River Plate
In short
The Battle of the River Plate was the first major naval engagement of the Second World War, fought in the South Atlantic in December 1939.
In plain words
British warships hunted down a powerful German cruiser called the Admiral Graf Spee. The battle took place near the mouth of the River Plate in South America. It was a significant early victory for the Royal Navy.
A simple example
The German ship Admiral Graf Spee faced off against a British squadron including the HMS Exeter and HMS Ajax. After the fighting, the German captain chose to scuttle his own ship in Montevideo.
Why it matters
It proved that the Royal Navy could successfully hunt down heavy German commerce raiders. This victory helped protect vital shipping lanes during the early stages of the war.
Easy to mix up
Do not confuse this naval battle with the famous Argentine football club of the same name.