military@att.att.com (Bill Thacker) (12/13/89)
From: military@att.att.com (Bill Thacker) Wednesday, 13 December, 1939 Royal Navy Force G, based in the Falkland Islands, brings the pocket battleship Admiral Graf Spee to battle off the River Plate, Uruguay. Three cruisers, Exeter (6x8" guns), Ajax (8x6" guns) and Achilles (8x6") (New Zealand ship) battle the Spee (6x11" guns) for 2 hours; Exeter and Ajax are badly damaged, while the German raider is also hurt, and retires to the neutral port of Montevideo to effect repairs. Another German naval setback occurs in the Heligoland Bight, where the light cruisers Leipzig and Nuernberg each receive one torpedo from the British submarine Salmon. Later, HMS Ursula attempts to score further torpedo hits on Leipzig, but misses past the bow, sinking instead the escort boat F9. The League of Nations condemns the USSR, and calls upon its members to assist Finland. The first French arms shipment leaves for Finland. The combat in Finland continues, as the Finnish counterattack north of Lake Ladoga gains momentum. The USSR reports 7000 troops lost in this attack, againt 250 reported lost by Finland. The House of Lords considers a proposal by the Earl of Darnley to reconsider the Belgium/Netherlands offer to mediate negotiations with Germany. -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- Bill Thacker military@cbnews.att.com Send submissions for "50 Years Ago" to military-request@att.att.com "If a satisfactory peace could be secured in other respects, this country would not wish to continue the war on account of Austria." - Lord Arnold