The Versailles Agreement, concluded after the First World War, at 1919 city, on Germany imposed severe restrictions, including all, As for her ability to have large warships. Allowed to build ships with a displacement of not more than 10000 t, armed caliber guns no more than 11 inch. (280 mm). The Allies hoped by these prohibitions limit the scope of German warships of the Baltic Sea and only, in this way, guarantee against the threat posed by Germany in the future. The Germans also in the late twenties having completely different plans.
Linkor “Admiral Graf Spee” – video
With the advent of new technologies, such as electric welding and propulsion diesel, opened up the possibility of building smaller and thus more fast and effective warships.
Despite the relatively light armor, they can be sent to distant raids and pose a threat to commercial shipping. The Kriegsmarine (German Navy) these new ships called Panzerschiffe (Panceršiffe) - literally: armored vehicles (ships, tanks), - but the rest of the world, they were known as "pocket battleships". The first ships were built like "Deutschland", more fairly considered heavy cruisers. The first three ships have a displacement of about 12000 t and, in this way, exceeded due to the weight of the agreement, but they were armed with a modest 11-inch. (280-mm) major caliber artillery. Then came the five heavy cruisers of the "Admiral Hipper". German battleship "Admiral Graf Spee" was on the third line after "Admiral Scheer" and "Deutschland" and was built after about three years after.
"Admiral Graf Spee" was laid 1 October 1932 city, launched 30 June 1934 g. and came into operation in January b 1939 g. Since the beginning of the war, all three ships quickly started to perform combat missions - "Graf Spee" has started to operate in the South Atlantic have 21 August 1939 g. In the first months after the declaration of war by Germany he put on the bottom of a number of vessels with a total displacement of more than allies 50 000 t. Command KVMF instructed captains cruisers "Exeter", "Achilles" and "Ajax" find and sink daring Teuton. Despite the fact that all three British cruisers inferior "Graf Spee" in firepower and losing speed, they were able to drive the German cruiser in the mouth of the Rio de la Plata in Montevideo port, in Uruguay. Here, British intelligence were able to convince the commander of the "Graf Spee" in the, at the outlet to the sea will wait for his whole armada of enemy warships. As a result, 17 December 1939 g. Team flooded "column Shpee". Hitler then ordered to rename the "Deutschland" in "Lutzow", fear, as it were named after the ship Faterlyanda not shared the fate of "Graf Spee".
The performance characteristics of the battleship "Admiral Graf Spee"
| Displacement | standard 11 700 t; full 16 200 t |
| main dimensions | length (overall) 186 m; width (at the waterline) 21,59 m; draft 7,39 m |
| Power plant | 2-stroke eight 9-cylinder diesel engine MAN, developing total power 54 000 HP. and three rotating propellers |
| full speed | 28 with. |
| weaponry | eight 11-inch. (280-mm) top guns, Eight 6-inch. (152-mm) and six 4.1-inch. (105-mm) guns, eight 37-mm and six 20-mm anti-aircraft automatic guns, eight 21-inch. (533-mm) torpedo tubes, two aircraft |
| booking | the thickness of the belt from bead 76 mm 57 mm; deck 38 mm; installation of torpedo 44 mm 38 mm; main towers of 140 mm 82 mm |
| Command | from 619 to 1150 human |
Photo battleship "Admiral Graf Spee"
