Graf Spee's eagle rises from deep

[Felix the Cat]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4702832.stm

http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/41320000/jpg/_41320288_rap.jpg

Divers have salvaged a 2m (6ft) bronze imperial eagle from the German World War II battleship Graf Spee that was scuttled in the River Plate.

Three divers had to loosen 145 bolts securing the 300kg (661lb) eagle to the stern of the craft in the muddy waters off Uruguay's capital, Montevideo.

"The eagle is really impressive... it's all virtually intact," said team leader Hector Bado.

The ship was scuttled in December 1939 to stop it falling into enemy hands.

Mr Bado told Associated Press news agency the eagle had a wingspan of 2.8m (9ft) and a special barge with a crane was needed to raise it from the river.

See more Graf Spee facts

The barge brought the eagle back to port on Friday with a yellow tarpaulin covering the swastika at its base - out of consideration for those who still hold strong feelings against the symbol of Nazi Germany, Mr Bado said.

In pictures: Earlier salvaging

The eagle was taken to a customs warehouse, but not before curious cruise ship guests had had a chance to disembark and get some snapshots.

The ship has lain in waters only 10m deep since its scuttling - until a project financed by private investors from the US and Europe with the backing of the Uruguayan government sought to salvage it.

The operation has now been going two years. Previous items raised included a 27-tonne section of the battleship's command tower and a range-finding device for gunners.

It is hoped the vessel will become a tourist attraction in Montevideo.

The Graf Spee was once a symbol of German naval might. In the early days of World War II it roamed the South Atlantic, sinking as many as nine Allied merchant ships.

But during the Battle of the River Plate it received several direct hits and took refuge in Montevideo harbour.

Uruguay, under diplomatic pressure from Britain, ordered the Graf Spee out to sea. And there she was scuttled by her captain, Hans Langsdorff.

Capt Langsdorff committed suicide in a Buenos Aires naval camp three days later.

[Ambrosio Spinola]

The barge brought the eagle back to port on Friday with a yellow tarpaulin covering the swastika at its base - out of consideration for those who still hold strong feelings against the symbol of Nazi Germany, Mr Bado said.

This is really funny :D

[OVERWATCH]

Pocket Battleship.

[cerberus]

This is really funny
No really Ebus , but I see no reason why it should have been wrapped up in plastic.
Thanks Cowcube for posting this up , the salvage of the Graf Spee is long over due.

[Ahknaton]

This is really funny :D
Anti-swastika prejudice is one of my pet peeves. At the risk of sounding New Agey, the swastika is sacred geometry. It transcends cultural boundaries, and its stigmatisation is a major assault on the collective spiritual/symbolic inheritance of humanity.

[Ambrosio Spinola]

The evil semblance of the rusty watery swastika raising from the Plata stuary can blind thousands of feebleminded kids to become subhuman flesh eating skinheadz. :D

[cerberus]

Yes I see no reason to hide a swastika or to have one removed from any war time articles.
Defaced items look bad , its vandalism.
Do a webnsearch for Graff Spee, there is a beautiful stern view of her around which shows the Eagle on her stern under a huge Reichskreig Flag.
The photo was taken in 1938 at the Spithead review.
Pocket battleship.
A compromise design which produced a hydrid. She didn't have the armour or the heavy gun to fight off anything more than a cruiser.
A step further along this road was Scharnhorst and Gneisenau , 11 inch gunned in three turrets , heavier armour than the Graf Spee and her sister ships but also unable to fight on equal terms anything larger than a heavy cruiser.
The only true battleships that Germany had were Bismarck and Tirpitz.
The Graf Spee and threat of surface raiders did ensure that convoys had to have a battleship escort in the early part of the war which diverted the RN resources.

[Trojan]

Yes I see no reason to hide a swastika or to have one removed from any war time articles.
Defaced items look bad , its vandalism.
Do a webnsearch for Graff Spee, there is a beautiful stern view of her around which shows the Eagle on her stern under a huge Reichskreig Flag.
The photo was taken in 1938 at the Spithead review.
Pocket battleship.
A compromise design which produced a hydrid. She didn't have the armour or the heavy gun to fight off anything more than a cruiser.
A step further along this road was Scharnhorst and Gneisenau , 11 inch gunned in three turrets , heavier armour than the Graf Spee and her sister ships but also unable to fight on equal terms anything larger than a heavy cruiser.
The only true battleships that Germany had were Bismarck and Tirpitz.
The Graf Spee and threat of surface raiders did ensure that convoys had to have a battleship escort in the early part of the war which diverted the RN resources.

The pocket battleships did have wonderful, long range diesel engines. Perfect for commerce raiding. What Graf Spree needed was a commander along the lines of Halsey, and it would have made it back to Germany ! ;)

[cerberus]

Yes she could operate far from home as she did , with a small network of supply ships.
As to her Captain , Langsdorff didn't do badly - he had been at sea since August , almost four months keeping ahead of the Royal Navy - had he known what damage he had inflicted on Haywood's light force he might not have headed for a neutral port.

[Dan Dare]

Divers have salvaged a 2m (6ft) bronze imperial eagle from the German World War II battleship Graf Spee that was scuttled in the River Plate.

Three divers had to loosen 145 bolts securing the 300kg (661lb) eagle to the stern of the craft ...

Bloody typical of Jerry, over-engineering everything.

[cerberus]

You should see inside some of their WW2 optical gear , its still as good as almost anything on sale today.
145 bolts - amazing !
"Detusche Sprong Dork Technick" ( or something like that);)

[cerberus]

http://www.wehrmacht-awards.com/forums/showthread.php?t=143433

Above link to Wehrmacht awards will show the Eagle and Swastika minus the plactic bag.
It is possible that it may go for auction.
If we have a whip round now we just might swing it , would £10,000 a member be OK ?;)

[Dan Dare]

You should see inside some of their WW2 optical gear , its still as good as almost anything on sale today.

Much of it produced in Dresden and the surrounding area of course.

[cerberus]

I have quite a bit of it.:)

[Dan Dare]

Probably worth a few bob now I should think.

[cerberus]

I shelled out for an 8x60 UBootglas a few months back , "a few bob".:(

[Dan Dare]

Is that the jobbie that mounts on the conning tower? Got a pic?

You're probably familar with this outfit already, cerb. I get their catalogue in the mail once in a while.

http://www.deutscheoptik.com/products.php?cat=binoc

[cerberus]

How do you set up a jpeg now ?
No , its a set of heavy hadheld binoculars , although some sets with a reticule in them could be used as a "UZO" for surface attacks.
Yes , DO are a major firm , I have not looked at their on line catalgue in a while , first impression is that prices have gone up a bit.:(
I will try and post up a jpeg.

[cerberus]

http://img102.imageshack.us/my.php?image=fatoneblackremoved7du.jpg
Dan a link to the set I mentioned.
Issued only to U-Boat Commanders , a wide field of view , cast all. body and completely waterproof.
Zeiss 8x60.

[Dan Dare]

Cor. Those look like you'd be in for some serious arm-ache.

Are you going to keep them as is or get them restored?

[cerberus]

Dan they are heavy - almost 6lb. They are in quite good order paint wise, very little lost apart from the raised surfaces where you would expect to see wear.
Having them painted over would seriously take away from their value , apart from which it would change the character of them compleltely.
I had the prisms cleaned to removed some lubricant deposits on them and removed a post war coat of black paint to return them to their wartime state.