Video: 'The World At War 1973(World War II Documentary) 02.Distant War (September 1939 – May 1940)' (Dec. 13, 1939, at 23:18)

(Wednesday, December 13, 1939, 6:18 a.m. local time; during the Battle of the River Plate, part of the American Theatre of World War II) — The German cruiser Admiral Graf Spee was critically damaged in a battle with the British warships Exeter, Ajax and Achilles today off the River Plate estuary in Argentina and Uruguay.

In the ensuing battle, Exeter was severely damaged and forced to retire; Ajax and Achilles suffered moderate damage.

Ajax and Achilles shadowed the Admiral Graf Spee until she entered the port of Montevideo, the capital city of neutral Uruguay, to effect urgent repairs.

After Graf Spee‘s captain Hans Langsdorff was told that his stay could not be extended beyond 72 hours, he would scuttle his damaged ship Dec. 17, 1939, rather than face the overwhelmingly superior force that the British had led him to believe was awaiting his departure.

Langsdorff would commit suicide by gunshot on Dec. 19, 1939.

The Battle of the River Plate was the first naval battle in the Second World War and the first one of the Battle of the Atlantic in South American waters.