Public domain World War II pictures

Excellent photo but I am questioning the location of the photo.
I believe it is Hamburg in May 1939 when she escorted home the Legion Condor vetrerans.
Along with Panzerschiffe Admiral Scheer, Aviso Hamburg, 3 Zerstorer and a number of...

Excellent photo but I am questioning the location of the photo.
I believe it is Hamburg in May 1939 when she escorted home the Legion Condor vetrerans.
Along with Panzerschiffe Admiral Scheer, Aviso Hamburg, 3 Zerstorer and a number of Torpedoboots, Graf Spee escorted the transport fleet of the Legion Condor arriving from Spain. The transport fleet consisted of the ships Wilhelm Gustloff, Robert Ley, Der Deutsche, Stuttgart, Sierra Cordoba, and the Oceana. The ships were escorted into the harbour at Hamburg.
Graf Spee is painted in overall grey, photos of her entering Montevideo shows her with camouflage paint applied, with a false bow wave painted on the bow. She also had a 152mm shell hole in the port bow with the plating torn out wards.
The ships are all dressed overall and the tug has funnel marking which look to be identical to the Fairplay group which operated in Hamburg during this period (still operate there now). I cannot find a list for the tugs of this period but the letters that I can make out on the tug are ?AIR???.
The scene at Monevideo was less cluttered with ships having more room

A terrific picture. I am most impressed with this site, great work and well done!

thanks for correcting me Flamethrowerguy. I'm not much of an expert on Kreigsmarine!

Yo, buddy, "Admiral Graf Spee" wass the name of the ship. The captain was Kapitän zur See Hans Langsdorff who shot himself three days after the self-sinking. BTW, the ship had definitely been sunk by the british if it had tried to escape, no fooling...

Yo, buddy, "Admiral Graf Spee" wass the name of the ship. The captain was Kapitän zur See Hans Langsdorff who shot himself three days after the self-sinking. BTW, the ship had definitely been sunk by the british if it had tried to escape, no fooling required.

Admiral Graf Spee was just like Rommel a caring righteous man. He was fooled by british intel that the port where the his ship was being repaired was about to be surrounded. He didn't want to risk his crew by running a non-existent blockade. He made ...

Admiral Graf Spee was just like Rommel a caring righteous man. He was fooled by british intel that the port where the his ship was being repaired was about to be surrounded. He didn't want to risk his crew by running a non-existent blockade. He made them leave the ship and the ship was loaded with bombs and blown up near port. I believe he too like Rommel committed suicide by pistol to the head. These pocket ships are awesome.

There´s a monument in Montevideo for this ship, remembering the battle. A secondary gun was recovered and is displayed on the park. It was sunk in shalow waters and for sometime part of its structure was above water, now it sank on the mud below.

It was pretty much a waste of steel Nick, being an over-gunned, under-armored and rather slow heavy cruiser. It's all diesel powerplant was rather unique, though.

A nice Ship indeed!But this aint Spee in Montevideo, this is Spee in Germany in her pre War Colors. She had a Cammo Pattern while entering Montevideo. Note Tug´s Funnel Badge as well.

Both the captain and advance engineering of the ship design and how this ship box in made her a legend.

Tremendousness of Human Mind