Uruguay is set to sell a bronze eagle grasping a Nazi swastika recovered from the pocket battleship Graf Spee which was scuttled off Montevideo in December 1939 to help fund its military.
The German ship, which was one of the most advanced in the world, had been attacking merchant shipping in the south Atlantic with relative impunity following the outbreak of hostilities in September 1939.
However, the vessel, which was ambushed by the Royal Navy, suffered major damage in the Battle of the River Plate on 13th December 1939 - the first naval battle of World War II - and was forced to seek refuge in the neutral port of Montevideo for repairs to make her seaworthy.
Uruguay is set to sell bronze eagle recovered from wreck of the Graf Spee to raise money for its armed forces
The German pocket battleship Graf Spee was scuttled off Montevideo in 1939
The vessel had been damaged by three Royal Navy vessels during a sea battle
The German ship limped into Montevideo for repairs after being hit 20 times
A Uruguayan businessman funded the retrieval of the Nazi memorabillia
By Darren Boyle for MailOnline
6 August 2017
Uruguay is set to sell a bronze eagle grasping a Nazi swastika recovered from the pocket battleship Graf Spee which was scuttled off Montevideo in December 1939 to help fund its military.
The German ship, which was one of the most advanced in the world, had been attacking merchant shipping in the south Atlantic with relative impunity following the outbreak of hostilities in September 1939.
However, the vessel, which was ambushed by the Royal Navy, suffered major damage in the Battle of the River Plate on 13th December 1939 - the first naval battle of World War II - and was forced to seek refuge in the neutral port of Montevideo for repairs to make her seaworthy.
The Uruguayan government is seeking to sell as giant bronze Nazi eagle recovered from the scuttled pocket battleship Graf Spree which was deliberately sunk outside Montevideo
The eagle was recovered by businessman Alfredo Etchegaray from the doomed vessel
The Graf Spee, pictured, was attacked off Uruguay by three Royal Navy ships in December 1939
The Royal Navy waited just outside Uruguayan territorial waters to attack the Graf Spee after it left port.
However, Captain Hans Langsdorff scuttled the ship with a skeleton crew before it could be attacked - saving the vast majority of his crew.
The giant bronze eagle and swastika - which weighs between 300 and 400 kilograms - was recovered from the seabed by businessman Alfredo Etchegaray in 2006.
The Uruguayan Supreme Court ruled the Nazi artefact now belonged to the nation, although it admitted Mr Etchegaray should receive 50 per cent of the sale price for recovering the object from the seabed.
Mr Etchegaray previously told the BBC the eagle could be worth up to £10 million.
Captain Langsdorff scuttled his vessel rather than having to face the Royal Navy again.
The giant ship, pictured following the Battle of River Plate in December 1939, managed to limp into Montevideo after it was struck some 20 times by the Royal Navy during a ferocious battle
However, he was condemned by the Nazi hierarchy for not rejoining battle with the Royal Navy and going down with his ship.
The German embassy in Montevideo has urged Uruguayan authorities not to put the object on public display because it could glorify the Nazi regime.
According to the BBC, Guido Westerwelle, who was the German foreign minister during a visit to Uruguay in 2010, told officials in Montevideo: 'We want the remains of the Graf Spee to be dealt with properly.
'We want to prevent wreckage from the ship, in particular the Nazi symbols, from landing on the market for military insignia.'
The Graf Spee's telemeter - which measured distance - is on display at the entrance to the city's harbour.
The confrontation was the first naval battle of the war. It involved the heavy cruiser HMS Exeter and light cruisers HMS Ajax and HMS Achilles.
The three Royal Navy vessels were considerably smaller and less well armed than the Graf Spee.
The cruiser HMS Achilles as seen from HMS Ajax during the battle, which was the first naval battle of World War II
The Graf Spee hit HMS Exeter causing considerable damage as the first rounds of the 20-minute battle were fired.
Despite the theat, HMS Ajax and Achilles raced towards the German pocket battleship bringing it within the range of their guns.
However, it was HMS Exeter which caused the major damage on the German ship, which was forced to limp into Montevideo after being hit 20 times.
The Germans wanted 14 days to repair their damaged ship, but Uruguayan authorities, under pressure from the British, granted them 72 hours. If the Graf Spee was not able to return to sea within that time, it was going to be interned for the duration of the war. After Graf Spee's captain Hans Langsdorff was told that his stay could not be extended beyond the 72 hours, he scuttled his damaged ship rather than face the overwhelmingly superior force that the British had led him to believe was awaiting his departure. On 19th December, Langsdorff shot himself.
While raiding vessels in the south Atlantic, the Graf Spee sank 450,000 tonnes of shipping.
