Hans Langsdorff facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Hans Langsdorff
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| Born | 20 March 1894 Bergen auf Rügen, German Empire |
| Died | 20 December 1939 (aged 45) Buenos Aires, Argentina |
| Buried |
La Chacarita Cemetery, Buenos Aires, Argentina
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| Allegiance | |
| Service/ |
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| Years of service | 1912–1939 |
| Rank | Kapitän zur See |
| Commands held | Admiral Graf Spee |
| Battles/wars | |
| Awards | Iron Cross First Class |
| Spouse(s) | Ruth Hager (m.1924) |
Hans Wilhelm Langsdorff (born March 20, 1894 – died December 20, 1939) was a German naval officer. He is best known for being the commander of the German warship Admiral Graf Spee. This ship was involved in the Battle of the River Plate in 1939, off the coast of Uruguay.
After a tough battle, Langsdorff decided to sink his own ship to save his crew. This happened because the ship couldn't escape from British Royal Navy ships that were chasing it. Three days later, he died in his hotel room in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
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Who was Hans Langsdorff?
Hans Langsdorff was born on March 20, 1894, in Bergen, a town in Germany on the island of Rügen. He was the oldest son in a family of lawyers and religious leaders, not sailors. In 1898, his family moved to Düsseldorf. There, they lived next door to the family of Count Maximilian von Spee. This count later became a German naval hero.
Inspired by his famous neighbors, Langsdorff joined the Kiel Naval Academy in 1912. This was against his parents' wishes. During World War I, he was a lieutenant. He earned the Iron Cross 2nd Class at the Battle of Jutland in 1916. After that, he worked on ships that cleared underwater mines for the rest of the war. He also received the Iron Cross 1st Class later in the war.
Life and Family
In 1923, while working for the navy in Dresden, Langsdorff met Ruth Hager. They got married in March 1924. Their son, Johann, was born on December 14. In 1925, Langsdorff moved to Berlin. He worked at the Defence Ministry, helping the navy and army work together. He was promoted to lieutenant commander in 1930. His skills in managing things were well-known.
Commanding the Admiral Graf Spee
In 1936 and 1937, Langsdorff served on the new warship Admiral Graf Spee. He was part of Admiral Boehm's team. During this time, he was involved in Germany's support for one side in the Spanish Civil War. On January 1, 1937, Langsdorff was promoted to captain. He took command of the Admiral Graf Spee in October 1938.
On August 21, 1939, the Admiral Graf Spee left port. Its mission was to attack enemy merchant ships in the South Atlantic when Second World War started. For the first three weeks of the war, the ship stayed hidden. On September 20, 1939, the Admiral Graf Spee began its mission.
Over the next 10 weeks, Langsdorff and his ship were very successful. They stopped and sank nine British merchant ships. These ships weighed over 50,000 tons in total. Langsdorff followed international rules for war. He made sure no one was killed. He treated the captured officers kindly, which earned him their respect.
The Battle of the River Plate
On the morning of December 13, 1939, lookouts on Langsdorff's ship spotted what they thought were a British cruiser and two destroyers. The Admiral Graf Spee had engine problems, which slowed it down. As Langsdorff prepared to attack, he realized the "destroyers" were actually two light cruisers, HMS Ajax and HMS Achilles. The other ship was the heavy cruiser HMS Exeter.
The Admiral Graf Spee had bigger guns than the British ships. It had 11-inch (280 mm) main guns, while Exeter had 8-inch (200 mm) guns, and Ajax and Achilles had 6-inch (150 mm) guns. The Exeter was badly damaged and had to leave the fight. It tried to re-engage but was hit again and had to withdraw. However, Exeter had fired a very important 8-inch shell into the Spee. This hit destroyed steam boilers needed for the ship's fuel system. Langsdorff learned he only had 16 hours of pre-cleaned fuel left. There was no way to fix the system at sea.
After this battle, Langsdorff and the British commander, Commodore Harwood, decided to stop fighting. Langsdorff headed for the neutral port of Montevideo in Uruguay to make repairs.
The Decision to Scuttle
The authorities in Uruguay followed international rules. They gave the Admiral Graf Spee an extra 72 hours to stay, beyond the usual 24 hours. But the ship had to leave port by 8:00 PM on December 17, 1939. If it didn't, it would be held for the rest of the war. Langsdorff asked Berlin for orders. He was told the ship should not be held in Uruguay, which was friendly to Britain. He was also told it should not fall into enemy hands. But he wasn't told what to do.
Langsdorff thought about his choices. He could try to take the ship to Buenos Aires in Argentina, which was friendlier. However, it was thought the water channel might not be deep enough. He could also take the ship out to sea to fight the British forces again. British messages were trying to make people believe a large British force was waiting for him. But in reality, it would take five more days for a big force to arrive. Or, he could sink his own ship.
He chose to sink the ship. He did this mainly to prevent more of his crew from being hurt. At the edge of Uruguay's waters, the ship stopped. Its crew was taken off by Argentine boats. Soon after, bombs placed on the Admiral Graf Spee exploded. The ship sank into the shallow water. Today, it rests in the mud, about 7–8 meters deep.
Langsdorff's Death
Langsdorff was taken to a naval hotel in Buenos Aires. There, he wrote letters to his family and his commanders. On December 19, 1939, he wrote:
"I can now only prove by my death that the fighting services of the Third Reich are ready to die for the honour of the flag. I alone bear the responsibility for scuttling the panzerschiff Admiral Graf Spee. I am happy to pay with my life for any possible reflection on the honour of the flag. I shall face my fate with firm faith in the cause and the future of the nation and of my Führer."
After writing this, he died. His body was buried in the German section of the La Chacarita Cemetery in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Langsdorff's Family
Hans Langsdorff's son, Joachim Langsdorff, also joined the German navy. He died in December 1944 while piloting a small submarine called a Biber. His submarine was later found by the Royal Navy. Today, it is displayed at the Imperial War Museum in London.
Legacy and Recognition
The town of Ajax, Ontario in Canada is named after HMS Ajax, one of the British ships in the battle. In this town, one street was named Langsdorff Drive to honor him. The River Plate Veterans Association supported this naming. Langsdorff's daughter, Inge, and her husband attended the naming ceremony.
However, this street name was changed in 2021 because of public disagreement. In 2020, the town of Ajax also tried to honor Langsdorff and the Admiral Graf Spee by naming a street Graf Spee Crescent. This name was also changed after the public found out and told the mayor, Shaun Collier. Mayor Collier put forward a plan to change this name. He said, "We did Langsdorff, which I did support... This, I think, has crossed the line a little bit." The town of Ajax is named after the Royal Navy cruiser involved in the Battle of the River Plate. Many of its streets are named after people who were part of that battle.
In the 1956 movie The Battle of the River Plate, the actor Peter Finch played Hans Langsdorff.
See also
In Spanish: Hans Langsdorff para niños
