Airborne SF Posted January 10, 2019 Share Posted January 10, 2019 On the photo of Graf Spee's stern there are four cylindrical tanks. Two are right at the stern and the other two are port and starboard behind the torpedo tubes. Does anyone know what these were used for? In the US Navy, I would have said fuel storage for the scout planes, but they hardly seem big enough to keep the plane in the air for more than a couple of flights, Any other ideas? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevehnz Posted January 10, 2019 Share Posted January 10, 2019 depth charges? Steve. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Modelholic Posted January 10, 2019 Share Posted January 10, 2019 I think they could be fenders for cushioning the ship when it comes alongside. The propellers stick out a bit along that piece of hull 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jase Posted January 10, 2019 Share Posted January 10, 2019 (edited) They look like gas containers from the tops but not the normal size https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=graf+spee+stores&tbm=isch&ved=2ahUKEwizg5aYpeTfAhUFcxQKHWcsBp8Q2-cCegQIABAC&oq=graf+spee+stores&gs_l=mobile-gws-wiz-img.3...305884.309334..310088...0.0..0.164.998.8j2......0....1.........0i8i30j0j0i30j0i67j0i5i30j30i10.auSBRG46_Is&ei=2so3XLOuAoXmUefYmPgJ&prmd=ismvn&biw=1112&bih=732#imgrc=HvhwFhU7kKrqfM I think this pic rules out fenders as thy look to be different? https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=graf+spee+at+anchor&hl=en&prmd=imsvn&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjele-VqeTfAhXaSxUIHewyDXEQ_AUoAXoECBMQAQ&biw=1112&bih=732#imgrc=3q5mzGoFDmfdAM i wonder if they are connected to the torpedos maybe propellent or somthing??? Edited January 10, 2019 by Jase Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little Timmy Posted January 12, 2019 Share Posted January 12, 2019 Something to do with the Smoke generator's ???? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TallBlondJohn Posted January 12, 2019 Share Posted January 12, 2019 Rum? It was a long trip. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob G Posted January 13, 2019 Share Posted January 13, 2019 10 hours ago, TallBlondJohn said: Rum? It was a long trip. Schnapps. It was a German ship. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TallBlondJohn Posted January 13, 2019 Share Posted January 13, 2019 2 hours ago, Rob G said: Schnapps. It was a German ship. No wonder they kept scuttling them! 😉 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
terryn Posted January 29, 2019 Share Posted January 29, 2019 I think whatever they are they are not a fixture. I can't find them on any other pictures and I'd put my money on fenders. This picture is from a book I bought in Uruguay of two chaps in deckchairs exactly where they are in your photo. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Airborne SF Posted January 30, 2019 Author Share Posted January 30, 2019 Thanks everyone for your responses. I especially like the Schnapps comment, I might have signed on myself if they were carrying that much Schnapps! In response to "terryn's" comments and photos, thanks for posting them, but it is real hard to determine time period for them during her career. In the following photo, the name "Deutschland" appears on the stern. I believe this is from the period Graf Spee ran in full disguise. The real ship carried her name under the torpedo tubes, whereas this name appears well aft of them. It was reported that Graf Spee painted the name on her stern to confuse survivors of her victims and spread confusion. Notice there is no evidence of the tanks on the stern, and this would be about 3 to 4 weeks before her destruction. In the second photo taken in Montevideo by the British Consulate, one tank is evident on the stern on the port side. It is located directly above the stern anchor and is viewed from the end. A fender is hanging on the starboard side and they are totally different in size. This photo can be directly pinned to a location and date whereas the first one cannot. The be all and end all of it is I have no idea of what they are, when they were added or deleted or anything else about them. Thanks for your effort folks, I appreciate the responses even if we didn't figure it out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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