german cruiser admiral admiral class armored ship nicknamed pocket battleship british served world war sister ships class admiral reclassified heavy cruisers vessel named admiral commander fought battles killed action world war laid shipyard wilhelmshaven october completed january ship nominally long tons limitation warship size imposed treaty versailles load displacement long tons significantly exceeded armed guns triple gun turrets admiral sisters designed cruiser fast catch speed knots mph left battlecruisers anglo french navies fast powerful sink ship conducted non intervention patrols spanish civil war participated admiral deployed weeks outbreak world war positioned merchant sea lanes war declared september december ship sank ships totaling gross register tons grt confronted british cruisers battle river plate december admiral inflicted heavy damage british ships damaged forced port convinced false reports superior british naval forces approaching ship commander ship ordered vessel scuttled ship partially broken ship remains visible surface water design admiral meters long overall beam maximum draft ship design displacement long tons short tons load displacement long tons ship officially stated long tons limit treaty versailles admiral powered sets man cylinder double acting stroke diesel engines ship speed knots mph shaft horsepower cruising speed knots mph ship range nautical miles designed standard complement consisted officers enlisted men significantly increased officers sailors admiral primary armament guns mounted triple gun turrets forward aft superstructure ship carried secondary battery guns single turrets grouped amidships anti aircraft battery originally consisted guns replaced guns guns removed guns guns guns installed place ship carried pair quadruple deck mounted torpedo launchers placed stern ship equipped catapult admiral armored belt thick upper deck thick main armored deck thick main battery turrets thick faces thick sides radar consisted set admiral german warship equipped radar equipment service history admiral ordered shipyard wilhelmshaven ordered admiral replaced reserve battleship keel laid october construction number ship launched june launching christened daughter admiral ship namesake completed slightly year half later january day commissioned german fleet admiral spent months career conducting extensive sea trials ready ship service ship commander replaced joining fleet admiral flagship german_navy summer following outbreak spanish civil war deployed atlantic participate non intervention patrols republican held coast spain august ship conducted patrols spain return voyage spain admiral stopped great_britain represent germany conclusion review admiral returned spain fourth non intervention patrol following fleet manoeuvres brief visit sweden ship conducted fifth final patrol february took command vessel conducted series goodwill visits foreign ports year included cruises atlantic stopped participated extensive fleet manoeuvres german waters celebrations port germany fleet review honour admiral regent hungary april conducted cruise atlantic stopping ports august admiral departed wilhelmshaven bound world war following outbreak war germany allies september adolf_hitler ordered german_navy begin commerce raiding allied merchant traffic hitler delayed issuing order clear britain peace treaty following conquest poland admiral instructed strictly adhere prize rules required raiders stop search ships sinking ensure crews safely evacuated ordered avoid combat inferior opponents frequently change position september cruiser supply ship southwest fuel supplies ordered equipment transferred included ship boats paint anti aircraft guns installed tanker september transferring supplies admiral spotted british heavy cruiser approaching german ships ordered vessels depart high speed successfully british cruiser september ship finally received orders authorizing attacks allied merchant shipping days later admiral located booth steam ship cargo ship coast brazil cargo ship transmitted signal attack cruiser ordered stop admiral took captain chief engineer prisoner let rest crew abandon ship cruiser fired rounds guns torpedoes cargo ship broke sank ordered distress signal sent naval station ensure rescue ship crew british admiralty immediately issued warning merchant shipping german surface area british crew later reached brazilian coast october british french navies formed groups hunt admiral british aircraft carriers eagle french aircraft carrier british battlecruiser renown french battleships cruisers committed hunt commanded commodore assigned east coast south_america comprised cruisers cumberland exeter reinforced light cruisers detached cumberland patrol area cruisers patrolled day formation anglo french hunter groups admiral captured steamer days later encountered sank merchant ship october following day sank house prisoners slow admiral prisoners transferred cruiser october captured steamer captain sent distress signal minute mistakenly identified admiral french warship unable accommodate crew admiral sent ship rendezvous location prize crew october admiral refuel transfer prisoners following morning prize joined ships prisoners aboard transferred sank night october october admiral encountered sank steamer end october sailed ship indian_ocean south madagascar purpose foray divert allied warships away confuse allies intentions time admiral cruised nautical miles needed engine overhaul november ship sank tanker following day stopped unidentified dutch steamer sink admiral returned atlantic november refuel supplies crew admiral built dummy gun turret bridge erected dummy second funnel aircraft catapult alter silhouette significantly bid confuse allied shipping true identity admiral located merchant ship fired shot bow stop ship able send distress signal sunk prompted cruisers mouth estimated target night december admiral sank steamer day met transferred prisoners admiral encountered victim evening december freighter prize crew recovered secret documents containing shipping route information based information decided head seas december ship broke repaired aerial reconnaissance ship disguise removed hinder ship battle battle river plate morning december spotted pair masts ship starboard bow assumed escort convoy mentioned documents recovered ship identified hms exeter accompanied pair smaller warships initially thought destroyers quickly identified class cruisers decided flee british ships ordered ship battle stations close maximum speed british spotted admiral commodore divided forces split fire admiral guns german ship opened fire main battery exeter secondary guns flagship exeter returned fire followed span thirty minutes admiral hit exeter times forward turrets destroying bridge aircraft catapult starting major fires moved closer admiral relieve pressure exeter thought light cruisers making torpedo attack turned away respite allowed exeter withdraw action gun turrets action suffered dead wounded crew members exeter returned engagement firing stern turret admiral fired scored hits forced exeter withdraw time list port admiral scored hit disabled aft turrets sides broke action admiral retreating estuary battered cruisers remained outside observe possible breakout attempts course engagement admiral hit approximately times men killed wounded including wounded twice splinters standing open bridge result battle damage casualties decided repairs effected wounded men evacuated ship hits scored british cruisers caused minor structural superficial damage oil plant required prepare diesel fuel engines destroyed plant destroyed increased difficulty return germany hit bow negatively affected heavy seas north_atlantic admiral fired ammunition engagement cruisers arriving port wounded crewmen taken local hospitals dead buried military honours captive allied seamen aboard ship released repairs necessary ship expected weeks british naval intelligence worked convince vastly superior forces concentrating destroy ship attempted break harbour admiralty broadcast series signals frequencies known intercepted german intelligence closest heavy units carrier battlecruiser renown nmi away far intervene situation believing british reports discussed options commanders berlin break seek refuge buenos_aires argentine government intern ship ship plate estuary unwilling risk lives crew decided ship knew neutral government friendly terms britain allowed ship interned allow british intelligence officers access ship article convention neutrality restrictions limited admiral period hours repairs interned duration war december ordered destruction important equipment aboard ship ship remaining ammunition supply dispersed ship preparation december ship men aboard moved outer scuttled crowd watched charges set crew taken argentine ship scuttled multiple explosions munitions sent jets flame high air created large cloud smoke obscured ship burned shallow water days december room buenos_aires hotel shot dress uniform lying ship battle ensign late january neutral american cruiser arrived crew permitted visit wreck admiral americans met german crewmen aftermath ship crew taken argentina interned remainder war wreck wreck partially broken parts ship visible wreck lies depth salvage rights purchased british engineering company british surprised accuracy shooting expected find radar range disappointed knowledge acquired try develop leadership british radar project admiralty complained large sum paid salvage rights february salvage team began work raising wreck admiral operation funded government private sector wreck hazard navigation major section metric tons long tons short tons gunnery range finding raised february february eagle crest admiral recovered stern ship stored naval warehouse following german complaints exhibiting nazi
German cruiser Admiral Graf Spee