This battle was the inspiration for my Dad to join the Navy during the war. He ended up on convoy escorts in the Atlantic. Not as glamorous as cruisers, but essential nonetheless. Those merchant seamen were real heroes in his eyes.
My G. G. Uncle was the Chief Engineer on the Archilles. Unfortunately, all those involved have long since passed away, Navy, Army and Airforce, my G. G Grandad was killed during WW2, and my Great Grandad was a fighter pilot - he flew a Hurrican. My Grandad can't give me much information, he said the war was not spoken about in front of kids by his Dad and uncles, they were sent outside to play, and many questions went unanswered. We have some memorabilia but not the stories. Lest we forget. Thank you for posting this movie, Stephanie (🧏, scripting was so easy to follow unlike so many of today's movies)
Esp the war crimes went unanswered. It is all pretty much falsified history in many ways, and maost are worshiping wrong "gods". Still, show WILL go on, going on at present, lies written in books while real faschists do genocides.
My Grandad lost an eye on Exeter . Fantastic telling of his amazing story when he returned home ... " One man stood alone" and then. Daily Mirror page 3 Saturday Feb 24 1940 ......Among other things my family has a ships bell from the Graf spee.
My uncle bill chapman was on the Ajax ,, he also was on the Murmansk run to Russia, my dad was in the far east fleet on a flower class destroyer , my father in law was captured in Hong Kong and a POW for 4.5 years,, what an amazing generation ,, I watched this movie with my dad as a kid ,, I am now 75 in Canada,,,,, God bless our military history
Haven't seen this since I was a kid. It was on a black and white TV, so I had no idea it was in colour. Nice to see again after 55 years! Thanks for putting it up.
There is a also black and white print is usually shown for the American version of the film. Pursuit of the Graf Spee. That print shows the same on a B&W or colour TV (joke intended). I was fortunate to see it in colour at the theater. Later only saw it in B&W. There a a colour version dvd but it is Region 2 )UK).
My mother and grandmother lived in Buenos Aires during the 1930s and 1940s. They'd often go to the beaches near Montevideo, from which my mother could see the Graf Spee's mast structure sticking above the water.
I was on a passenger ship (the Shota Rustavelli) in the early 1970's and I remember passing the site of the Graf Spee, The mast was still clearly visible at that time.
@@wayvicle both my father and uncle was in the RN , my uncle Bill was at the battle of the platte, he said he was terrified , he also got medals from Russia for Murmansk run to Russia, a petty officer when he retired? My Dad was in the far east fleet ?, was wounded sent back to England 🇬🇧 as a POW guard ,,, I am 75 now and ware my poppy with pride
@tekha1977. Oh. Ajax, Exeter, and Achilles... The British Ships? Maybe I need to look into the battle further, I am uncertain about the battle now. The ship they have as Graf Spee seems to be a US Cruiser?
@@JoeM-f1g Graf Spee was represented by the ship USS Salem, a Des Moines class heavy cruiser commissioned by the USN in 1949. Salem actually still exists as a museum ship in Quincy, Massachusetts.
Heck, I love the commercials about all the crap I'm going to boycott. UA-cam had to do that. How do you think their going to get people to pay for their no commercial videos?
I am a New Zealander. Achilles was a New Zealand ship. My dad was rescued by Ajax in the Battle of Crete. I am guessing that I am alive because of Ajax. My next door neighbour was on Exeter, and was rescued by the Japanese, after Exeter sunk.
Kapitan Langsdorf was an amazing man, he cared and respected for those who he captured, and he treated them as equals. He did his duty as a naval captain of the Kriegsmarine, but he was chivalrous and he held his crew in the highest regard. When he was told that there was a huge British force staged outside of Montevideo Harbor he asked the High Command what he should do and Hitler commanded him to fight to the last shell, but Kapitan Langsdorf put the mahority of his crew ashore, sailed his beautiful ship offshore, and scuttled her. He committed suicide a couple of days later on the German flag. Even in the end he remained duty bound to his country, but to Germany, not to Hitler's Germany. He did his duty to his country, not to the swastika.
💯💯💯💯💯💯💯Total BS ! TRYING to make a Rite outta of MASS MURDER by a country and its LEADERS of which HE was one and who HE swore an OATH to ? CUT THE BS !
@@MonTube2006 Actually, they do know, and it's just impossible. What warship afloat today could stand in for the Graf Spee now? Things have moved on; people need to move along too.
My Father was an Engineer on the mv Highland Monarch outran the Spee into the Plate - they took all the British prisons back to England - everyone spoke highly of Lansdorf
The movie is accurate up to the last five minutes. The captain committed suicide at the German embassy while his ship sailed. Hitler had ordered him to fight to the death without regard to the lives of the crew. By taking his life his crew lived, and that was a courageous decision, he was a gentleman sailor to the last!
A gentleman sailor sinking often defenseless ships to help the Nazis who are busy invading neighboring countries that will not surrender to a ruthless madman (aka Hitler). Sort of a peculiar way to view the status of a gentleman.
