Hans Langsdorff's son, Joachim Langsdorff, also joined the German navy. Langsdorff was born in some remote, insignificant location in 1894, the eldest son of a family with little historical impact whatsoever. His request for sea duty in 1934 was turned down and instead he was appointed to the Interior Ministry. [information supplied by Inge Langsdorff]. Some of the graves in Cementerio del Norte Montevideo, 2019 Service at Cementerio de la Chacarita, Association Chairman lays a wreath on Langsdorff's Grave, Inge & Rüdiger Nedden Langsdorff at scuttle site, Casting a wreath on the waters of River Plate at scuttle site, Casting a white carnation on the waters of River Plate at scuttle site. This shell destroyed steam boilers needed to operate the ship’s fuel cleaning system. On 16 February 1946 811 men joined 34 from Uruguay on the HMT Highland Monarch that would take them back to Germany – ironically escorted by HMS Ajax. At 1900hrs the Graf Spee sailed and Hans Langsdorff would never see his family again. Exeter was severely damaged and forced to withdraw; later she re-engaged and, further damaged and listing, again withdrew. I shall face my fate with firm faith in the cause and the future of the nation and of my Führer. From there, they moved to Düsseldorf for a reason that doesn't matter into a house neighboring that of someone who made a slightly greater mark on history, Graf (Count) Maximilian von Spee, who made his name by getting his entire command killed in the Battle of the Falkland Islands in 1914. He wrote on 19 December 1939:[2]. Hans Wilhelm Langsdorff (20 March 1894 – 20 December 1939) was a German naval officer, most famous for his command of the German cruiser Admiral Graf Spee during the Battle of the River Plate off the coast of Uruguay in 1939. Her wreck burned for three days. In 1923, while posted to the navy office in Dresden, Langsdorff met Ruth Hager. Over the next 10 weeks, Langsdorff and Admiral Graf Spee were extremely successful, stopping and sinking nine British merchant ships, totalling over 50,000 tons. Feted abroad, Langsdorff is largely ignored in Germany even though he would appear to embody the modern army's stated ethos of encouraging personal responsibility and rejecting the blind obedience of the Nazi era. The proud ship, which had only four days earlier damaged three British warships in the first sea battle of World War II before steaming to neutral Montevideo for repairs, had scuttled herself in shallow waters. ", © 2020 Deutsche Welle | Captain Langsdorff commits suicide ” For a captain with a sense of honor, it goes without saying that his personal fate cannot be separated from that of his ship.” Captain Langsdorff, after making arrangements for his crew, retired to his room, and wrote his final letters. For the navy, the duty to fight continues to prevail and I have the impression that only a small number of officers have a sense that there can and must also be an ethical judgment of such an approach.". After Langsdorff had committed his ship to the attack it became apparent that the destroyers were in fact light cruisers, the HMS Ajax and HMS Achilles in addition to the heavy cruiser HMS Exeter. …Uruguay, where its commander, Captain Hans Langsdorff, obtained permission to stay for four days to repair damage. He was buried in the La Chacarita Cemetery in Buenos Aires on 21st December with full honours. Langsdorff won respect from British crews for his humane treatment of prisoners. The British devoted the period to intense diplomatic and intelligence activity in order to keep the Graf Spee in harbour while they brought up heavy reinforcements. After the Panzerschiff (Deutschland-class cruiser) was unable to escape a pursuing squadron of Royal Navy ships, Langsdorff scuttled his ship. For many it would be several years before they would return. In his suicide note he makes the following statements: "I can now only prove by my death that the fighting services of the Third Reich are ready to die for the honor of the flag. Over the next ten weeks, Langsdorff and Admiral Graf Spee were extremely successful, stopping and sinking nine British merchant ships, totaling over 50,000 tons. However, he was denied the time considered sufficient to repair and would only be permitted to make her seaworthy.
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