PBEM - Battle of the River Plate Turn 6

"Achilles is burning from bow to stern, Sir! She is listing heavily."

"Thank you Midshipmen Graham... I can see!" 

"Helm – Hold your course, now port rudder and full ahead." 

"Lieutenant Burton, begin firing!"

The Exeter had managed to close in on the Spee, and readied the guns that had been out of range for the majority of the battle.

The earlier damage sustained and the engines running at full capacity had caused havoc to the gun sights calibration, the salvo was a bitter disappointment.

The Ajax fared little better, having the same level of success with the main guns and torpedoes.

The Spee meanwhile had no such failures, the main guns found their mark on the Exeter, crippling her.

And the secondaries against the Ajax were even more successful...

...leaving very little left. (Note this photo is the HMS Barnam exploding after a U-Boot attack.)

A (very) marginal victory to Ara and the Germans. Most likely the Spee would limp to Montevideo and history would repeat itself (though this time it was a tactical victory but a strategic loss).

Months later, the Führer was still pleased with the effort of the Spee, and had the Reichskulturkammer (Reich Culture Chamber) commission a painting to deride the efforts of the War Artists' Advisory Committee. The result was 'Revenge for Falklands', a reference to Maximilian von Spee's defeat at the Falkland Islands in 1914.

In the silent ocean under a cool midday sun the Exeter moved through the flotsam of the Achilles and Ajax, picking up the few survivors before turning back slowly to the Falklands.