@@graysonedwards8875 I have read two accounts that said he died in a hotel, one account said the embassy where he was staying and another said he was on board his ship. Since we know he was definitely not on the Graf Spee, and know he was staying at the embassy for a time, it's hard to know which account is accurate. This movie showed him onboard the merchant ship which doesn't make sense at all as the movie clearly shows it leaving ahead of the German cruiser. Historical film shows the small number of crew leaving to board a pilot boat.
SO many thoroughly honorable and Chivalrous 'Germans' who fought in WW2 . My 'yank' - German father fought against them as an RAF Spit pilot . Barely survived . No hate left in him , within weeks after 'V.E.' Day . Crazy world .
This is a great period piece that I haven't see for years. These WWII films were often shown in the UK in the 60s and 70s on rainy Sunday afternoons, which in my memory was nearly every Sunday. Uplifting stuff nevertheless.
I saw this in the cinema as a kid, on wide screen. Outstanding and innovative cinematography makes the battle scenes a visceral experience. They used some of the original ships, and went to great lengths to ensure that every detail was authentic.
The town of Ajax, Ontario, Canada sprung up during WW II and was named after the HMS Ajax. The streets bear the names of the crew of the ship to the present day. Harwood Street is one of the prominent roads.
This movie makes me honor all who have served our nation during WWII, especially those in my family. Also we have a Vietnam veteran and one who served three tours in the Navy who marched on Bagdad and saw the shock and awe. He said every person was praying and afraid even those who said they weren't.
What I find truly sad is that we have been lethargic with the freedoms they preserved for us and we have allowed them to be frittered away by successive grubberments, adamant on subduing us all!
My father was 15 and trained as a boy telegrapher when the war started. He was educated at the Royal Hospital School and trained at Greenwich Boys Naval School. His brother was in Ganges and he was St. Vincent. My Grandfather was RN and serving in Esquimalt, BC training new signalmen for the RCN.
Unfortunately, the US heavy cruiser doesn't look at all like the "Graf Spee". But using real ships was certainly great. This was the first movie I saw in a movie theatre (persuaded my family to go).
@@awuma Nope, the panzerschiffs only had two three-gun main turrets, one fore and one aft, instead of the three (two forward, one aft) that the _Salem_ did. Also, they were 11-inch guns instead of 8-inch. The _Salem_ still exists, being a museum ship up in Quincy, MA, just outside of Boston. Her main guns, like all Des Moines-class heavy cruisers, are autoloaders with a six-second reload cycle, meaning that she could be firing a _third_ salvo before the first one landed on a distant target. Pretty much guaranteed making a mess of any enemy cruiser she gets the drop on.
I've lost track of the amount of times I've seen this epic... And I never tire from watching it again... I even pre-empt some of the lines ! I guess being ex RN myself (Cold War), it's like an addiction; every now-and-again one has to take a 'fix'.
I was in a chess club in 1980 in Goderich, Ontario, Canada and one of the members was a sailor from the Graf Spee. I desperately wanted to ask him questions but did not.
Very good movie. You can tell a US Heavy Cruiser was used as the Graf Spree. Captain Langsdorff should have avoided engaging the British cruisers who were hunting for him and similar raiders. Commodore Harwood (Promoted to Admiral after this) was an expert in how to fight a pocket battleship with only cruisers. He knew they had to divide the fire as the German fire control system had problems when engaging multiple targets. Langsdorff's death was sad, but he wanted to save his men and he did.
Agree, Even thought out ranged an attack from there different directions was a great tactic. He said in the film he wish he had another cruiser which would have made for a 4 sided attack. Yes Langsdorth really cared about his men.
USS Salem (CA-139) is a Des Moines-class heavy cruiser completed for the United States Navy shortly after World War II and commissioned in 1949. The second ship of her class, she was the world's last heavy cruiser to enter service and is the last remaining. Its at its home port of Quincy MA , USS Salem, the world’s only preserved Heavy Cruiser. We are located in the former Quincy Fore River Shipyard, once one of the Nation’s largest Shipbuilding Enterprises, in historic Quincy, Massachusetts.
@@nobodyexpectssi4654 That was part of the agreement by the U,S, Navy to lend the ship to the film makers. No Swastika were allowed and no German helmets. Also when the German flag was raised it was filmed on another ship and not the American ship. There were some other things the U.S. Navy would not allow.
My Father served in the US Navy in the Pacific as an electrician - he installed computers on all the Navy ship Between June 1941 to August 1943 - transferred to code room til 1946 - he was on a submarine that left Pearl Harbor 3 days before it was attacked
Hi @iduswelton9567, just wondering you said computers, they have to be in an analog system at the time. I know from relatives who served that digital system came in major vessels till the 1960's.
My grandad Albert George Walford RN was on Exeter l he'd been in the navy 23 years up until the battle of the river plate. He lost an eye but carried on putting out a fire with commander Graham.. His heroic and wonderful story page 3 Daily Mirror Sat 24 1940 " One man stood alone" where he meets Churchill the king and queen has lunch with Lady Astor and much more.
@@ScottieMcClue Thanks for the reply. While recovering in the Falklands and Montevideo he was visited by Lady Effie Millington- Drake who gave him a silver teapot for his wife ,my Gran as she had her 40th birthday while he was away. My family also has a ships bell from the Graf Spee. He died aged 57 in 1959 when I was two so I never got to talk to him but I have his medals and framed drawn and painted tours of duty he did of the all the ships he served on , Exeter being the last of course.
