and diplomacy on an international stage.

Author : Gordon Landsborough
Publisher : Frontline Books
Page : 147 pages
File Size : 53,6 Mb
Release : 2016-08-31
Category : History
ISBN : 9781473878976

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The Battle of the River Plate by Gordon Landsborough Pdf

At dawn on 13 December 1939, smoke was seen on the horizon; HMS Exeter was told to close in and investigate. Two minutes later a dramatic signal was sent from the British cruiser I think it is a pocket battleship.It was. The Deutschland-class heavy cruiser Admiral Graf Spee, marauder of the South Atlantic shipping, had sailed into a trap. Three smaller British cruisers closed in on a German warship which, so Hitler had boasted, could out-sail any ship powerful enough to damage her, and out-gun any ship able to keep up with her an invincible ship.So began the Battle of the River Plate, story which has its duplicates in British naval history, but which nevertheless brought pride and inspiration into the hearts of a nation unwillingly at war once again.A terrible battle was fought that day off the coast of South America, a naval encounter in the finest Nelson tradition and true to that tradition, victory went to the men with the finest armament of all, courage.This edition will be presented with an Appendix containing the official despatch detailing the Battle of the River Plate.

Author : Joseph Montague Kenworthy Baron Strabolgi
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 336 pages
File Size : 41,5 Mb
Release : 1940
Category : Rio de la Plata, Battle of the, 1939
ISBN : STANFORD:36105080727030

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The Battle of the River Plate by Joseph Montague Kenworthy Baron Strabolgi Pdf

Presents the full story of the Battle of the River Plate along with the complete story of the prison ship, Altmark, and the rescue by the H.M.S. Cossack.

Author : Eric Grove
Publisher : US Naval Institute Press
Page : 216 pages
File Size : 41,8 Mb
Release : 2001
Category : History
ISBN : UOM:39015050760878

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The Price of Disobedience by Eric Grove Pdf

"Naval scholar Eric Grove reassesses the first British naval encounter of World War II - the Battle of the River Plate. In late 1939, a force from the Royal Navy engaged the German battleship Graf Spee, which had been raiding commercial shipping in the southwest Atlantic. Though the Graf Spee was outnumbered, it inflicted serious damage to the British ships before taking refuge in the harbor at Montivideo, Uruguay. Four days later her commander, assuming a much superior force waited for him, scuttled his ship and then committed suicide. This controversial story of risk and naval strategy has been told before, but Grove has unearthed previously unpublished sources to provide a definitive account of the battle and throw new light on the motivation of the Graf Spee's captain. A thought-provoking book, it will attract naval historians and others with an interest in World War II."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved

Author : Richard Woodman
Publisher : Casemate Publishers
Page : 165 pages
File Size : 47,9 Mb
Release : 2008-03-20
Category : History
ISBN : 9781844689538

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The Battle of the River Plate by Richard Woodman Pdf

A study and reassessment of the major World War II battle in the South Atlantic between the British and German navies. The Battle of the River Plate was the first major naval confrontation of the Second World War, and it is one of the most famous. The dramatic sea fight between the German pocket battleship Admiral Graf Spee and the British cruisers Exeter, Ajax, and Achilles off the coast of South America caught the imagination in December 1939. Over the last sixty years the episode has come to be seen as one of the classics of naval warfare. Yet the accepted interpretation of events has perhaps been taken for granted and is ripe for reassessment, and that is one of the aims of Richard Woodman’s enthralling new study. Praise for The Battle of the River Plate: A Grand Delusion “This author has made it all so very riveting, it really is a book which is hard to put down until finished.” —Royal Geographical Society “Graphic, thought provoking—highly recommended.” —Britain at War

Author : David Miller
Publisher : Pen and Sword
Page : 216 pages
File Size : 55,5 Mb
Release : 2013-04-08
Category : History
ISBN : 9781848844902

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Command Decisions: Langsdorff and the Battle of the River Plate by David Miller Pdf

This compelling new study of the Battle of the River Plate concentrates on Kapit_n zur See Hans Langsdorff, the commander of the German pocket battleship Graf Spee _ it is written from his point of view. The story of his mission at the start of the Second World War to prey on merchant shipping is graphically retold, and Langsdorffês command decisions are the primary focus of David Millerês gripping narrative. He considers in vivid detail the factors Langsdorff had to consider as he assessed the situation of his ship and choose his course of action. He describes the intelligence Langsdorff received and his knowledge of the position and strength of the forces of the Royal Navy that were arrayed against him. Langsdorffês interpretation of his mission and the tense calculations he had to make in order to carry it out are the essential elements of this dramatic story. Langsdorff, operating alone and thousands of miles away from home and with no prospect of support, had to grapple with the enormous burden of a lone command. He made grave mistakes, and these are ruthlessly exposed. But this fascinating re-examination of his actions and his leadership does nothing to diminish his reputation as a brave and honourable officer.

