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Wednesday 25 January 2017

British cruiser HMS Achilles and German cargo ship Leipzig arriving at Callao, Peru according to the Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf dated 23 September 1939


An item dated Callao, Peru 21st reported that the British cruiser HMS Achilles (1) coming from the south arrived to load provisions. Short afterwards arrived the German cargo ship Leipzig coming from Guayaquil, Ecuador loaded with cargo for Callao. The Achilles intended to depart the same evening. The Leipzig would probably stay just like 4 other ships lying there since September 1939.(2)

Notes
1. Building ordered on 16 February 1931, launched at Cammell Laird, Birkenhead, England on 11 June 1931. Launched on 1 September 1932, commissioned on 10 October 1933, loaned to New Zealand in 1936, participated in the Battle of the River Plata against the German pocket battleship Admiral Graf Spee on 13 December 1939, served in the Royal New Zealand Navy as HMNZS Achilles 1941- 17 September 1946, then again part of the Royal British Navy 1946-194, sold to India in 1948 becoming the HIMS Delhi, commissioned on 5 July 1948, decommissioned on 30 June 1978 and finally broken up in 1978. Light cruiser of the Leander-class.
2. The Second World War broke officially out on 1 September 1939 when Germany invaded Poland en England and France declaring war on Germany 2 days later.