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Storage Tanks on Admiral Graf Spee


Airborne SF

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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?46684716921_fe8f076a09_o.jpg

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  • 3 weeks later...

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.

 

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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.

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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.

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