@@calexchelse 😄 🤣 I'm about to start the flick right now. I just watched 'The Hook' with Kirk Douglas, I recommend, and I got this film in my suggestions.
"Boatswain Chair " amidships during refueling n replenishment...Old Skool Navy ...Saw it many times. Heaving Ropes n Hoses ..West Pac 76- 77 ..79- 80...Smokin lamp is Out !!°
Well I think that Kriegsmarine was less nazi of all the German military. Except of Dönitz and some other top heads. Gentlemanship of Captain Langsdorff is a historical fact. There is even some theory that he laid on Imperial Navy ensign when he did suicide and not Nazi one.
@@kaiserjager2754he was an honourable German captain and probably not a Nazi. His ships company came first. By scuttling his ship he saved many lives as well as British lives if he decided to fight it out with the waiting war ships. A really excellent film and thanks for posting it.
A key factor in this battle was that all three British ships were smaller, short-gunned versions of Britain's other cruisers. The heavy cruiser Exeter, for example, had only six guns compared to the Kent class's eight. Light cruisers Ajax and Achilles had only eight guns versus the twelve mounted on the Southampton class. These smaller, less expensive to build ships were generally intended for overseas colonial duty rather than for operation with the main British fleet.
@@daveroche6522 The kriegsmarine hated the salute Adolf took from the ancient Roman empire and would always salute the standard way. They would do this right to Adolf's face and he would allow it because of all the tonnage they would send to the bottom.
My gradad edd served as a merchant seaman on the tug hms frisky,he was invoved in recovery aftermath.frisky was the sister to hms saucy,which sank after hitting a mine at scapa flow.there you can find a memorial stone to the 18hands from our village of brixham,s devon
Great Movie! Did you noticed or I didn't hear it but The Fuhrer was never mentioned, unusual for a WWII movie with Germans being major characters. Second or third time I've watched.
Love the guy on lookout, spots a bit of smoke miles away, and said its a Pocket Battle ship at that distance wouldn't see a thing, but always loved this film, the Graf Spee's Captain was a true sailor and Gentleman!
I love the dialogues. I might as well have a look. I have an hour or two. :) I once read a story about British convoy during the 2nd WW. Before they sailed out of America navy captain of escort asked the commodore of merchant ships to try to keep the pace, because on Saturday he has his wedding. And commodore said that he will do for sure because on Saturday he has something of similar importance: a round of golf
Apparently as troop ships RMS Queen Elizabeth 1938 signalled Her older sister RMS Queen Mary 'what's it like being seen in the company of a real fast lady' Queen Mary signalled back 'real ladies are never seen in fast company'
@@ScottieMcClue*-* I've sailed on 3 such "commercial" troop ships: HMS Queen Elizabeth, HMS Queen Mary, and USS United States. The US was fast, but the Queens were luxurious! *De Oppresso Liber*
USS Salem (DeMoines class heavy cruiser) was used to represent the Graf Spee. It had 3x triple 8" autoloading turrets (2 fore, 1 aft) and an aircraft hanger, instead of the Graf Spee's 2x triple 11" turrets (1 fore and aft) and no aircraft. 'That's why you have a US heavy cruiser number painted on your bows' was a neccesary line to add!
They must have used models for the ending of the Graf Spee as the USS Salem is a museum ship in near perfect condition in Quincy, Massachusetts ....the very last of her kind.
Merchant. Sea men. Did not get the Recognition they. Deserve. Bringing Food and ammunition To beleagured. Soldiers. Not withstanding the bitter cold of the. Atlalantic
Great movie, a pity they never made reasonably big budget films about some other actions like Barents Sea, Sirte, Matapan or North Cape. I suppose had Suez turned out differently and 2/3 of the British fleet hadnt been shortsightedly scrapped by the early 60's, a few more movies like this might have been made. At least Salem has been preserved; Sheffield and Jamaica certainly deserved to be as well
A pity that such a good film would get a simple thing like Commodore Harwood's rank insignia wrong. Commodores wear a single wide band sleeve lace. In the film Anthony Quayle, who plays Harwood, is shown with the sleeve insignia for a Rear Admiral, before he received notification of his promotion and knighthood.
@@ScottieMcClue That's something I hadn't considered, Scottie. I've attempted to research it but can only find that Harwood's substantive rank during the battle was Commodore and that he was promoted Rear Admiral shortly thereafter.
I read somewhere that captain Langsdorff opened fire on the cruisers rather than running as he thought the cruisers were only attacking to drive him towards mor powerful capital ships.
Saw this in 1960 on a double bill with Sink the Bismarck. It was great that they used real ships in the film. Too bad they could not get a ship that was closer in resembling the Graf Spee. The U.S. cruiser they did use looks so out of place.
@@ScottieMcClue If they had something available with one turret fore and aft. Yes, made a tad after WW2 and a lot of ships went to the scrapyard. I was 10 at the time and knew the ship was out of place because I had built a model of the Graf Spee. Still I enjoyed the movie. I have it on dvd.
