Since the estuary had sandbanks, Harwood ordered the Achilles to shadow the Graf Spee while Ajax would cover any attempt to double back through a different channel.
Como no estuario había bancos de area, Harwood ordenou que o Achilles se mantivese á sombra do Graf Spee mentres o Ajax cubriría calquera intento de que se dese a volta a través dunha canle diferente.