The Battle of the River Plate was a naval engagement that took place on December 13, 1939, during World War II. It occurred in the Río de la Plata estuary, off the coast of Uruguay and Argentina. The battle involved the British Royal Navy and the German pocket battleship, the Admiral Graf Spee. The British aimed to intercept the German ship, which had been raiding Allied merchant vessels. The confrontation resulted in the sinking of the Admiral Graf Spee after it sought refuge in the neutral port of Montevideo. The British forces, led by Commodore Henry Harwood, successfully outmaneuvered the German ship, leading to its eventual scuttling to avoid capture. This battle marked a significant early naval engagement in the war.