Uncredited role for John Le Mesurier (probably better known for his role as Dads Army’s sgt.Wilson, but also had a prolific body of other work) as the padre on the HMS Exeter
Two odd facts: Bernard Lee, who played Captain Dove, was M in the first eleven James Bond films. Also, the U S Navy would not allow any swastikas,Nazi insignia, helmets, etc on the USS Salem.
think i would of gone down fighting despite the odds, but i think in the end, Capt Langsdorff didnt want to sacrifice his men in such a bold move, so he sacrificed himself and his ship. not many German officers thought of the men fighting under them, but there were a few, who felt the men came 1st, before glory.
@@dennismckown4951 ...and Captain Langsdorff was kind to the crews of the Allied merchant ships. EVERYONE who came in contact with Captain Langsdorff had NOTHING BUT GOOD THINGS to say about him...
This battle was the inspiration for my Dad to join the Navy during the war. He ended up on convoy escorts in the Atlantic. Not as glamorous as cruisers, but essential nonetheless. Those merchant seamen were real heroes in his eyes.
Thank You 😊 🙏
Respect to your dad.
My G. G. Uncle was the Chief Engineer on the Archilles. Unfortunately, all those involved have long since passed away, Navy, Army and Airforce, my G. G Grandad was killed during WW2, and my Great Grandad was a fighter pilot - he flew a Hurrican. My Grandad can't give me much information, he said the war was not spoken about in front of kids by his Dad and uncles, they were sent outside to play, and many questions went unanswered. We have some memorabilia but not the stories. Lest we forget. Thank you for posting this movie, Stephanie (🧏, scripting was so easy to follow unlike so many of today's movies)
Thank You 😊 🙏
Esp the war crimes went unanswered. It is all pretty much falsified history in many ways, and maost are worshiping wrong "gods". Still, show WILL go on, going on at present, lies written in books while real faschists do genocides.
Look up their war records online!
👍👍👍🤗🤗🤗 FROM VENEZUELA
My Grandad lost an eye on Exeter . Fantastic telling of his amazing story when he returned home ... " One man stood alone" and then. Daily Mirror page 3 Saturday Feb 24 1940 ......Among other things my family has a ships bell from the Graf spee.
My uncle Bill Reading was a signalman serving aboard HMS Ajax during this action.
So He would be doing make to ACHILLIES etc WOW!
There is of course a Reading Street in Ajax, Ontario.
I live in AJAX Ontario, captain Heywood of the Ajax has many places named after him , the Ajax anchor is outside the legion on heywood ave
My uncle bill chapman was on the Ajax ,, he also was on the Murmansk run to Russia, my dad was in the far east fleet on a flower class destroyer , my father in law was captured in Hong Kong and a POW for 4.5 years,, what an amazing generation ,, I watched this movie with my dad as a kid ,, I am now 75 in Canada,,,,, God bless our military history
@@peter2023 Chapman Drive in Ajax, Ontario curves from Kingston Road to Harwood Ave.
Haven't seen this since I was a kid. It was on a black and white TV, so I had no idea it was in colour. Nice to see again after 55 years! Thanks for putting it up.
A Pleasure 🙏 ☺️
There is a also black and white print is usually shown for the American version of the film. Pursuit of the Graf Spee. That print shows the same on a B&W or colour TV (joke intended). I was fortunate to see it in colour at the theater. Later only saw it in B&W. There a a colour version dvd but it is Region 2 )UK).
Likewise, as a kid, I watched it with my Dad (a WWII vet). He instilled in me an active interest in History.
@@ScottieMcClue
I have seen just about every war movie for the last half century or so, but I have never seen this one. Thanks for the post!
@rayhallett Wow! Now that you say that I now recall that on my youth I had the same experience using a b & w TV and now it IS in color!
My mother and grandmother lived in Buenos Aires during the 1930s and 1940s. They'd often go to the beaches near Montevideo, from which my mother could see the Graf Spee's mast structure sticking above the water.
which means ww2 means nothing to you.
@@georgekouremenos596 My father served in the Pacific for the USN during the WWII
@@Springbok295 OK, then
I was on a passenger ship (the Shota Rustavelli) in the early 1970's and I remember passing the site of the Graf Spee, The mast was still clearly visible at that time.
@@georgekouremenos596 why even say this?
Outstanding film! ‘Hoist Battle Ensigns!’ Gets me every time.
Two of the original surface vessels were actually in the film. That is what is amazing about this film.
@@wayvicle both my father and uncle was in the RN , my uncle Bill was at the battle of the platte, he said he was terrified , he also got medals from Russia for Murmansk run to Russia, a petty officer when he retired? My Dad was in the far east fleet ?, was wounded sent back to England 🇬🇧 as a POW guard ,,, I am 75 now and ware my poppy with pride
Really?!?!? I thought the Graf Spee was sunk, how did they get it into this movie?
@@JoeM-f1gI think Wayvicle is refering to INS Delhi and HMS Cumberland as the original ships representing themselves in the movie.
@tekha1977. Oh. Ajax, Exeter, and Achilles... The British Ships? Maybe I need to look into the battle further, I am uncertain about the battle now. The ship they have as Graf Spee seems to be a US Cruiser?
