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Royal Navy
HMS Exeter
Battle of the River Plate
by
Ronnie Taylor
Admiral Graf Spee
The German pocket-battleship ‘Admiral Graf Spee’, Captained by Langsdorff, preyed on Allied Merchant Ships in the North Atlantic in 1939 as a surface raider (Panzerschiff), stopping supplies reaching Britain. Not wanting to face the British Royal Navy head on in battle, the Germans considered this a strategy to force the British Navy escort ships into the open sea protecting Merchant ships, where the German submarines, called underwater raiders, could attack, and hence force Britain on the road to surrender.
In December 1939 the British obtained information that the Graf Spee was in the South Atlantic attacking Merchant Ships and a force of two heavy cruisers (Cumbernauld and Exeter) and two light cruisers (Ajax and Achilles), were assigned as hunters, to track and destroy the German Battleship, led by Commodore Henry Harwood. The convoy consisted of the light cruisers HMS Ajax (Captain C.H.L. Woodhouse), HMS Achilles (Captain W.E. Parr) and the heavy cruiser HMS Exeter (Captain F.S. Bell). HMS Cumbernauld was at Port Stanley, Falkland Islands for a self refit and boiler clean.
The Exeter carried six 8inch guns with three gun turrets ‘A’ ‘B’ and ‘Y’, the Ajax and Achilles had eight 6 inch guns with four gun turrets ‘A’ ‘B’ ‘X’ and ‘Y’. The Graf Spee matched this with six 11 inch guns and eight 6 inch guns.
On the 13th December 1939, 150 mile off the River Plate, the HMS Exeter was sent ahead to identify smoke on the horizon, but soon found the smoke belonged to the German Battleship ‘Admiral Graf Spee’. The German ship, realising the ships were not Merchants opened fire on the Exeter with their 11 inch guns finding the target, the Exeter’s 8 inch guns also opened fire but landed short.
Damage to HMS Exeter’s ‘A’ and ‘B’ and Turrets
Exeter’s ‘A’ and ‘B’ gun turrets were both hit, photo shows ‘A’ turret to front, and ‘B’ turret to the rear. The ‘B’ turret, which was manned by Marines, suffered a direct hit killing many including the Captain Woods (Royal Marine Captain). Shrapnel swept the bridge killing and wounding all except Captain Bell and two others. The power circuit was also badly damaged which disabled Exeter. The Ajax and Achilles attacked the Graf Spee, giving the Exeter the chance to disengage and slowly limp to Stanley in the Falkland Islands.
Achilles taken from Ajax
The Ajax and Achilles attack caused the Graf Spee severe damage and the German battleship made a dash for the neutral Port of Montevideo, Uruguay. The Ajax and Achilles shadowed the Graf Spee and patrolled the sea off Montevideo, not allowing the German ship to escape. The neutral port of Uruguay gave Captain Langsdorff 72 hours to leave its moorings, he had no alternative and the Graf Spee was scuttled outside the port on the 17th December 1939.
The Scuttling of the Graf Spee
The Exeter’s log reads:-
December 9th - Recalled to join HMS AJAX and HMS ACHILLES off Plate estuary in anticipation of an early encounter with GRAF SPEE.
13th December - Took part in action against GRAF SPEE with HMS AJAX and HMS ACHILLES. Seriously damaged by 11inch shells with many casualties and outbreak of fire. Continued to engage the enemy until power lost by flooding. Withdrawn from action with heavy list and all guns unserviceable.
Casualty List included 63 killed and 23 wounded.
15th December - Passage to Port Stanley after relief by HM Cruiser CUMBERLAND.
20th December - Under temporary repair at Port Stanley.
