Admiral Graf Spee

[lu1000]

http://www.militaryf...af_spee_top.jpg

http://www.thewarill...e1136399907.jpg

 

record

Deutschland class

Type according to sources:

pocket battleship

battlecruiser

heavy cruiser

Approved August 23, 1932

Started October 1, 1932

Launched June 30, 1934

Assigned January 6, 1936

Low December 17, 1939

Target scuttled

features

Displacement 12,100 t standard

16,200 t full load

Length 186 m (610 ft)

Beam 21.6 m (71 ft)

Depth 7.4 m (24 ft)

Fumo type 22 radar sensors

Shielding • bridge: 150 mm

• Waist: 80 mm

• Maximum Horizontal: 45 mm

Armament • 6 guns of 11 "(28 cm) SK L/52 C28 (2 × 3)

• 8 guns of 5.9 "(15 cm) SK L/52 C28

• 6 AA guns 10,5 cm Flak L/65 C33

• 8 AA guns 3,7 cm Flak L/83 C30

• 10 AA guns 2 cm Flak L/65 C30

• 8 torpedo tubes 21 "(533 mm) (2 × 4)

Propulsion • 8 diesel two-stroke MAN 9-cylinder

• 2 propellers

Power 54 000 HP

Speed ​​28.5 knots

Autonomy • 8900 nm at 20 knots

• 19 000 nm at 10 knots

Crew In peacetime:

• 33 officers

• 586 NCOs and sailors

In time of war:

• 43 officers

• to 1099 NCOs and sailors

Aircraft seaplane Arado Ar 196 2

aircraft Equipment

Construcción

The Admiral Graf Spee was commissioned by the shipyard Reichsmarine Wilhelmshaven.1 Reichsmarinewerft of Ordained as Ersatz Braunschweig, replaced the old battleship Braunschweig reserves. Her keel was laid on October 1st tier of 19,322 with build number 1251 and the launch took place on June 30, 1934. It was named for the daughter of Admiral Maximilian von Spee, who received his name.3 ship was completed just over a year and a half later, on January 6, 1936, the day he was put in commission in the fleet alemana.4

The Admiral Graf Spee in 1936.

The Admiral Graf Spee had an overall length of 186 meters, a beam of 21.65 m and a maximum draft of 7.34 m. Its displacement as the designs were 16,020 tons, 1 although officially it followed the 10 000 t limit imposed by the Treaty of Versalles.5 The Admiral Graf Spee was powered by four diesel machine games MAN 9-cylinder double acting and two times. Its top speed was 29.5 knots (54.6 km / h) with its 54,000 hp (40,000 kW), and a cruising speed of 20 knots nautical could sail 8900 miles (16,500 km). According to the designs, the crew were 33 officers and 586 sailors, although after 1935 were increased to about 1,000 tripulantes.1

The main armament of the Admiral Graf Spee were six guns of 280 mm SK C/28 turrets mounted on two triples, one in front and one behind the superstructure. Also featured a secondary battery of eight guns of 150 mm SK C/28 single turrets grouped on either side of the center of the crossing. His original the anti-aircraft battery consisted of three 88 mm L/45 guns, replaced by six of 88 mm L/78 in 1935. In 1938 all these guns were removed to accommodate six 105 mm L/65, four of 37 mm and ten 20 mm.1 The cruise also wore a pair of quadruple torpedo tubes arranged aft 533 mm above the deck and two seaplane Arado Ar 196 with a catapult for takeoff.

The armored belt Admiral Graf Spee had between 60 and 80 mm thick, the top cover 17 mm, while the main armored cover between 17 and 45 mm thick. The main battery turrets had 140 mm plates on their foreheads and 80 mm in laterales.1 The Admiral Graf Spee was the first German warship to have a radar, a game FMG G (Go)

 

The sinking

 

Sinking of the Graf Spee.