@@JoeM-f1g Graf Spee was represented by the ship USS Salem, a Des Moines class heavy cruiser commissioned by the USN in 1949. Salem actually still exists as a museum ship in Quincy, Massachusetts.
thank you for movie
A Pleasure 🙏 ☺️
Thank you for no obnoxious YT ads during the movie. It was just like the good old days of watching YT.
Ooops! They heard you. 2 sets of ads in the first half hour.
Just get adbloc.
Get a certain extension that fixes that problem very quickly...
Put your complaints where your wallet is.
Heck, I love the commercials about all the crap I'm going to boycott. UA-cam had to do that. How do you think their going to get people to pay for their no commercial videos?
I am a New Zealander. Achilles was a New Zealand ship. My dad was rescued by Ajax in the Battle of Crete. I am guessing that I am alive because of Ajax. My next door neighbour was on Exeter, and was rescued by the Japanese, after Exeter sunk.
Being rescued by the Japanese is worse than not being rescued.
That would suckkkk. Being rescued by the Japanese. Almost as bad as being left stranded, in the moment.
@@jonny-b4954
Would rather drown.
THIS IS AN OUTSTANDING MOVIE CHOSEN FOR YOU BY SCOTTIE McCLUE ❤❤
another good fjlm thanks scottie
By all accounts, the movie is accurate in regards to Langsdorf's behavior. He was, by all accounts, a very considerate captain to those he captured.
Kapitan Langsdorf was an amazing man, he cared and respected for those who he captured, and he treated them as equals. He did his duty as a naval captain of the Kriegsmarine, but he was chivalrous and he held his crew in the highest regard. When he was told that there was a huge British force staged outside of Montevideo Harbor he asked the High Command what he should do and Hitler commanded him to fight to the last shell, but Kapitan Langsdorf put the mahority of his crew ashore, sailed his beautiful ship offshore, and scuttled her. He committed suicide a couple of days later on the German flag. Even in the end he remained duty bound to his country, but to Germany, not to Hitler's Germany. He did his duty to his country, not to the swastika.
💯💯💯💯💯💯💯Total BS ! TRYING to make a Rite outta of MASS MURDER by a country and its LEADERS of which HE was one and who HE swore an OATH to ? CUT THE BS !
They don't make movies like this anymore, sadly they don't know how.
Thanks for posting this.
A Pleasure 🙏 ☺️
Amerikanische Stahlhelme der Geschützbedienung und das Zeigen des Hitler-Grußes 1939? Sehr fragwürdig!
Actually they DO know how to make them, they just don't and it's sad.
@@MonTube2006 Actually, they do know, and it's just impossible. What warship afloat today could stand in for the Graf Spee now? Things have moved on; people need to move along too.
They do know how, but sadly the larger audiences necessary for a film to profit are more interested in action heroes than real life heroes.
My Father was an Engineer on the mv Highland Monarch outran the Spee into the Plate - they took all the British prisons back to England - everyone spoke highly of Lansdorf
The movie is accurate up to the last five minutes. The captain committed suicide at the German embassy while his ship sailed. Hitler had ordered him to fight to the death without regard to the lives of the crew. By taking his life his crew lived, and that was a courageous decision, he was a gentleman sailor to the last!
On 20 December, in his room in a Buenos Aires hotel, Langsdorff shot himself in full dress uniform while lying on the ship's battle ensign.[41]
A gentleman sailor sinking often defenseless ships to help the Nazis who are busy invading neighboring countries that will not surrender to a ruthless madman (aka Hitler). Sort of a peculiar way to view the status of a gentleman.
@@graysonedwards8875 three days after Graff Spee was sunk
@@graysonedwards8875 I have read two accounts that said he died in a hotel, one account said the embassy where he was staying and another said he was on board his ship. Since we know he was definitely not on the Graf Spee, and know he was staying at the embassy for a time, it's hard to know which account is accurate. This movie showed him onboard the merchant ship which doesn't make sense at all as the movie clearly shows it leaving ahead of the German cruiser. Historical film shows the small number of crew leaving to board a pilot boat.
He commited suicide 3 days after the scuttling of the Graf Spee in a hotel room in Argentina.
SO many thoroughly honorable and Chivalrous 'Germans' who fought in WW2 . My 'yank' - German father fought against them as an RAF Spit pilot . Barely survived . No hate left in him , within weeks after 'V.E.' Day . Crazy world .
Greatest generation ❤❤❤❤.
This is a great period piece that I haven't see for years. These WWII films were often shown in the UK in the 60s and 70s on rainy Sunday afternoons, which in my memory was nearly every Sunday. Uplifting stuff nevertheless.
My dad didn't serve but always said this was one of his favorite war movies tho.
What an outstanding movie this is, I've seen it several times now over the years and it never gets old..thank you for posting
A Pleasure 🙏 ☺️
I saw this in the cinema as a kid, on wide screen. Outstanding and innovative cinematography makes the battle scenes a visceral experience. They used some of the original ships, and went to great lengths to ensure that every detail was authentic.
The town of Ajax, Ontario, Canada sprung up during WW II and was named after the HMS Ajax. The streets bear the names of the crew of the ship to the present day. Harwood Street is one of the prominent roads.
One of the streets is named after a crewman who was my workmates Dad, his name was Stearns.
