Days before the outbreak of World War II, a handful of German commerce raiders put out to sea to prey on Allied merchantmen. Among them was the Panzerschiffe ("armored ship") Graf Spee, a formidable warship that boasted the firepower of a battleship, but had the size, speed, and range of a cruiser. When World War II commenced, the Graf Spee, under the command of Captain Langsdorff, began a hunting spree across the South Atlantic and the Indian Ocean that eventually took her to the River Plate in search of her next victim--an Allied convoy. Instead, she found three Royal Navy cruisers under the command of Commodore Harwood, eager to put an end to the "pocket battleship" that had been terrorizing Allied merchant ships.

Featuring full color artwork, archive photographs, and meticulous research, this comprehensive volume explores the thrilling story behind the Battle of the River Plate, an engagement that unquestionably demonstrated the effectiveness of British seapower and diplomacy on an international stage.