Hans Langsdorff

Hans Langsdorff
Born	(1894-03-20)20 March 1894 Bergen auf Rügen, German Empire
Died	20 December 1939(1939-12-20) (aged 45) Buenos Aires, Argentina
Buried	La Chacarita Cemetery, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Allegiance	German Empire  Weimar Republic  Nazi Germany
Service / branch	Imperial German Navy  Reichsmarine  Kriegsmarine
Years of service	1912–1939
Rank	Kapitän zur See
Commands	Admiral Graf Spee
Battles / wars	First World War Spanish Civil War Second World War Battle of the River Plate
Awards	Iron Cross First Class
Spouse(s)	Ruth Hager (m.1924)

Hans Wilhelm Langsdorff (20 March 1894 – 20 December 1939) was a German naval officer, most famous for his command of the German pocket battleship Admiral Graf Spee before and during the Battle of the River Plate off the coast of Uruguay in 1939. After the Panzerschiff (Deutschland-class cruiser) was unable to escape a pursuing squadron of Royal Navy ships, Langsdorff scuttled his ship. Three days later he died by suicide in his hotel room in Buenos Aires, Argentina.