F. S. Bell used. F. S. Bell Captain Frederick Secker Bell CB (17 August 1897 – 23 November 1973) of the Royal Navy was the commander of during the Battle of the River Plate in December 1939. He was educated at Matfield Grange, a prep school in Kent, and then at the Royal Naval Colleges of Osborne and Dartmouth. He served afloat in the battleship at the Battle of Jutland, as First Lieutenant of the destroyer in the Reserve Fleet at Devonport, 1923–25, and as executive officer of from 1935–38 and was promoted captain on 31 December 1938. He took command of in
HMS Poulette (1799) HMS Poulette (1799) "HMS Poulette" was the French privateer "Foudroyant", built and launched at Bordeaux in 1798. The Royal Navy captured her in 1799. The British did not commission her until 1803. She was laid up in 1805 and finally sold in 1814. captured "Foudroyant" on 23 January 1799 after a 120-mile chase. She was about three months old, had sailed from Bayonne, and during her nine-week cruise had captured the English brigs "Malbridge", sailing from Martinique, and "Duncan", sailing from Halifax, both bound to London. She had also captured the American ship "Argo", which had been sailing from Sweden