F. S. Bell 1939. "Exeter's" six eight-inch guns were mainly responsible for seriously damaging the in the Battle of the River Plate in December 1939. In this battle, "Exeter" also incurred severe damage from seven hits by eleven-inch shells and suffered 61 killed and 23 wounded. One salvo from the "Graf Spee" did a great deal of damage to the wheelhouse and killed all but three of the officers in it. Bell survived with minor injuries and he ordered that the remaining turrets should continue firing on the enemy. As damage control parties battled fires and flooding, Bell used a compass from one
HMS Captain (1743) HMS Captain (1743) HMS "Captain" was a 70-gun third rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, built according to the 1733 proposals of the 1719 Establishment at Woolwich Dockyard, and launched on 14 April 1743. In 1760, "Captain" was reduced to a 64-gun ship. Then in 1777 she was converted to serve as a storeship and renamed "Buffalo". Although a storeship, "Buffalo" shared, with , and , in the proceeds from 's capture of the 12-gun French privateer "Comte de Maurepas", on 3 August 1780. In 1781, with 60 guns back on board, although she only had 18