July 2023 lecture: The Graf Spee warship – and recovery of the bronze eagle from the bottom of the Rio de la Plata
The July 2023 Punta Expats Lecture speaker was Alfredo Etchegaray — DJ, Event Manager, Businessman, Writer, Adventurer, and Recovery Team Leader of the enormous bronze eagle from the Nazi warship Graf Spee.
During the 1939 Battle of the River Plate (el Rio del la Plata, Uruguay), the warship was hit. The Graf Spee’s captain scuttled the ship in waters outside the port of Montevideo. This was the first naval battle between Germany and the British during WWII, and the only one in South America.
Alfredo Etchegaray and his brother Felipe recovered the bronze eagle from the bottom of the River Plate in 2006, after a two-year search. This expedition also recovered the artillery rangefinder, weighing 27 tons, which is on display in the port of Montevideo, Uruguay.
During his presentation, Etchegaray explained the long search and recovery process, his role as Recovery Team Leader, and the importance of the historic bronze eagle.