British Cruisers Given Heroes’ Welcome

Manawatu Times, Volume 65, Issue 4, 5 January 1940, Page 7

British Cruisers Given Heroes’ Welcome

ACHILLES AND AJAX ENTER PORTS OF SOUTH AMERICA United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright. MONTEVIDEO. Jan. 3. The British cruiser Ajax, which, with the Exeter and Acbilies, recently defeated the German pocket batt'eship Admiral Graf Spee in a battle off *1 e coast of Uruguay, arrived to-day. Crowds which had been waiting for hours saw the cruiser pass the twisted wreckage of the Graf Spee. The Ajax raised the Uruguayan and Vice-Admiral Harwood’s flags as she entered the harbour, and fired a salute, which the Uruguayan shore batteries answered. Enthusiastic crowds gave the victors a heroes’ welcome. Breaking the police cordons, thousands of people rushed towards the cruiser, but a special guard prevented them from clambering aboard. The Achilles appeared shortly after and proceeded to Buenos Aires, farther up the River Plate, where she berthed. The cruisers’ visits, which are to last 48 hours, are in the nature of a celebration of their victory. Vice-Admiral Harwood and other officers of the Ajax commended Captain Hans Langsdorff’s handling of the Graf Spee and the German sailors’ seamanship. Most of the officers agreed that the pocket battleship was an effective fighting unit, but was not as dangerous as had been expected. The Ajax bore evidence of hits from the Graf Spee’s guns. One shell had completely demolished Vice-Admiral Harwood’s cabin and his personal belongings. Vice-Admiral Harwood was dressed in borrowed clothes when he came ashore. He denied that nine Allied warships were in the Plata estuary when the Graf Spee departed from Montevideo. Only the Cumberland had joined the Achilles and Ajax.