Day 3 of the Montevideo Diplomatic Battle, the 16th of December 1939 - A River Plate 80 Video

Harwood must cover Graf Spee's possible routes with three cruisers while avoiding a battle in neutral waters inside the three-mile territorial limit.

Radio reports, merchant ships, and observers ashore make even a night departure by Admiral Graf Spee difficult to conceal from Harwood.

With the 72-hour limit expiring the next day, Langsdorff refuses to surrender or sacrifice his crew and starts moving people and stores for the plan he has chosen.

Four frantic days in Montevideo follow the South Atlantic campaign's long periods of waiting, with repairs still insufficient for Graf Spee to fight her way out.

Reports of engine trouble suggest that combat may have worsened machinery wear caused by prolonged operations without servicing.

Ajax and Achilles take on fuel from a Royal Fleet Auxiliary vessel, but their ammunition remains scarce compared with Cumberland's.

Renown and Ark Royal hurry toward the River Plate, with engineering personnel later claiming that Ark Royal never sailed faster.