According to German Navy reports, other torpedoes were fired and the ship turned on it's side and, after eleven minutes, quickly sank into the depths of Scapa Flow. Over 800 men perished, some trapped within the boat as it keeled over. On his return to Berlin, Gunther Prien and his crew were driven to the Chancellery in Berlin to be guests of the Fuhrer, Adolf Hitler. Showing great pride in the newly promoted Korvetten-Kapitan Prien, he pinned the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on his uniform jacket and warmly shook his hand. Prien was further posthumously honoured by Hitler with the Oak Leaves to the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross.
War illustrates man's inhumanity to man.
This story of two lives wasted, one, a young sixteen year old Brechin boy with all to live for, the other a successful German Naval Officer illustrates the irony and futility of war.