HMS Exeter
Deaths
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Name
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Rank
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Service/No
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Clarkson, Richard Mortimer Roy
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Able Seaman
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D/JX 151372
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Davies, Gilbert Lewis
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Able Seaman
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D/SSX 22679
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Dyer, Frederick Walter George
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Shipwright 3rd Class
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D/MX 47145
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Frederick, James Trevor
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Able Seaman
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D/JX 143465
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French, Frederick Thomas
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Able Seaman
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D/SSX 20765
|
|
George, Evan Idloes
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Leading Stoker
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D/K 65213
|
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Gibson, Stanley Cooper
|
Able Seaman
|
D/JX 139907
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Harrington, Stanley Patrick
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Marine
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PLY/X 22286
|
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Harris, Hugh
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Petty Officer Telegraphist
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D/J 51924
|
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Higginbottom, Alan
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Chief Yeoman of Signals
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D/J 100565
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Hill, Leonard Charles
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Able Seaman
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D/J 44825
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Hill, Ronald Bernard
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Boy Bugler
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PLY/X 2238
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Honey, Leslie Frederick
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Leading Signalman
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D/JX 138212
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Jones, Albert Stuart
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Petty Officer Stoker
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D/K 65933
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Kavanagh, Michael Thomas
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Telegraphist
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D/SSX 16949
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Kelly, Albert Edward
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Stoker 1st Class
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D/KX 82448
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Legg, Frank
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Petty Officer Cook
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D/MX52427
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Lumsden, Arthur Robson
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Telegraphist
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D/JX 142445
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Macleod, William
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Stoker 1st Class
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D/KX 81482
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Manning, George
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Stoker 1st Class
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D/K 59242
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Marsh, William George Robert
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Corporal
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PLY/X 1361
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McDonnell, Francis Henry
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Able Seaman
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D/SSX 15579
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McEvoy, James Patrick
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Marine
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PO/X 2091
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Mills, Edward
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Marine
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PLY/X 1914
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Monks, Christopher Davison
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Stoker 1st Class
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D/KX 96243
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Morse, Clyde Anthony Leeds
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Sub-Lieutenant
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|
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Naylor, Thomas Henry
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Able Seaman
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D/JX 138243
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O'Leary, Patrick Joseph
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Stoker 1st Class
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D/KX 92212
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Parry, David John
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Telegraphist
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D/JX 141568
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Pett, Bryan Thorne
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Stoker 1st Class
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D/KX 92192
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Phillips, Alfred Victor
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Leading Seaman
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D/JX 142946
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Powton, Richard Foard
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Chief Petty Officer Cook
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D/M 37983
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Pullyblank, Leslie William
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Leading Supply Assistant
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D/MX 50647
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Randle, Frank
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Petty Officer Stoker
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D/K 37155
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Remick, Tom
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Chief Yeoman of Signals
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D/J 45240
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Richards, Brynmor
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Able Seaman
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D/JX 141181
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Richards, Glyndwr
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Leading Seaman
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D/JX 127862
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Rickcord, John Scott
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Midshipman
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Riglar, Arthur Samuel
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Telegraphist
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D/JX 144826
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Russell, Wilfred Aubrey
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Marine
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PLY/X 214
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Small, Richard James
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Blacksmith 3rd Class
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D/MX 51352
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Spencer, Harry
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Able Seaman
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D/SSX 16592
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Squire, Ernest Basil
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Boy 1st Class
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D/JX 158659
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Steele, Robert Makepeace
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Petty Officer Stoker
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D/K 60833
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Stubbs, Agean
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Marine
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PLY/X 1370
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Taylor, Robert Wickham
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Telegraphist
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D/JX 146419
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Teague, Samuel Baden Powell
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Chief Stoker
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D/K 57454
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Thompson, James Edwin
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Stoker 1st Class
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D/KX 81575
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Tovey, George Edward
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Petty Officer Stoker
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D/KX 80186
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Tregidgo, Albert Francis Frederick
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Chief Petty Officer
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D/J 89888
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Tyler, Donald Howard
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Sub-Lieutenant (S)
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Wilson, Patrick
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Stoker 1st Class
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D/KX 86441
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Woods, Humphrey Ropner Duncan
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Captain
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Admiral Graf Spee Action Awards
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