The Scuttling of the German Fleet in 1919

One of the terms of the Armistice of November 1918 was that Germany handed over its high sea fleet to the British navy while the allies decided what would be the fate of the 74 battleships, cruisers, and destroyers belonging to said fleet.

The Allied Debate

Both France and Italy wanted 1/4 of the fleet as a war prize. The British wanted the fleet destroyed as it would avoid the Italian and French navies acquiring the powerful German ships and eroding the dominance of the Royal Navy. The German officers just wanted to wash the shame of having had to surrender their ships.

Internment at Scapa Flow

While the allies negotiated the fate of the German ships, the fleet and its crew were interned in Scapa Flow in Scotland. Morale on board the ships was extremely low. The German sailors could not leave their ships, they were bored, food was bad, and the postal service was slow.

The Scuttling Order

On the 21st of June 1919, at 11:20 am, fearing his ships would be divided amongst allies, Rear Admiral Von Reuter ordered all his ships to scuttle. The crews were ready. Seacocks, portholes, flood valves, torpedo tubes, and flood doors were all opened, the German ensign was raised on all ships, and sailors took to their life rafts as the ships started to sink.