The Battle of the River Plate, the first major naval battle of WWII, involved the
Admiral Graf Spee, a German pocket battleship. Its crew had been under orders to sink British merchant ships, a practice known as commerce raiding, but avoid combat with enemy forces. During the Royal Navy's attack on the
Graf Spee, the German vessel suffered some superficial damage and set a course for Montevideo. There, believing his forces to be outnumbered, the German captain made what decision?
More...