The Battle of the River Plate

From the front flap of this 219 page book: "An enthralling account of the men, ships and tactics which culminated in the gallant naval action that so brilliantly began Britain's war at sea. On 13 December, 1939, the lightly armored cruisers HMS Ajax, Achilles and Exeter opened fire on the powerful Graf Spee, Germany's latest pocket battleship and commerce raider. This is not just an account of the strategies and logistics of the battle itself but also of diplomats, admirals, seamen and spies. The Graf Spee was not only concerned with destroying the enemy's ships, but even more vital, her task was to disrupt their seaborne commerce. Twenty powerful ships in nine hunting groups eventually hunted the Graf Spee, nearly all of them withdrawn from other vital naval operations. Thus the Graf Spee ultimately affected the ships steaming the oceans of the world, and the lives of soldiers and airmen fighting on many battlefields. Although she was destroyed in the last days of 1939, the Allies were still reaping the benefit of Commodore Harwood's victory in 1943 and 1944."