Author : Enrique Dick
Publisher : WIT Press
Page : 251 pages
File Size : 44,6 Mb
Release : 2014-12-16
Category : History
ISBN : 9781845649326

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In the Wake of the Graf Spee by Enrique Dick Pdf

This is an indispensable book for anyone wanting to know more about the before, during and after the Battle of the River Plate, the naval tactics that were employed, the games of diplomacy, the honour of the captains and crews, and the ground- breaking technology involved. The book takes a balanced view of pre-war and post-war events that shaped those years and of Argentina’s willingness to take the crew of the Graf Spee in and offer them refuge, which proved to be beneficial to both communities. For those with an interest in social history, the book tells the fascinating story of the changes that the arrival of 200 young German sailors in the foothills of the Sierras de Córdoba meant for what in 1940 had been a small village, Villa General Belgrano, where their traditions still endure. The technical details of the Graf Spee are set out in an Appendix at the back of the book where readers with an interest in such things will be able to find a comprehensive description of her own fascinating story and details of her armaments and capabilities in both words and numbers. The illustrations have been carefully selected in an attempt to reflect what that era was really like and the context in which she was built. Contents include: The Kriegsmarine; Life on board; The outbreak of war; Battle stations; Buenos Aires to Capilla Vieja; Illustrious name, Illustrious ship and both the early and final years.

Author : Dudley Pope
Publisher : Harvill Secker
Page : 256 pages
File Size : 49,8 Mb
Release : 1974
Category : History
ISBN : UOM:39015012993880

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The Battle of the River Plate by Dudley Pope Pdf

This tale of the Battle of the River Plate follows the machinations of the German war machine as Kapitan zur See Hans Langsdorff commands the pocket battleship Graf Spee on a mission to cripple British shipping. Through clever subterfuge and daring, the Graf Spee takes ship after ship, ultimately forcing the British Navy to send twenty ships in search of the elusive Spee.

Author : Geoffrey Bennett
Publisher : US Naval Institute Press
Page : 128 pages
File Size : 50,8 Mb
Release : 1980
Category : History
ISBN : STANFORD:36105081190212

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Battle of the River Plate by Geoffrey Bennett Pdf

Author : Peter Hore
Publisher : Seaforth Publishing
Page : 0 pages
File Size : 54,7 Mb
Release : 2018
Category : Admirals
ISBN : 1526725290

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Henry Harwood by Peter Hore Pdf

Henry Harwood is best known for his destruction of the Admiral Graf Spee at the battle of the River Plate in December 1939 about which Winston Churchill, then First Lord of the Admiralty, said: 'This brilliant sea fight takes its place in our naval annals and in a long, cold, dark winter it warmed the cockles of the British hearts'. Despite that great victory Harwood remains, until now, one of three great British naval commanders of the Second World War who is without a biography. Admiral Sir Henry Harwood's wider naval career was remarkable and epitomised the Royal Navy in the first half of the twentieth century. He became a naval cadet in 1903, specialised as a torpedo officer in 1911, and for his services in the First World War was awarded the OBE in 1919. He was one of the Navy's intellectuals, gaining first class passes in all his examinations and, during his interwar service on the South American station, learning Spanish. During his service in important staff appointments and at the Imperial Defence College, he made a particular study of international relations and, in the light of perceived fallings at sea in the First World War, of tactics and command. He was thus well-qualified when in 1936 he became commodore in command of the South American division of the America and West Indies station, and well prepared to meet and defeat the German pocket battleship _Admiral Graf Spee_ with his inferior force of cruisers in 1939. He was promoted assistant chief of the naval staff at the Admiralty, and, in 1942, appointed Commander-in-Chief, Mediterranean, in succession to Sir Andrew Cunningham. Then, commanding a fleet too enfeebled for its tasks, he found Montgomery plotting against him and Churchill loosing confidence in him before being relieved of his command. Invalided out of the Navy in 1945, and subsequently blamed by many for the Navy's perceived failings in the Mediterranean, he died a disappointed man in 1950. The author has been given exclusive and unique access to the Harwood family archives and, in the light of these previously unpublished papers, has set about rehabilitating the character, career and achievements of this great British admiral. For all historians and enthusiasts of the Royal Navy in the Second World War, this will be essential reading.

