GRAF SPEE EAGLE COULD FETCH $26M

n 800-pound bronze eagle recovered in 2006 from the stern of the German—scuttled off Montevideo, Uruguay, at the outset of World War II—is likely headed to auction, with a whopping presale estimate of $26 million. Bearing a prominent Nazi swastika crest, the eagle has been the subject of a long court battle between the finders—a team of private salvors—and the Uruguayan government over fears of it falling into the hands of neo-Nazis. On Dec. 17, 1939, four days after British warships critically damaged during the Battle of the River Plate, the cruiser’s captain ordered it scuttled. The eagle will be sold alongside other recovered relics, including the ship’s cannons and a range finder.