Langsdorf sails the Graf Spee to Beunos Aires

The Admiral Graf Spee was scuttled after seeking temporary refuge in Uragauy. Langsdorf was convinced that a superior force awaited him outside the Plate Estuary and would have been shadowed by cruisers even if his ship hadn't been sunk. However suppose to took the option of sailing across the estuary to Beunos Aires where a public sympathies were more Pro-German than in Uraguay?

However President Ortez was not pro German and had felt horror at Guernica but a lot of his cabinet were including Vice President Ramirez. Could Langsdorff have done a Goeben and handed the ship to Argentina and if so at what price? Would the German's have expected an attack on the Falkland Islands in return? Opinion was not by anymeans pro-axis in Argentina. There was an influential Anglo-Argentinian community in Argentina and after Pearl Harbour there were pro-American rallies.
 
The longer Langsdorf hung around in in one place the longer the RN had to get units down to deal with the Graf Spee. Besides that the three cruisers waiting would probably have seen it to the bottom anyway.
 
The longer Langsdorf hung around in in one place the longer the RN had to get units down to deal with the Graf Spee. Besides that the three cruisers waiting would probably have seen it to the bottom anyway.

Oh come on. Exeter was crippled. And of the 2 light cruisers only 1 and 1/2 of the cannons were still capable of firing.
 
Oh come on. Exeter was crippled. And of the 2 light cruisers only 1 and 1/2 of the cannons were still capable of firing.

Exeter had gone and HMS Cumberland had replaced it. Cumberland had eight, rather than six, eight inch guns and the light cruisers still had torpedoes. Also Graf Spee was not undamaged she only had fuel for 16 hours steaming and enough ammunition left to fight for 20mins.
 
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I would think the British pull out the same legal rule they did to remove the Graf Spee from Montevideo. Namely, the ship had to leave within 24 hours of arrival, and had to wait 24 hours after the last belligerent merchie left. Langsdorff also believed that the Royal Navy had him trapped in the rio de la Plata with Carriers and Battleships; so running seemed less appealing to him then it is in hindsight.
 
Argentina is a strange case. While there is a considerable Anglo-Argentian population the country also had a sizable Italian and German community and there were elements within the Argentian military which were proaxis. Argentina's cruisers were built by the Italians. If the Captain of the Graf Spee had sailed his warship into Argentinan waters and turned it over to that country he would have made a lot of powerful friends for Germany in that country.
 
The Graf Spee would have been a wonderful gift for nearly any navy and, as the saying goes, you don't look a gift horse in the mouth... and this time we are talking about a terrific ship (specially in a South American navy).
Yet remember that there is no way that Argentina was going to turn against the United Kingdom (just follow the money - the UK was THE major trading partner from the Argentinian point of view). As much germanophile the army was and pro-fascist some sectors of the Armed Forces, none was going to join the war in the Axis side (unless somehow - and even then perhaps - the UK were defeated)

EDIT: What I mean is, president Ortiz would say something like "cool, christmas came early this year", and that's pretty much it. Brazil and Chile would probably try to purchase some additional ships to mantain the naval balance in the region.
 
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The naval balance in South America would definitely swing towards the Argentinians - at least in regards to capital ships. They would have two elderly battleships and one brand new armoured cruiser to Brazil's two battleships and Chile's one.

Its likely that the Graf Spee would be easier and cheaper to operate that the older battleships and those will probably be sent off to the scrap yards during the 1950s and the Graf Spee kept about until much older. What one would see would be more post-WWII warship sales from the US to Brazil and Chile in order to counterbalance Argentina. If the Graf Spee had been kept it one could conjecture it being renamed General Belgrano and it finally being sunk during the Falklands War by HMS Conqueror.

Another possibility would be Germany offering to purchase the ship for use as a maritime museum. Perhaps this maritime museum would be lucky enough to have purchased the WWI battlecruiser Yavuz (ex-Goeben) from Turkey.
 
Another possibility would be Germany offering to purchase the ship for use as a maritime museum. Perhaps this maritime museum would be lucky enough to have purchased the WWI battlecruiser Yavuz (ex-Goeben) from Turkey.

Seeing Germany had refused to purchase Goeben for scrap value in 72? I doubt they pay more for Graf Spee.

A pity really having battlecruisers of both wars would be a nice naval museum.:rolleyes:
 
Seeing Germany had refused to purchase Goeben for scrap value in 72? I doubt they pay more for Graf Spee.

A pity really having battlecruisers of both wars would be a nice naval museum.:rolleyes:
Syphon, I agree with you , that would be cool.
 
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