The German Naval High Command, headed by Grand Admiral Erich Raeder, Montevideo assessed the situation in the light of the reports of Captain Hans Langsdorff and intelligence reports. Langsdorff sent a telegram, in which he concluded:

I intend to move to the limit of territorial waters. If possible make my way to Buenos Aires, waging battle with the rest of my ammunition. In the event that such an attempt would lead to the destruction of the Graf Spee certain without providing an opportunity to damage the enemy, wondering whether to sink the ship in the River Plate estuary, although it is insufficient funds, or should be allowed detention, Commander Graf Spee.

Raeder's response left virtually complete freedom of action to the commander of the Admiral Graf Spee, except with respect to inpatient Montevideo. The last sentence read:

Ensure that the destruction is total if you see yourself forced to sink his boat. Raeder "

Order of Admiral Erich Raeder to Captain Hans Langsdorff, commander of the "Graf Spee" # GGC11C

On December 17, the Admiral Graf Spee sailed shortly after 18:00, just two hours before the expiry of the deadline agreed by the government of Uruguay. The ship moved slowly through the narrow channel towards offshore. There he awaited the British ships. Viewers expecting Montevideo spring-assist from afar, of course, the rare spectacle of a naval battle. In the wake of German armored transport marching Tacoma, Port Uruguayan refugee from the beginning of hostilities. Both ships stopped machines about five miles offshore.

There were two tugs coming from Buenos Aires and a number of small boats coming and going battleship transport, transporting crew of over 1,000 men. More than five hundred crew members were taken to Buenos Aires and Montevideo part and in January 1940 he established his stay in the city. Both in Buenos Aires and Montevideo, about 200 officers were released and fled to Germany, where re-entered the German Navy, while the sailors were interned in military barracks. The inability to secure residence in Montevideo prompted the executive branch in 1942, made effective in 1943, decreed the transfer to Sarandi del Yi (the headquarters of the Paso del Rey) of 96 sailors from the crew of the "Graf Spee" and "Tacoma "German ship also, being designated members of the Military Region II to watch them. There they remained until he moved to Montevideo and repatriated to Germany in 1946. Numerous objects belonging to the Graf Spee in the museum are the Paso del Rey Barracks in Sarandi del Yi, Department of Peach in Uruguay [1].

Then, at 19:55, a huge column of flames suddenly erupted from the Admiral Graf Spee. After a few moments he heard a loud explosion. The Graf Spee had exploded: the Germans had sunk his ship.

According to the instructions in your last communication Raeder to Langsdorff, the ship had been completely destroyed. Earlier Captain Hans Langsdorff had carefully prepared for his crew step to Buenos Aires, where he was to be admitted. On December 19 turned back to his men and concluded:

Public opinion certainly discussed for a long time to find out if we were wrong and we were right to destroy our ship, if not more heroic reoffer combat the enemy and it would end the death of seafarers. We would have done without murmuring a word and with joy. For my part facilitates the proof that this has not happened for lack of personal value

Address by Captain Hans Langsdorff his crew before the sinking of the "Graf Spee" # GGC11C

Men's Admiral Graf Spee did not understand his words until the next day, December 20, in which he met the Captain Hans Langsdorff dead in his hotel room in Buenos Aires Immigrant. It was wrapped in the German flag and suicide of a pistol shot to the head. He had previously written a letter, addressed to the German ambassador in Buenos Aires, which says:

