The Battle of the River Plate

"Pursuit of the Graf Spee"

Nov 1 1957 Not Rated 1h 59m
Action, Adventure, Drama

In the early years of the World War II, the Royal Navy is fighting a desperate battle to keep the Atlantic convoy routes open to supply the British Isles, facing the great danger posed by the many German warships, such as the Admiral Graf Spee, which are scouring the ocean for cargo ships to sink.

Plot

In the fall of 1939, the German heavy cruiser (referred to as a pocket battleship) Graf Spee seems to have command of the Atlantic. In the first three months of World War II, she was responsible for sinking nine ships. The British sent three cruisers commanded by Commodore Henry Harwood to confront her. The battle took place on December 13, 1939 and the British came out on top. The Graf Spee headed for the neutral harbor of Montevideo, Uruguay. They were given only a short time to effect repairs and the British did their best to make them believe a British fleet of six or eight ships awaited them. Rather than chance the loss of his men, the German Captain ordered the Graf Spee scuttled.

Written by

Michael Powell, Emeric Pressburger

Directed by

Michael Powell, Emeric Pressburger

Cast

John Gregson, Anthony Quayle, Peter Finch

Crew

View crew

Production Countries

United Kingdom

Production Companies

The Archers

Languages

Deutsch, Español, English

Awards

Nominated for 3 BAFTA 3 nominations total

Trailers
The Battle of the River Plate (1956) - Sending ships to the bottom
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