Author : Graham James Beeson
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 283 pages
File Size : 48,7 Mb
Release : 2014
Category : Admiral Graf Spee (Battleship)
ISBN : 0473105292

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A Pictorial History of a German Pocket Battleship Panzerschiff Admiral Graf Spee 1934-1939, Battle of the River Plate, Wednesday 13 December 1939 by Graham James Beeson Pdf

Author : Alan D. Zimm
Publisher : Casemate
Page : 480 pages
File Size : 55,8 Mb
Release : 2013-10-19
Category : History
ISBN : 9781612001975

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Attack on Pearl Harbor by Alan D. Zimm Pdf

ÒNothing previously published has offered such a close examination of Japanese strategy . . . an in-depth study of the Japanese planning, preparation and execution of the attack with particular focus on factors not thoroughly considered by other historians, if at all . . . detailed analyses that lead to a much better understanding of what the Japanese did, why they did it, and especially how the attack was very nearly an abject failure instead of a stunning success."ÑNaval Institute Proceedings "For seven decades, conventional wisdom has extolled the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor as brilliant in its planning and execution . . . this masterful analysis topples that pillar of Pacific War history . . . with its amazing depth of meticulous research and analysis, this forceful book is essential reading for anyone with a serious interest in Pearl Harbor."ÑWorld War II "The first militarily professional description of the Pearl Harbor attack, and for those who are serious about military history and operations, it is a joy to read. . . . a superb military analysis of the attack . . . not only renders all other histories of Pearl Harbor obsolete, it has set the bar high for other histories of the Pacific War."ÑWar In History

Author : Eric Grove
Publisher : Psychology Press
Page : 280 pages
File Size : 43,9 Mb
Release : 2002
Category : Battleships
ISBN : 0714652083

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German Capital Ships and Raiders in World War II: From Graf Spee to Bismarck, 1931-1941 by Eric Grove Pdf

Author : Mark Lardas
Publisher : Bloomsbury Publishing
Page : 81 pages
File Size : 54,8 Mb
Release : 2021-08-19
Category : History
ISBN : 9781472843104

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German Heavy Cruisers vs Royal Navy Heavy Cruisers by Mark Lardas Pdf

This superbly illustrated study explores the epic clashes of British and German heavy cruisers at the beginning of World War II. The opposing heavy cruisers of the German Kriegsmarine and the Royal Navy engaged in a global game of cat and mouse during the opening years of World War II. This was a period in which the heavy cruiser still reigned supreme in open waters, with the opposing sides reluctant to risk their battleships, and aircraft yet to dominate the seas. These swift vessels fought each other in the South Atlantic, North Atlantic, the frigid waters of the Denmark Strait and the Arctic approaches to Russia, capturing the public imagination in the process. This fascinating and beautifully illustrated book examines the design, development and technical performance of these opposing warships, and explores the clashes between them at the Battle of the River Plate in December 1939, the Christmas Day Battle 1940 and the Battle of the Denmark Strait in May 1941. The ships examined include the Deutschland-class Panzerschiffe and Admiral Hipper-class cruisers, and the Royal Navy County- and York-class heavy cruisers.

Author : John Jordan
Publisher : Bloomsbury Publishing
Page : 226 pages
File Size : 49,8 Mb
Release : 2018-05-31
Category : History
ISBN : 9781472830005

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Warship 2018 by John Jordan Pdf

An annual publication featuring the latest research on the history, development and service of the world's warships. Warship 2018 is devoted to the design, development and service history of the world's combat ships. Featuring a broad range of articles from a select panel of distinguished international contributors, this latest volume combines original research, new book reviews, warship notes, an image gallery and much more to maintain the impressive standards of scholarship and research from the field of warship history. This 40th edition features the usual range of diverse articles spanning the subject by an international array of expert authors.