An Atlantic Altercation!
Starts December 12 at 03:20 PT / 06:20 ET
Ends December 19 at 03:20 PT / 06:20 ET
Discounts | Missions
German naval strategy in the days before World War II centered on enemy logistics. As an island nation, Great Britain depended on maritime commerce -- if the shipping lanes were cut, Britain would be neutralized, letting Germany concentrate on battling France. With this strategy, Germany’s fast and long-range “pocket battleships” (a British nickname) were sent to operate as commerce raiders in the Atlantic.
Admiral Graf Spee was one of the raiders. Her six 11-inch guns packed a mighty punch. Her armor was thin (100mm on the main belt), but with a top speed of 28 knots, it was assumed she could outrun any enemy she couldn't sink.
As war loomed, Graf Spee headed to the South Atlantic. When war broke out, her mission began: disrupt supply lines while avoiding enemy warships. Within the first few months of the war, she sunk numerous Allied merchant vessels. The Royal Navy assembled a force of nine British squadrons to hunt down this menace across the South Atlantic.
Fleet Movements during the Battle of River Plate (click to zoom)
In December 1939, in pursuit of a tempting convoy, Graf Spee captain Hans Langsdorff took his vessel close to the coast of Uraquay, which was near the mouth of the River Plate. There, the Royal Navy’s Force G, under Commodore Henry Harwood, met Graf Spee and engaged.
Force G was the heavy cruiser HMS Exeter and the pair of light cruisers Ajax and Achilles. Another heavy cruiser, HMS Cumberland, was sent to refit in the Falkland Islands. Harwood’s cruisers were no match for Graf Spee individually: Exeter had only eight-inch guns and the light cruisers had six-inch guns. But the three cruisers had a chance together, and they at least outmatched the pocket battleship in speed.
On December 13, the two forces converged in the estuary of the River Plate, yet Langsdorff made a fatal error -- he spotted Force G well off, but assumed it was the convoy he had been hunting. He turned straight into the oncoming cruisers.
Was Captain Langsdorff's error his doom? Could Graf Spree be stopped? Look for the River Plate Weekend article for the exciting conclusion...
Kansas native Tim St. Arnold studied History at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, with minors in Anthropology and Political Science. At Wargaming, he's able to put his passions for military history and gaming to work as a researcher. Look for him on the seas of World of Warships as WG_Admiralty!
Sources
Discounts
50% Credit Discount on Tier II-V German and UK ships
Missions
River Plate: UK I
Destroy a German ship while playing a UK ship in a Random, Co-Op, or Ranked battle.
• Must use a tier III or higher ship
• Repeatable
Reward
• +50% Commander XP
River Plate: Germany I
Destroy a UK ship while playing a German ship in a Random, Co-Op, or Ranked battle.
• Must use a tier III or higher ship
• Repeatable
Reward
• +50% Commander XP
River Plate: UK II
Deal 500,000 damage to German ships while playing a UK ship over any number of Random, Co-Op, or Ranked battles.
• Must use a tier III or higher ship
• Once per account
Reward
• 1,000,000 Credits 
River Plate: Germany II
Deal 500,000 damage to UK ships while playing a German ship over any number of Random, Co-Op, or Ranked battles.
• Must use a tier III or higher ship
• Once per account
Reward
• 1,000,000 Credits
