The initial exchange at the River Plate gave way to a prolonged manoeuvring chase. The pursuers and Graf Spee repeatedly adjusted course, with the British steering toward observed fall of shot to complicate German firing solutions. Contemporary plots preserved in the British National Archives reconstruct the turns and pursuit, although their keys and hand-drawn positions are not perfectly precise. Gunfire continued toward the harbour as the ships navigated banks and channels off Montevideo. Darkness, coastal hazards, and the risk of striking neutral or merchant shipping finally constrained the British pursuit.
Notable Point · 59:21-1:02:20
HMS Ajax and the chase toward Montevideo
The River Plate action continued as a manoeuvring chase, with firing only ceasing when the danger of hitting other ships near Montevideo became too great.