This map shows the route followed by the German 'pocket battleship' Admiral Graf Spee between late August 1939, when it headed towards the South Atlantic, and 17 December, when it was scuttled in South America's River Plate. During this time the German commerce raider sank nine British merchant ships and captured two others; it also stopped then released a neutral Dutch ship. On 13 December, about 240 miles off the east coast of Uruguay, Graf Spee went into action against the three British cruisers HMS Exeter, Achilles and Ajax, before retiring to the neutral port of Montevideo.
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