December 18, 1939: Kapitän zur See Hans W. Langsdorff at Buenos Aires, Argentina after scuttling his ship. On
December 20, 1939, after spending the evening with his crew, Langsdorff returned to his room, lit a cigar, poured a glass of scotch and wrote final letters to his wife, parents and the German Ambassador and then laid
out the German battle ensign, laid down on it and shot himself in the head.
(Langsdorff's letter to the German Ambassador)

December 20, 1939: The coffin of Kapitän zur See Hans W. Langsdorff attended by an honor guard.

 

December 21, 1939: The funeral procession for Kapitän zur See Hans W. Langsdorff, in the front row from left to right are; Korvettenkapitän (ing.) Carl Klepp, Fregattenkapitän Paul Ascher and Korvettenkapitän Jürgen
Wattenberg. (Note, Fregattenkapitän Paul Ascher escaped and returned to Germany, he was assigned to the Bismarck and was killed when Bismarck was sunk May 27, 1941.)

(From the collection of Kapitän zur See (ing.) Carl Klepp (1900-1974) Admiral Graf Spee)
Courtesy of Dr. Peter Feuerstein

 

December 21, 1939: The coffin of Kapitän zur See Hans W. Langsdorff at the German Cemetery in Buenos Aires,
Argentina. Standing next to the coffin Korvettenkapitän (ing.) Carl Klepp (left) and Korvettenkapitän Jürgen
Wattenberg (right).

(From the collection of Kapitän zur See (ing.) Carl Klepp (1900-1974) Admiral Graf Spee)
Courtesy of Dr. Peter Feuerstein

 

December 21, 1939: Crewmen and civilians gather for the funeral of Kapitän zur See Hans W. Langsdorff at the
German Cemetery in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

(Photo courtesy of Hugh R. Sochi, from the private collection of Hugo Oehler son of
Matrosenobergefreiter Hugo Oehler, Division 4, Admiral Graf Spee)