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No radar on the Graf Spee. Sorry. There is much historical data and literature on the Battle Of The River Plate as this was known at the time (and as mentioned also a movie) about this being one of the last naval engagements where no radar was used. First use of radar at sea was about six months later during the hunt for the Battleship Bismarck, where two British Cruisers, Norfolk and Suffolk where equipped with some of the first radar sets. Pete's post is correct. There were only three cruisers (two light Ajax & Achilles) and one heavy (Cumberland sent fromt eh Falklands to replaced the damaged Exeter)to guard the entire River Plate estuary which is very wide, and without radar, impossible to cover, although they did have aircraft on board the cruisers. Jorge Pocket BB This is very simular to the pic I have Look at the square Antenna atop the main superstructure... T
Last edited by temmi; 04/16/14.
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There are many books on the subject, one of them by the same name, goes into great detail about how the Graf Spee was able to detect the British cruisers first due to her very high foretops and the book goes into great lengths about no radar involved. Still, pictures don't lie. I just telling you what I've read.
A good principle to guide me through life: “This is all I have come to expect, standard lackluster performance. Trust nothing, believe no one and realize it will only get worse…”
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No radar on the Graf Spee. Sorry. There is much historical data and literature on the Battle Of The River Plate as this was known at the time (and as mentioned also a movie) about this being one of the last naval engagements where no radar was used. First use of radar at sea was about six months later during the hunt for the Battleship Bismarck, where two British Cruisers, Norfolk and Suffolk where equipped with some of the first radar sets. Pete's post is correct. There were only three cruisers (two light Ajax & Achilles) and one heavy (Cumberland sent fromt eh Falklands to replaced the damaged Exeter)to guard the entire River Plate estuary which is very wide, and without radar, impossible to cover, although they did have aircraft on board the cruisers. I believe that Graf Spee did have a "radar antenna" of sorts, possibly for gun laying, as the British intellegence took pictures of it. Whether this installation was none-operational, or whether it was actually for something else, I don't know..
Last edited by Pete E; 04/16/14.
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Pete,
A good friend of mine had an aunt who worked at the Brit Embassy at the time.
She was part of the plot.
She went out every day and took pics and notes about the repairs.
Then the info was "sent" to the "battle group.
I have 2 of the pics one of the day before and one of the day she was scuttled
both show radar
The guy's last name was Pepper
Snake Quite a thing to be able to tell the grandkids!Ordinary people caught up in extraordinary events..
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Is this what you are looking at? ![[Linked Image]](http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o151/gvblack/220px-Graf_Spee_teleacutemetro_01_zps9cc327ce.jpg) In February 2004, a salvage team began work raising the wreck of Admiral Graf Spee. The operation is in part being funded by the government of Uruguay, in part by the private sector, as the wreck is now a hazard to navigation. The first major section�a 27 metric tons (27 long tons; 30 short tons) gunnery range-finding telemeter�was raised on 25 February.
"The Democrat Party looks like Titanic survivors. Partying and celebrating one moment, and huddled in lifeboats freezing the next". Hatari 2017
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You talking about this on the front?: ![[Linked Image]](http://www.deutschland-class.dk/admiral_graf_spee/gallery/pictures/gallgrafspeemontevideo/gallgrafspeemontevideo11.jpg) Jeff beat me to it. definitively not radar. That is the Gun Director. If you look at both ends of the horizontal arms, there are holes there. Those are the then state of the art Carl Zeiss optical rangefinders. The square thing in front does look like a radar, but director assembly simply can't turn that fast. Still, I could be wrong.
Last edited by jorgeI; 04/16/14.
A good principle to guide me through life: “This is all I have come to expect, standard lackluster performance. Trust nothing, believe no one and realize it will only get worse…”
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the rectangle in the middle of the structure
Sorry i did not read all of your post...
Still
Thanks
T
Last edited by temmi; 04/16/14.
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A quick search using Google suggests that the Graf Spee had the Seetakt radar system installed for ranging..
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A quick search using Google suggests that the Graf Spee had the Seetakt radar system installed for ranging.. Thanks Pete T
That which does not kill us makes us stronger
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There you are, so that rectangle must be it. When I get some time, I'll look in my library for that book and the section about no radar, but given what Pete posted, maybe they meant is as radar for fire control?
Last edited by jorgeI; 04/16/14.
A good principle to guide me through life: “This is all I have come to expect, standard lackluster performance. Trust nothing, believe no one and realize it will only get worse…”
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that's a pretty formidable looking boat.
have you paid your dues, can you moan the blues, can you bend them guitar strings
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I always that it was a pity the Captain took his own life. Even though he was the "enemy" he was highly respected by the British for his conduct, and a number of Officers from Royal Navy even attended his funeral.
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that's a pretty formidable looking boat. In the film, it was played by an American battleship , but at least two of the British ships played themselves so to speak..
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Actually Pete, it was played by an American Heavy Cruiser the Newport News. They were great ships that went into mothballs. EVen as late as the mid-80s they were perfectly preserved at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard. I once got a tour and it was like traveling back in time. Even the Capenter's shop below had all the nice tools, perfectly stowed and ready to go. They've been all scrapped now. In the film, the two veteran of the fight were HMS Ajax that had been transferred to the Indian Navy and remained operational well into the 70s. There was a move in England at the time to bring her back as a museum ship, but that fell through. The other was the Cumberland that had been turned into a minelayer and in the film one can see where the 8" turrets were removed
Last edited by jorgeI; 04/16/14.
A good principle to guide me through life: “This is all I have come to expect, standard lackluster performance. Trust nothing, believe no one and realize it will only get worse…”
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"The Democrat Party looks like Titanic survivors. Partying and celebrating one moment, and huddled in lifeboats freezing the next". Hatari 2017
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Mr Pepper told me the story about his aunt.
then he went to China and then back to our UK office in Isleworth
Not long after he sent me the pics.
They have been framed since then... one of my prize possessions
Saddly I never heard from him after that.
Very nice guy
Snake
Last edited by temmi; 04/16/14.
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Check out the middle of this page under Firecontrol and Radar and see if you can decipher: http://www.deutschland-class.dk/technicallayout/generaldetails.html
"The Democrat Party looks like Titanic survivors. Partying and celebrating one moment, and huddled in lifeboats freezing the next". Hatari 2017
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A good principle to guide me through life: “This is all I have come to expect, standard lackluster performance. Trust nothing, believe no one and realize it will only get worse…”
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