Chieftain Teaches: Battle of the River Plate

Comments · 299

• JO

  @josefhlavsa2891 · 8 years ago

  Holy crap can you imagine Lt. Cdr. Jennings standing on the top of the turret of listing ship, shouting orders and his crew, while 11-inch shels were flying around and the ship was on the verge of sinking. These guys were just something else entirely.

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• IN

  @IndianaDel1 · 9 years ago

  My Old Man's uncle was aboard HMS Ajax. After the battle he took part in the ships' company's parade through London. He brought his nephew bananas from the South Atlantic. On VE Day, now 10 years old, my Old Man was the sole member of his class that knew you had to peel a banana to eat it, as he had had one five years  before!

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• AD

  @adrianharris9091 · 7 years ago

  My dad was the gunlayer in the 'Marine's' turret on HMS Ajax when it got hit by an 11" shell from the Graff Spee which came through the turret shattered and killed all his friends. My father died before I was old enough to talk with him, but I do have a memento from the battle beside me here, a fragment of that 11" Graff Spee shell which my father had engraved and brought home to present it to my mother. It is a small piece yet is incredibly heavy, needless to say it - is my most treasured possession.

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• ZA

  @Zakiriel · 9 years ago (edited)

  HMS Achillies then HMNZS Achilles Then to the Indian Navy renamed Delhi. As the Delhi she was hired to play herself in the movie version of the Battle of the River Platte! So cool in my Book!

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• NI

  @NickRatnieks · 8 years ago

  HMS Renown was a battlecruiser although her 1930s rebuild made her look very much like the battleship Warspite after the reconstruction of her superstructure.

  5

• ST

  @steweygrrr · 9 years ago

  Captain Langsdorf, he was an enemy but most definitely not a bad guy /salute from the grandson of one of Exeter's (I believe, he died before I was old enough to talk) firemen aka boiler operator.

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• RE

  @Redchrome1 · 9 years ago

  A wonderful retelling of the story, with new things I hadn't heard before. Thank you.

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• CA

  @carlgomm9699 · 5 years ago

  I really enjoy listening to things like this,such a good speaker with lots of good knowledge, please keep this up !!

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• JO

  @jonathanrogers4200 · 9 years ago

  keep these coming. The quality of research is fantastic.

  2

• AU

  @AudieHolland · 8 years ago

  I have read about this and watched a movie about it ("The Battle of River Plate") so this was an incredibly detailed account of the first and last voyage of "Graf Spee."

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• TR

  @troy9477 · 9 years ago

  This is the first of your videos i have come across. Great job. As a history buff i love this sort of content. I knew the basic sea story; it was nice to hear the full details. Great presentation and lecture.

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• ST

  @stephenwoods4118 · 8 years ago

  Thank you for a good clear retelling of the battle and it's aftermath.

  2