Scuttling of the German Fleet at Scapa Flow.
Food was sent twice a month from Germany, but it was monotonous.
The men tried to supplement their diet with fish and seagulls caught from the decks.
Lack of supplies and no entertainment resulted in poor discipline and appalling living conditions.
Meanwhile, the Allied powers remained divided over the fate of the ships.
The possibility of the Germans scuttling their own ships to prevent surrender was considered.
German Rear-Admiral Ludwig von Reuter himself had suggested it to his chief of staff as early as January 1919.
By May that year, Reuter learned that the Royal Navy was preparing to seize the fleet.
Reuter felt it was his duty to not let that happen.
On June 18, 1919, Reuters sent out orders to all the interned ships in the harbor.
Ironically it was the British drifters who were carting those letters around to the officers on the other ships.
At about 11:20 another flag signal was sent using semaphore and searchlights.
The upper-works of the German battle-cruiser SMS Hindenburg above the water at Scapa Flow.
In some ships holes were bored through bulkheads to facilitate the spread of water.
About an hour went by before the British realized what was happening.
By five in the afternoon, 15 capital ships, 4 light cruisers and 32 destroyers were sunk.
The remaining 23 ships either remained afloat, or were towed to shallower waters and beached.
Admiral Fremantle was furious.
Although privately he praised Reuters decision.
The incident did not go as peacefully as Admiral Reuter would have wanted.
Nine German sailors were shot dead and sixteen were injured by the British troops.
Tug alongside scuttled German destroyer G 102 at Scapa Flow.
Photo: Imperial War Museum
Salvaging operations began almost immediately and continued throughout the 1920s and the 30s.
Such steel cannot be used for devices that contain delicate and highly sensitive electronics.
Pre-1945-era warships are valuable source of such steel.
Today, only a handful of wrecks remain at Scapa Flow.
In 2001, these wrecks were classed scheduled monuments.
German sailors fishing from a destroyer in Scapa Flow.
Photo: Imperial War Museum
SMS BAYERN down by the stern and sinking at Scapa Flow.