Excellence: Having fought a long time, I made the serious decision to sink the battleship Admiral Graf Spee, in order to prevent it from falling into enemy hands. I am convinced that, in these circumstances, I had another decision to make after driving my ship to Montevideo trap. Indeed, any attempt to open a way out to sea was doomed because of the little ammunition I had left. Once these ammunition exhausted, only in deep water could sink the ship in order to prevent the enemy to come over him. Before presenting my ship to fall partly or wholly in the hands of the enemy, after bravely beaten, I decided not to fight but to destroy their equipment and sink ... From the beginning I have accepted face the consequences involving my resolution. For a commander who has a sense of honor, it is understood that his personal fate can not be separated from your ship ... No longer able to participate actively in the struggle being waged now my country. I can only try my death that sailors of the Third Reich are ready to sacrifice his life for the honor of his flag. To me only has the responsibility of the sinking of the battleship Admiral Graf Spee. I'm happy to pay with my life reproach that could be made against the honor of our Navy. I face my destiny with keeping my faith intact in the cause and the future of my country and of my Führer. I address this letter to Your Excellency in the calm of the evening, after thinking quietly for you to inform my superiors and, if necessary, public dispel rumors. Captain Langsdorff commander of the battleship Admiral Graf Spee

Letter written by Captain Hans Langsdorff, before his suicide, addressed to the German Ambassador in Buenos Aires, Argentina # GGC11C

 

sorry if not understood, use a translator

[Crag_r]

Nice info, but could have used some more images and didn't you already make a topic on this? http://forum-na.worl...spee#entry13653

[lu1000]

Crag_r, on 24 September 2012 - 12:28 PM, said:

Nice info, but could have used some more images and didn't you already make a topic on this? http://forum-na.worl...spee#entry13653

here have more photos

[lu1000]

http://www.taringa.n...la-leyenda.html

here more imajes, its is spanish

[ReiAyanami]

lu1000 did you make this model? Is it a Heller 1/400 ?

[lu1000]

ReiAyanami, on 24 September 2012 - 01:01 PM, said:

lu1000 did you make this model? Is it a Heller 1/400 ?

no, im copy to othet site
but try as I would like trench art

[Capcon]

These ships will be interesting when they are added to the game.

 

Which would you rather have in your fleet one of the pocket battleships or an 8" gun cruiser of equivalent size?

 

At a little over 16k full load tons that might be a Baltimore.

[xthetenth]

Not particularly fast, not well armored, but big guns. Those eight 15 cm guns would also be useful against lighter units. A Baltimore would be more useful against lighter units for sure, although the Graf Spee would possibly be better at killing similar size combatants.

[Windhover118]

xthetenth, on 24 September 2012 - 07:23 PM, said:

Not particularly fast, not well armored, but big guns. Those eight 15 cm guns would also be useful against lighter units. A Baltimore would be more useful against lighter units for sure, although the Graf Spee would possibly be better at killing similar size combatants.

The Graf Spee had decent armor for a ship of her class. Her main advantage was the size of her guns. The entire design philosophy behind the Graf Spee was a ship that could outrun anything that could beat her while being able to outgun anything that could over take her. The Graf Spee may have had flaws but she had teeth.

[commanche65]

wall of post police say "OVER 9,000 WORDS!"

[xthetenth]

Windhover118, on 24 September 2012 - 09:54 PM, said:

The Graf Spee had decent armor for a ship of her class. Her main advantage was the size of her guns. The entire design philosophy behind the Graf Spee was a ship that could outrun anything that could beat her while being able to outgun anything that could over take her. The Graf Spee may have had flaws but she had teeth.

It's thinner armor than most of the recent batch of treaty cruisers were. That leads to the implication that the Germans were banking on using the 12" guns' better range to avoid getting hit unless by a merchantman with a small gun.

[Windhover118]

xthetenth, on 25 September 2012 - 01:03 AM, said:

It's thinner armor than most of the recent batch of treaty cruisers were. That leads to the implication that the Germans were banking on using the 12" guns' better range to avoid getting hit unless by a merchantman with a small gun.

What strikes me most about this ship is she required so much just to compete with other ships. What I mean by that is she weighed a great deal more then most other ships and she had relativly light armor. I said earlier that she had decen armor for her class because she was only slightly less armored then other Heavy Cruisers. The Portland Class which was designed and launched in the same time period as Graf Spee had about 2 more inches of belt armor. Anyway my point is the Graf Spee was an inneficiant design because even with less armor she weighed about 5 to 6 thousand tons more than other Heavy Cruisers of the time. Had the Germans been able to optimize her design she could have very well been one of the most powerful Heavy Cruisers of her time.

