formed several hunter-killer groups to track her down. These forces included four aircraft carriers, two battleships, and one battlecruiser.Admiral Graf Spee operated in concert with the supply ship . Admiral Graf Spee'' was eventually confronted by three British cruisers off Uruguay at the Battle of the River Plate on 13 December 1939. She inflicted heavy damage on the British ships, but suffered damage as well, and was forced to put into port at Montevideo. Convinced by false reports of superior British naval forces approaching his ship and the poor state of his own engines, Hans Langsdorff, the commander of the ship, ordered the vessel to be scuttled. Langsdorff committed suicide three days after the scuttling. The ship was partially broken up in situ, though part of the ship remains visible above the surface of the water. Footnotes Notes Citations References Cruiser classes