Why Graf Spee eclipsed Admiral Scheer in public memory

Did Admiral Graf Spee receive more attention than Admiral Scheer because of the River Plate battle?

Yes; Graf Spee's dramatic loss made her more famous, while Admiral Scheer's different employment and less theatrical career drew less attention.

Fame did not follow operational accomplishment evenly. Admiral Graf Spee became inseparable from the Battle of the River Plate and her subsequent scuttling, giving the ship a memorable final story. Admiral Scheer was employed differently and continued her work without an equally dramatic ending. Public memory often follows the manner of a ship's loss more readily than the quieter record of what it achieved.