Admiral Graf Spee 1:600

Price: NZ$53.80

Code: 204211

Admiral Graf Spee 1:600 124 Pcs.

Why not try building a diorama display, with this and other items to support it, maybe tell a personal family history story, or just something that you have an interest in personally.

A commerce raider on a displacement of only 10,000 ton, she became famous as a “Pocket Battleship.” With heavier armour than her sister ships she was also the first German ship to be fitted with a form of radar. From September 1939 until December 1939 she raided allied shipping in the South Atlantic and Indian Ocean, sinking nine ships totaling 50,089 tons. New Zealand ship HMS Achilles opened fire on the German ‘pocket battleship’ Admiral Graf Spee in the South Atlantic at 6.21 a.m. on 13 December 1939, it became the first New Zealand unit to strike a blow at the enemy in the Second World War. With the New Zealand ensign flying proudly from its mainmast – as battle loomed, a signalman had run aft with the ensign shouting ‘Make way for the Digger flag!’ – Achilles also became the first New Zealand warship to take part in a naval battle.

The 82-minute engagement between the Graf Spee and its three smaller British opponents – Achilles, Ajax and Exeter – was inconclusive. All four vessels were damaged, with the British ships suffering 72 fatalities (including two New Zealanders) to the Graf Spee’s 36. But the German warship’s subsequent withdrawal to the neutral Uruguayan port of Montevideo, and its dramatic scuttling by its own crew on 17 December, turned the Battle of the River Plate into a major British victory.

Achilles’ role in the battle was a special source of pride for New Zealanders, who welcomed the ship’s crew home at huge parades in Auckland and Wellington in early 1940.

Ever been given or, on a whim, purchased a model kitset related to a historical book you are reading and then felt daunted about constructing it once you opened the box and saw all the pieces? Are you a person who would love to work with their hands and develop the skills necessary to create beautiful things? We can help with that see this link. https://www.hrd.nz/services/professional-personal-development/