WWI. A brutal day at Scapa Flow.

Discussion in 'Prewar' started by Peter Clare, Jun 19, 2015.

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  1. Peter Clare

    Peter Clare Very Senior Member

    The mighty ships of the German High Seas Fleet were scuttled by their own sailors in Scapa Flow in Orkney on 21 June 1919. A newly discovered letter paints an extraordinary picture.
    It was the single greatest loss of warships in history, and the sailors killed that day were the last fatalities of World War One.
    One young British officer not only witnessed the astonishing events, but recorded his own dramatic involvement in an account which has remained unpublished until now.

    Read more

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-33152438
     
    canuck, Dave55 and Guy Hudson like this.
  2. Ian Balcombe

    Ian Balcombe Junior Member

    One German sailor, Kuno Eversberg, taken prisoner aboard a British battleship, was shot in the back the day after the scuttle by a british sailor. However, the date on his grave at Lyness (Hoy, Orkney) is the date of the scuttle: 21/6/1919. The British sailor, amazingly, vanished from the ship.

    The german sailors were as surprised by the scuttling as the Royal Navy. Reuter had only informed senior officers of his plans. The seacocks were smashed with sledge hammers and could not be closed. The captain of the German battleship Markgraf, tried to explain this when his ship was boarded. He was shot in the head.
     
    Last edited: Sep 5, 2016
  3. Deacs

    Deacs Well i am from Cumbria.

    I'm sure somewhere I have seen a painting of British sailors shooting at German sailors after the scuttling at Scapa Flow but can I find it can I heck
     
  4. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

  5. Dave55

    Dave55 Atlanta, USA

  6. Chris C

    Chris C Canadian

    I had no idea that German sailors were shot that day. Awful. :(
     
  7. CL1

    CL1 116th LAA and 92nd (Loyals) LAA,Royal Artillery

    are they not just covering them

    [​IMG]
     

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