THOUSANDS WATCH
SEA FIREWORKS LAST BRIGHT FLAME POSITION IDENTIFIED (Reed. Dee. 19, 9 a.m.) MONTEVIDEO, Dec. 18. It is estimated that 500,000 people watched the scuttling of the Nazi warship Graf von Spee. The vessel burned for an hour and 20 minutes, the explosions continuing untiL 9.15 p.m., when a heavier explosion sent coloured rockets and flame balls high into the air. Like a dying candle, the ship burst into a last bright flame and then the light was extinguished. Oil floating on the water continued burning for some time afterwards. The vessel was resting on the bottom three minutes after the first explosion. The position where the Graf von Spee sank is given as Latitude 34 deg. 56min. south, longitude 56deg. 14min. west. The Montevideo correspondent ol the Associated Press of America states that the wreckage had almost broken in two. The ebb tide uncovered parts of the bow and superstructure. Sections of the bow are warped by the heat. The guns, turrets and stacks are in position.
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Bibliographic details
Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20124, 19 December 1939, Page 5
Word Count
169THOUSANDS WATCH Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20124, 19 December 1939, Page 5
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