Death of a Pocket Battleship
Admiral Graf Spee

Characteristics and Models

by Marvin Scott

Ship Statistics

Graf Spee
displacement: 16200 tons
length: 617 feet
width: 71 feet
draft: 24 feet
complement: 1124
speed: 26 knots (24 knots after battle)
game move 6 inches
armor: belt - 4 inches; deck - 1 1/4- 2 1/4 inches; turrets - 5-5 1/2 inches
guns: 6 x 11 inches, range 46,500 yards, game range 23 inches, fired 414 rounds in battle
hits: 10
remaining shells: 186
torpedo tubes: 8 fired 4 in battle hits: 0
remaining torpedoes: 16?

Cumberland
displacement: 10,000 tons
length: 590 feet
width: 68 1/2 feet
draft: 16 1/2 feet
complement: 679
speed: 31 .5 knots, game move 7 3/4 inches
armor: 3-5 inch sides; deck over vitals", 4 inches; gunhouses, 2-1 1/2 inches
guns: 8x8 inches range: 2900 yards (game range 14 1/2 inches)
shells: 800?
torpedo tubes: 8 with 16 torpedoes

Exeter
displacement: 8390 tons
length: 575 feet
width: 58 feet
draft: 17 feet
complement 616
speed: 32 knots, game move 8 inches
armor: belt 2-3 inches; deck 2 inches; turrets 1/2-2 inches
guns: 6x8 inches
range: 29000 yards, game range 14 1/2inches
fired: 193? in battle
hits: 3
remaining shells: 400?
torpedo tubes: 6
torpedoes: ?

Achilles and Ajax (both are same class)
displacement: 7030 tons
length: 554 1/2 feet
width: 55 1/4 feet
draft: 16 feet
complement: 577
speed: 32 knots, game move 8 inches
armor belt: 2-4 inches; deck 2 inches; turrets, 1 inch
guns: 8x6 inches
range: 25,000 yards, game range 12 1/2 inches
fired: 1241 in battle
hits: 176 (for both Alax and Achilles combined)
shells remaining: 359
torpedo tubes: 8
torpedoes after battle: 16
fired: 4, no hits

Ajax (unless otherwise noted, same as Achilles)
displacement: 6985 tons
complement: 593
fired 823 in battle
shells remaining: 777

Bibliography

Barnett, Carelli. Engage the Enemy More Closely: The Royal Navy in the Second World War (1991).
Bennette, Geoffrey. Battle of the River Plate (1972).
Churchill, Winston S. The Second World War: The Gathering Storm (1948).
Guani, Alberto. The Uruguayan Blue Book: Outline of Events Prior to the Sinking of the Admiral Graf Spee and the Internment of the Merchant Vessel Tacoma (1940).
Pope, Dudley. The Battle of the River Plate (1990).
Pratt, Fletcher. Fletcher Pratt's Naval War Game (1978).
"A Naval Wargame and a Formula", The Courier (July-August, 1982, pp.25-28).
Grand Admiral Raeder. Struggle for the Sea (1959).
Lord Strabolgi. The Battle of the River Plate (1940).
Taylor, Arthur. Rules for Wargaming (1971).
Splash Marks. 843 W. Van Buren, Suite 132, Chicago, IL. 60607. This is a newsletter about ship models and Fletcher Pratt's naval war game. They offer ship cards and other playing aids.

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