The 70º anniversary of the sinking of the German pocket-battleship Admiral Graf Spee (AGS) was celebrated yesterday. Built under the terms of the Treaty of Versailles, which prevented Germany from constructing battleships exceeding 10 tons in weight, the AGS was thrown into the sea for the first time in 1934, and named after a German Admiral, fighter in World War I, Graf Maximilian von Spee.

Until 1938, the battleship served as flagship of the German Navy, developing international marine monitoring duties off the coast of Spain during the Spanish Civil War.

In anticipation of the events that ten days later would announce the start of World War II, the German AGS left Wilhelmshaven port on August 21st1939, in a northeasterly direction, and under the orders of his captain Hans Langsdorf, who commanded the ship since November 1938.

British intelligence, guard of the German port activity, played down the ship's departure. By the time they notice that it had never returned to port, it was too late.

Indeed, on September 1st 1939, Germany invaded Poland, starting World War II. By then, the AGS, sailing the waters of the Cape of Good Hope, launched the mission  assigned to her.

Langsdorff should sink British merchant ships, avoiding as much as possible going into battle with enemy ships, even though these were of lesser note. The goal, impede the enemy's supply.

Only on September 30, British forces heard again from the AGS. She had sunk the “Clement”, a British merchant ship that sailed the coast of the northeast of Brazil. In the course of the following month, the AGS sank four British flag ships across the Atlantic Ocean. On November the 4th, in the waters of the Indian Ocean, the German battleship sank another English ship and followed to the River Plate for one last hunt before returning to Germany.

By then, the English fleet had already discovered the whereabouts of the AGS.

On December 13th, the AGS was 240 kilometers off the coast of Rio de la Plata, camouflaged to appear as if it was a British cruiser. But it was being expected. And worse, Captain Langsdorf confused two British cruisers (which turned out to be three) with two destroyers, used to protect the convoy, heavy, but slow. He was wrong. The Battle of the River Plate begun.

While it suffered major damage, a few hours into the battle, the AGS had it won. But Langsdorff, thinking he had more vessels in the area, fled to the coast, instead of attacking and sinking what little remained of the English fleet. One of the English ships followed the AGS at a safe distance. The fate of the German battleship was cast.

The German vessel had lost 56 of its crew, and received 20 barrel impacts. The Uruguayan government gave 72 hours to repair the ship and bury the dead, whose remains still lie in the Central Cemetery in Montevideo.

Fulfilled this time, the AGS returned to sea, hoping to reach Buenos Aires. But she hoped the English fleet was waiting. Two hours after leaving, the crowd stationed near the port of Montevideo, heard an explosion. Hans Langsdorf, after evacuating the crew, blew up the ship, which sank in the coast of Montevideo.

The next day, December 20th, Langsdorff was found dead in a hotel room in Buenos Aires, where most of the AGS crew was taken. He committed suicide with a shot in the head, wrapped in the German flag.

At his side a letter was found, and read as follows:

"After fighting for a long time, I have taken the serious decision to sink the battleship Admiral Graf Spee in order not to fall into enemy hands (...) From the beginning I accepted the consequences that involved my resolution. For a commander who has a sense of honor, it is understood that his personal fate cannot be separated from that of his ship (...).”