This movie makes me honor all who have served our nation during WWII, especially those in my family. Also we have a Vietnam veteran and one who served three tours in the Navy who marched on Bagdad and saw the shock and awe. He said every person was praying and afraid even those who said they weren't.
Bless Them All 🙏
Seeing those Boy sailors on the warships brought tears to my eyes. It's so sad but also so true.
What I find truly sad is that we have been lethargic with the freedoms they preserved for us and we have allowed them to be frittered away by successive grubberments, adamant on subduing us all!
My father was 15 and trained as a boy telegrapher when the war started. He was educated at the Royal Hospital School and trained at Greenwich Boys Naval School. His brother was in Ganges and he was St. Vincent. My Grandfather was RN and serving in Esquimalt, BC training new signalmen for the RCN.
A great movie. No GCI, real ships, fabulous acting and direction. Thank you for uploading.
A Great Pleasure 🙏 ☺️
Unfortunately, the US heavy cruiser doesn't look at all like the "Graf Spee". But using real ships was certainly great. This was the first movie I saw in a movie theatre (persuaded my family to go).
@@awuma Nope, the panzerschiffs only had two three-gun main turrets, one fore and one aft, instead of the three (two forward, one aft) that the _Salem_ did. Also, they were 11-inch guns instead of 8-inch.
The _Salem_ still exists, being a museum ship up in Quincy, MA, just outside of Boston. Her main guns, like all Des Moines-class heavy cruisers, are autoloaders with a six-second reload cycle, meaning that she could be firing a _third_ salvo before the first one landed on a distant target. Pretty much guaranteed making a mess of any enemy cruiser she gets the drop on.
No sex or foul language, thank God.
I've lost track of the amount of times I've seen this epic... And I never tire from watching it again... I even pre-empt some of the lines ! I guess being ex RN myself (Cold War), it's like an addiction; every now-and-again one has to take a 'fix'.
The RN has a long relationship with the UK film industry.
It is truly a great movie. :)
Thank You 💯 😊 🙏
I was in a chess club in 1980 in Goderich, Ontario, Canada and one of the members was a sailor from the Graf Spee. I desperately wanted to ask him questions but did not.
Wow. I was not allowed to ask German Relatives about the War. All long gone now....
wonderful film 👍👍
Thank You 💯 😊 🙏
Thank you so much. From a Brazilian former supply Corps Commander, this amazing history.
A Pleasure Sir 🙏 ☺️
Very good movie. You can tell a US Heavy Cruiser was used as the Graf Spree. Captain Langsdorff should have avoided engaging the British cruisers who were hunting for him and similar raiders. Commodore Harwood (Promoted to Admiral after this) was an expert in how to fight a pocket battleship with only cruisers. He knew they had to divide the fire as the German fire control system had problems when engaging multiple targets. Langsdorff's death was sad, but he wanted to save his men and he did.
Agree, Even thought out ranged an attack from there different directions was a great tactic. He said in the film he wish he had another cruiser which would have made for a 4 sided attack. Yes Langsdorth really cared about his men.
USS Salem (CA-139) is a Des Moines-class heavy cruiser completed for the United States Navy shortly after World War II and commissioned in 1949. The second ship of her class, she was the world's last heavy cruiser to enter service and is the last remaining. Its at its home port of Quincy MA , USS Salem, the world’s only preserved Heavy Cruiser. We are located in the former Quincy Fore River Shipyard, once one of the Nation’s largest Shipbuilding Enterprises, in historic Quincy, Massachusetts.
@@remccom It is a great thing that there are organizations and people who preserve the memories of WW2 and actually history in general.
Y ni siquiera le han cambiado los cascos a algunos marinos yankis, en fin
@@nobodyexpectssi4654 That was part of the agreement by the U,S, Navy to lend the ship to the film makers. No Swastika were allowed and no German helmets. Also when the German flag was raised it was filmed on another ship and not the American ship. There were some other things the U.S. Navy would not allow.
My Father served in the US Navy in the Pacific as an electrician - he installed computers on all the Navy ship Between June 1941 to August 1943 - transferred to code room til 1946 - he was on a submarine that left Pearl Harbor 3 days before it was attacked
Hi @iduswelton9567, just wondering you said computers, they have to be in an analog system at the time. I know from relatives who served that digital system came in major vessels till the 1960's.
I remember this film well! Always loved it . 😀
Thank You 😊 🙏
This was a great movie - thank you McClure
My grandad Albert George Walford RN was on Exeter l he'd been in the navy 23 years up until the battle of the river plate. He lost an eye but carried on putting out a fire with commander Graham.. His heroic and wonderful story page 3 Daily Mirror Sat 24 1940 " One man stood alone" where he meets Churchill the king and queen has lunch with Lady Astor and much more.
Absolutely Amazing 👏 🤩 😍
@@ScottieMcClue Thanks for the reply. While recovering in the Falklands and Montevideo he was visited by Lady Effie Millington- Drake who gave him a silver teapot for his wife ,my Gran as she had her 40th birthday while he was away. My family also has a ships bell from the Graf Spee. He died aged 57 in 1959 when I was two so I never got to talk to him but I have his medals and framed drawn and painted tours of duty he did of the all the ships he served on , Exeter being the last of course.
oh damn, seen this one 6 times already very good movie tho!
