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Swastika Recovered From Battleship Wreckage

A Nazi emblem was salvaged last Friday from the wreckage of a battleship that sunk off the coast of Uruguay a little over 66 years ago. The massive bronze eagle figurehead weighed up to 880 pounds. The eagle was on the German battleship "Admiral Graf Spee", which sank nine ships before it was badly hit during the Battle of the River Plate, which took place on December 13, 1939.

The ship was sunk with explosives after it laid anchor at the neutral port of Montevideo, the capital of Uruguay, for repairs. Captain Hans Langsdorff wanted to prevent it from falling into enemy hands when he learned of a supposed British effort to surround the ship, and so scuttled it on December 17. Langsdorff committed suicide three days later.

"This is a very unique piece in the world," says Hector Bado, leader of the recovery effort. Argentine and German investors are spending millions to recover the Nazi ship and eventually open a museum. Divers have been working since 1998 to bring up the ship, piece by piece. The Nazi figurehead was covered during its raising, in respect to those for whom it is an immediate or unceasing reminder of evil.