Why Renown and Ark Royal doomed Graf Spee's escape

What would Renown and Ark Royal have done if Graf Spee had left Montevideo?

Renown could overpower her at sea, while Ark Royal's aircraft threatened a ship that remained confined or predictable near port.

The deployment of Renown and Ark Royal suggests that Britain intended to end the crisis decisively. If Graf Spee sailed, Renown's 15-inch guns offered overwhelming surface force. If the German ship stayed immobilized, carrier aircraft could attack a predictable target. The combination closed both the surface and air escape routes around a raider. A later counterfactual suggests that the Royal Navy might even have violated Uruguayan neutrality and apologized afterward, a judgment about British coercive habits rather than evidence of a documented attack order.