Great movie 🤩🤩🤩💖💖
Thank You 😊 🙏
Fantastic!
This is a great movie. Don't miss it.
Thank You 😊 🙏
British and American movies are the best the greatest generation
American?hahahahaaaaa
? "Das Boot " ;-)
Nothing like a WW2 movie where the Germans all speak with British accents!!! Love these old films.
Easy to understand old boy
@@calexchelse 😄 🤣
I'm about to start the flick right now.
I just watched 'The Hook' with Kirk Douglas, I recommend, and I got this film in my suggestions.
"Boatswain Chair " amidships during refueling n replenishment...Old Skool Navy ...Saw it many times. Heaving Ropes n Hoses ..West Pac 76- 77 ..79- 80...Smokin lamp is Out !!°
Film il malta my country ❤
Saw in theatre as a kidd…. But was in black and white film
Great movie, have seen it many times over the years. Characters are so likable on both sides, makes you sad that they are fighting a war.
Well I think that Kriegsmarine was less nazi of all the German military. Except of Dönitz and some other top heads. Gentlemanship of Captain Langsdorff is a historical fact. There is even some theory that he laid on Imperial Navy ensign when he did suicide and not Nazi one.
@@kaiserjager2754he was an honourable German captain and probably not a Nazi. His ships company came first. By scuttling his ship he saved many lives as well as British lives if he decided to fight it out with the waiting war ships. A really excellent film and thanks for posting it.
Wagner's Twilight of the Gods played as the German's scuttled the ship was a nice touch.
Good movie.
Thank You 😊 🙏
Not perfect, but it's a 9! One of the best WW2 navy war movies ever.
As near perfect as you'll get
A key factor in this battle was that all three British ships were smaller, short-gunned versions of Britain's other cruisers. The heavy cruiser Exeter, for example, had only six guns compared to the Kent class's eight. Light cruisers Ajax and Achilles had only eight guns versus the twelve mounted on the Southampton class.
These smaller, less expensive to build ships were generally intended for overseas colonial duty rather than for operation with the main British fleet.
On another note, Altmark was boarded by Phillip Vians' crew from HMS Cossack in Norway where 300 sailors were rescued in early 1940.
FANTASTIC THANKS
A GREAT PLEASURE 🙏 ☺️
🙏🙏🙏
I remember seeing this on US TV as "The Pursuit of the Graf Spee"!
I recall this movie from my childhood. It was called 'The Pursuit of the Graf Spee.'
New Zealand in action early in WW2
I’ve been to Montevideo. Loved the place.
Sir Christopher Lee is the bar owner.😅
Bernard Lee, who plays the captain of the Africa Shell went on the play "M" in the James Bond movies
💯 CORRECT
7:30 Notice how the officer gives the Hitler 'salute' yet the Captain responds with the naval salute? Says it all.
@@daveroche6522 The kriegsmarine hated the salute Adolf took from the ancient Roman empire and would always salute the standard way. They would do this right to Adolf's face and he would allow it because of all the tonnage they would send to the bottom.
Nice "Battle E" on Starboard side.. "Efficency Award" only given out to US Warships..I got one aboard USS HALSEY CG 23 in 1979
They're using a US on the condition that it wasn't altered
Langstaff was not a nazi he was a naval seaman and treated all seaman with respect, sadly committed suicide
There's a small maritime museum in Montevideo that contains a number of artifacts from the Graf Spee and at the front is one of its guns.
Thank You 😊 🙏
My gradad edd served as a merchant seaman on the tug hms frisky,he was invoved in recovery aftermath.frisky was the sister to hms saucy,which sank after hitting a mine at scapa flow.there you can find a memorial stone to the 18hands from our village of brixham,s devon
This movie has everything Action Pathos Humor everything, oh and my youth every Sunday afternoon..
Thank You 😊 🙏
Great Movie, thanks for posting cheers from Sydney, AU
A Pleasure 🙏 ☺️
Films like this blow modern crap out of the water. Pun intended
Thank You 💯 😊 🙏
Great Movie! Did you noticed or I didn't hear it but The Fuhrer was never mentioned, unusual for a WWII movie with Germans being major characters. Second or third time I've watched.
Langsdorff jumped the exploded ship and moved to Argentina with changed identity.. He had friends that brought his family to Argentina.
Just found this channel.
EXCELLENT.
The Achilles was a New Zealand ship.
Indeed but was She not on loan to the RN?
A friend's aunt in Montevideo married a crew member of the Graf Spee.
Love the guy on lookout, spots a bit of smoke miles away, and said its a Pocket Battle ship at that distance wouldn't see a thing, but always loved this film, the Graf Spee's Captain was a true sailor and Gentleman!
Stick with the big picture
@@keithmartland6463 was that guy 'Rem' from the Logans Run tv series?
Good won over evil.
The Way We Were.
The crew of the Graff Spree wound up being the luckiest members of the Kriegsmarine.
SP
True.
Powell and Pressburger Classic !
