Agustín R. Vazques : Die Speegruppe Santa Fe - Los marinos del Admiral Graf Spee ....

[Eric JB]

Agustín R. Vazques : Die Speegruppe Santa Fe - Los marinos del Admiral Graf Spee en suelo santafesino.

This book is written by my dear friend Agustín, our forum member Sepp45.
Thank you for such a personal present.


The book tells the history of the Admiral Graf Spee and her crew.
From her launch to her sinking.


The largest part of the book tells us what happened with the Admiral Graf Spee crewmembers during and after the war.


Several of them did stay in Argentina, did start their own family and business in their new country.
Agustín shows us their stories.


What I do like very much in this book are the biographies of 19 Admiral Graf Spee crewmembers, starting with a uniform passphoto, showing their dates, ranks and history of each of them.


In Spanish.
268 pages.
More than 150 photos and documents are shown.
Admiral Graf Spee crew list made up by the Argentine Ministry of the Navy.


I can only say that Agustín did a great job with his first book.

Best regards

Eric-Jan

[Tom B]

I agree Eric-Jan !!!!! My Good Friend also, Agustin sent me a copy and I recommend this super book. Well written with much great info and rare photos ! Congrats to "SEPP" !!!! Tom

[John R.]

I just finished reading Agustin's book and I would highly recommend it to anybody interested in Graf Spee.

He recounts the life story of around 16 or 17 Graf Spee sailors who either escaped into the interior of Argentina to avoid being sent back to Germany or were sent to Germany after the war and later returned to Argentina. I think all those that tried to hide were eventually caught by the police and were either sent to Germany or jailed in Argentina until a Presidential order was made to release them without further action, but only after many weeks/months imprisoned.

None of them had an easy time, either in Argentina or those forcibly returned to Germany and all that did return had to earn a living without much help from anybody. Most stayed in Argentina with their Argentine wives and new families and led productive lives in their new country.

The anecdotal information coupled with the photographs makes the book quite interesting. It is thought that somewhere between 300 and 400 sailors did return to Argentina; his book concerns those that spent the war in Santa Fe, Argentina or moved to Santa Fe after the war.

In any case, Agustin explains the situation they faced in Argentina during the war both before and after Argentina declared war on Germany in 1945. Then the problems of postwar Germany for these sailors without the resources or official permission to return to Argentina until long after their arrival in Hamburg.

This is not a war book, it is a human interest book and well done to Agustin.

Spanish language.

John