[Haguro]

All ships are a design compromise.  The Germans needed or wanted a long range raider and did not have access to the USN's high pressure boiler design, so diesels were the only engines that offerred the range to perform that function.  What they didn't find out was the vulnearability of the water separator (keep water out of diesel fuel for the engines) until the action at River Plate.  Damage to that module would soon render any Panzerschiffe helpless due to fuel contamination.

[lu1000]

new photos and blueprint

http://www.the-bluep...l-graf-spee.gif

[lu1000]

Graf Spee path until its sinking

in it you can see it in its tracks, sank baria steam engines, including transport ships and battle ships

[brian333]

The problem with Spee and her sisters was not design, gun bore, nor armor. It was the concept of a Surface Raider. Once one ship gets off a radio message that it is in the area, the larger naval assets of the RN could, and did, converge to first limit her mobility, then choke off her avenues of escape. Then it's a matter of time. (Again, I point to pack hunters as an example of how to do this.)

 

The exact same thing happened to Bismarck, and even assuming he wasn't sunk trying to make port in France, once he broke out into the Atlantic, his death was a matter of time. (Can you imagine the RN saying, "Oops, one got away, oh well.")

 

The expense of a warship is so great that survivability must be built into the ship, and into it's intended use as well. Running circles around the South Atlantic, no matter how many cargo ships you sink, isn't going to win the war, but at best provide a delaying action. The ship needed a safe haven to refuel, rearm, repair, and when necessary refit. Her only option was to run the gauntlet of the RN to get to sea, then again to get back home. Luck will only carry you through so many times.

[lu1000]

German Cemetery in Buenos Aires, where the remains of the captain of the battleship "Admiral Graf Spee", Hans Langsdorff, along with four other crew members: Johannes Eggers, Wolfgang Beyrich, Josef Schneider and Peter Kranen.

 

[matt6767]

xthetenth, on 25 September 2012 - 01:03 AM, said:

It's thinner armor than most of the recent batch of treaty cruisers were. That leads to the implication that the Germans were banking on using the 12" guns' better range to avoid getting hit unless by a merchantman with a small gun.

It's like a Marder tank destroyer. Time to camp behind the battleships.  :child:

[Crag_r]

The Graf Spee's Achilles heel; A couple of Naval intelligence agents and a code book  :trollface:

[VonSteiner]

impressive model, i need something like that to keep me occupied when im not blowing up ships  :teethhappy:

[Thoddy]

Haguro, on 02 October 2012 - 04:33 AM, said:

All ships are a design compromise.  The Germans needed or wanted a long range raider and did not have access to the USN's high pressure boiler design, so diesels were the only engines that offerred the range to perform that function.  What they didn't find out was the vulnearability of the water separator (keep water out of diesel fuel for the engines) until the action at River Plate.  Damage to that module would soon render any Panzerschiffe helpless due to fuel contamination.

The "Zusammenstellung der Treffer auf "Adm. Graf Spee"" (damage report) doesnt mention damage to an fuel-water separator. Most likely damage to the Wäscherei (Laundry) and or Waschraum Unteroffiziere (washroom non commisioned officers) has been misinterpreted.

[sharlin648]

The Panzershiffs were heavy cruisers in drag, slow for a cruiser and with cruiser armour.

[brodie14y]

i really hope this ship is in the game, havent followed the forums of this but im pumped to get this ship if it is in the game

[JeeWeeJ]

The deutschland class has been confirmed to be a part of the German tree. If it'll be a battleship or heavy cruiser is still unclear. (Last i heard was that it would be a low tier BB?)

[Tanz]

The Graf Spee is just a great looking ship  :glasses:

Here are some images of him from:  http://3dhistory.de/wordpress/

 

Looks AWESOME  :ohmy: