Launched in 1934 and commissioned in 1936, on the 21st August 1939 Graf Spee sailed from Wilhelmshaven en route to the South Atlantic to act as a commerce raider and sink British merchant ships. Between 30 September and 9th December she sank 8 merchant ships in the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans. The Royal Navy formed 8 hunting groups to look for Graf Spee and on 13th December she was located by the South America Squadron, HMS Exeter, HMS Ajax and HMNZS Achilles. After a fierce battle the Panzerschiff retreated to the neutral port of Montivideo to make repairs and bury her dead. Unable to remain in the neutral port for more than 72 hours and thinking that he was outnumbered and outgunned by approaching British reinforcements, on the 17th December Captain Langsdorff sailed his ship with a skeleton crew and scuttled her in the estuary of the River Plate. He later shot himself. Graf Spee's crew were interned in Uruguay. Model by Nigel Denchfield, Airfix 1/600th.