I love the dialogues. I might as well have a look. I have an hour or two. :) I once read a story about British convoy during the 2nd WW. Before they sailed out of America navy captain of escort asked the commodore of merchant ships to try to keep the pace, because on Saturday he has his wedding. And commodore said that he will do for sure because on Saturday he has something of similar importance: a round of golf
Apparently as troop ships RMS Queen Elizabeth 1938 signalled Her older sister RMS Queen Mary 'what's it like being seen in the company of a real fast lady'
Queen Mary signalled back 'real ladies are never seen in fast company'
@@ScottieMcClue*-* I've sailed on 3 such "commercial" troop ships: HMS Queen Elizabeth, HMS Queen Mary, and USS United States. The US was fast, but the Queens were luxurious!
*De Oppresso Liber*
فلم حربي جميل جدا
شكرًا لك
USS Salem (DeMoines class heavy cruiser) was used to represent the Graf Spee. It had 3x triple 8" autoloading turrets (2 fore, 1 aft) and an aircraft hanger, instead of the Graf Spee's 2x triple 11" turrets (1 fore and aft) and no aircraft. 'That's why you have a US heavy cruiser number painted on your bows' was a neccesary line to add!
Time use a little imagination ✨️
Excellent film 🎥 almost like a documentary 😊😊😊
From the days when a Knighthood meant something!
@@johnallen7807 unlike today where people.receive it who should not
Great movie, thanks UA-cam.
A Pleasure 🙏 ☺️
They must have used models for the ending of the Graf Spee as the USS Salem is a museum ship in near perfect condition in Quincy, Massachusetts ....the very last of her kind.
Yes. I am aware of that. His name and the rest of the crew of HMS Ajax. Thanks to the town of Ajax for adopting them.
A time when men were men ...
Powell and Pressburger. You can’t go wrong. 😊
An excellent film!
🎉❤😅
They should have taken Graf to Japan and spent the War in The Pacific fighting with Japan .
Merchant. Sea men. Did not get the
Recognition they. Deserve. Bringing
Food and ammunition
To beleagured. Soldiers. Not withstanding the bitter cold of the. Atlalantic
Absolutely 💯
Great movie, a pity they never made reasonably big budget films about some other actions like Barents Sea, Sirte, Matapan or North Cape.
I suppose had Suez turned out differently and 2/3 of the British fleet hadnt been shortsightedly scrapped by the early 60's, a few more movies like this might have been made.
At least Salem has been preserved; Sheffield and Jamaica certainly deserved to be as well
A pity that such a good film would get a simple thing like Commodore Harwood's rank insignia wrong. Commodores wear a single wide band sleeve lace. In the film Anthony Quayle, who plays Harwood, is shown with the sleeve insignia for a Rear Admiral, before he received notification of his promotion and knighthood.
Could He have been 'Acting' ?
@@ScottieMcClue That's something I hadn't considered, Scottie. I've attempted to research it but can only find that Harwood's substantive rank during the battle was Commodore and that he was promoted Rear Admiral shortly thereafter.
@@kenstanway7625 there were two ranks of commodore, 1st class wore the insignia of a rear admiral, 2nd class wore the single wide rank stripe.
@jongulliver984 Thank you, John. I didn't know that. Mystery solved and I retract my criticism of the film's production team.
It was changed in 1958 apparently.
Plus the dinky little explosions for 11 inch guns.
I read somewhere that captain Langsdorff opened fire on the cruisers rather than running as he thought the cruisers were only attacking to drive him towards mor powerful capital ships.
Saw this in 1960 on a double bill with Sink the Bismarck. It was great that they used real ships in the film. Too bad they could not get a ship that was closer in resembling the Graf Spee. The U.S. cruiser they did use looks so out of place.
Only to a specialist which ship would you suggest 🤔
@@ScottieMcClue If they had something available with one turret fore and aft. Yes, made a tad after WW2 and a lot of ships went to the scrapyard. I was 10 at the time and knew the ship was out of place because I had built a model of the Graf Spee. Still I enjoyed the movie. I have it on dvd.
There wasn't one
Obviously.
Then You Knew when you posted
INTEGRITY ! sadly now just a word.
TIME TO BRING IT BACK
ua-cam.com/video/8Wnp2XDnkUQ/v-deo.html
@@ScottieMcClue YES SIREE !
Uncredited role for John Le Mesurier (probably better known for his role as Dads Army’s sgt.Wilson, but also had a prolific body of other work) as the padre on the HMS Exeter
Check Him Out in this one too
HIGH FLIGHT
ua-cam.com/video/-NIyVcoTmxs/v-deo.html
I also saw him recently pop up in one of the Pink Panther movies, terrific actor.
Two odd facts: Bernard Lee, who played Captain Dove, was M in the first eleven James Bond films. Also, the U S Navy would not allow any swastikas,Nazi insignia, helmets, etc on the USS Salem.
Great name Ajax 👍 😊
think i would of gone down fighting despite the odds, but i think in the end, Capt Langsdorff didnt want to sacrifice his men in such a bold move, so he sacrificed himself and his ship. not many German officers thought of the men fighting under them, but there were a few, who felt the men came 1st, before glory.
@@dennismckown4951 ...and Captain Langsdorff was kind to the crews of the Allied merchant ships.
EVERYONE who came in contact with Captain Langsdorff had NOTHING BUT GOOD THINGS to say about him...