Read more: Uruguay is set to sell bronze eagle saved from Nazi ship | Daily Mail Online
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The German ship, which was one of the most advanced in the world, had been attacking merchant shipping in the south Atlantic with relative impunity following the outbreak of hostilities in September 1939.
However, the vessel, which was ambushed by the Royal Navy, suffered major damage in the Battle of the River Plate on 13th December 1939 - the first naval battle of World War II - and was forced to seek refuge in the neutral port of Montevideo for repairs to make her seaworthy.
Uruguay is set to sell bronze eagle recovered from wreck of the Graf Spee to raise money for its armed forces
The German pocket battleship Graf Spee was scuttled off Montevideo in 1939
The vessel had been damaged by three Royal Navy vessels during a sea battle
The German ship limped into Montevideo for repairs after being hit 20 times
A Uruguayan businessman funded the retrieval of the Nazi memorabillia
By Darren Boyle for MailOnline
6 August 2017
Uruguay is set to sell a bronze eagle grasping a Nazi swastika recovered from the pocket battleship Graf Spee which was scuttled off Montevideo in December 1939 to help fund its military.
The German ship, which was one of the most advanced in the world, had been attacking merchant shipping in the south Atlantic with relative impunity following the outbreak of hostilities in September 1939.
However, the vessel, which was ambushed by the Royal Navy, suffered major damage in the Battle of the River Plate on 13th December 1939 - the first naval battle of World War II - and was forced to seek refuge in the neutral port of Montevideo for repairs to make her seaworthy.
The Uruguayan government is seeking to sell as giant bronze Nazi eagle recovered from the scuttled pocket battleship Graf Spree which was deliberately sunk outside Montevideo
The eagle was recovered by businessman Alfredo Etchegaray from the doomed vessel
The Graf Spee, pictured, was attacked off Uruguay by three Royal Navy ships in December 1939
The Royal Navy waited just outside Uruguayan territorial waters to attack the Graf Spee after it left port.
However, Captain Hans Langsdorff scuttled the ship with a skeleton crew before it could be attacked - saving the vast majority of his crew.
The giant bronze eagle and swastika - which weighs between 300 and 400 kilograms - was recovered from the seabed by businessman Alfredo Etchegaray in 2006.
The Uruguayan Supreme Court ruled the Nazi artefact now belonged to the nation, although it admitted Mr Etchegaray should receive 50 per cent of the sale price for recovering the object from the seabed.
Mr Etchegaray previously told the BBC the eagle could be worth up to £10 million.
Captain Langsdorff scuttled his vessel rather than having to face the Royal Navy again.
The giant ship, pictured following the Battle of River Plate in December 1939, managed to limp into Montevideo after it was struck some 20 times by the Royal Navy during a ferocious battle
However, he was condemned by the Nazi hierarchy for not rejoining battle with the Royal Navy and going down with his ship.
The German embassy in Montevideo has urged Uruguayan authorities not to put the object on public display because it could glorify the Nazi regime.
According to the BBC, Guido Westerwelle, who was the German foreign minister during a visit to Uruguay in 2010, told officials in Montevideo: 'We want the remains of the Graf Spee to be dealt with properly.
'We want to prevent wreckage from the ship, in particular the Nazi symbols, from landing on the market for military insignia.'
The Graf Spee's telemeter - which measured distance - is on display at the entrance to the city's harbour.
The confrontation was the first naval battle of the war. It involved the heavy cruiser HMS Exeter and light cruisers HMS Ajax and HMS Achilles.
The three Royal Navy vessels were considerably smaller and less well armed than the Graf Spee.
The cruiser HMS Achilles as seen from HMS Ajax during the battle, which was the first naval battle of World War II
The Graf Spee hit HMS Exeter causing considerable damage as the first rounds of the 20-minute battle were fired.
Despite the theat, HMS Ajax and Achilles raced towards the German pocket battleship bringing it within the range of their guns.
However, it was HMS Exeter which caused the major damage on the German ship, which was forced to limp into Montevideo after being hit 20 times.
The Germans wanted 14 days to repair their damaged ship, but Uruguayan authorities, under pressure from the British, granted them 72 hours. If the Graf Spee was not able to return to sea within that time, it was going to be interned for the duration of the war. After Graf Spee's captain Hans Langsdorff was told that his stay could not be extended beyond the 72 hours, he scuttled his damaged ship rather than face the overwhelmingly superior force that the British had led him to believe was awaiting his departure. On 19th December, Langsdorff shot himself.
While raiding vessels in the south Atlantic, the Graf Spee sank 450,000 tonnes of shipping.
Read more: Uruguay is set to sell bronze eagle saved from Nazi ship | Daily Mail Online
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook
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