The daily banner., 1919-06-23
GERMANS SINK
tNTEnI..E) SLIPS
kcer'y V..tcio Fleet SC4t.Is.
in St@$d FIo091.
60 Gown tEDER HUN FLAG
The Crews Were Not Under Guard
and Hoisted the German Flag and
Cpened Seacoci>s.

London, June 23.-All England is
discussing the means of punishment
to be meted oar TO the German officers
and sailors tllat sank the German war
ships intoril2d at Scapa Flow.
All the big ships-the battleships
and battle cruisers, excepting the Ba-
demand numerous smaller craft were
sunk, while others went ashore in a
haif-sunken condition.
Eighteen dts,rGyers were beached
by tugs, four are sill at1oat, while the
remainder went under.
The wholesale sinking of the Ger
man ships, which came to Scarpa Flow
to surrender under the terms of the ar
mistuce, was carefully arranged by
officers and crews. All explosives had
been removed, and, therefore, the only
means of destroying the fleet was by
opning the seacocks.
The ships went down slowly, with
the German flag. which the crews had
hoisted, showing at the mastheads.
The crews, composed entirely of
Germans, under the terms of the ar
mistice, which did not permit of Brit
ish guards aboard, took to the boats
when the vessels began to settle.
While making for the shore the boats
were challenged and called upon to
surrender. Some of them ignored the
summons and were fired upon, few
casualties resulting
This stroke was apparently an en-
tire surprise, and the first news reach
ed London through a correspondent,
who was Informed by farmers in the
neighborhood that they had seen the
German ships sinking, with their flags
aloft.
The admiralty at first denied the
report, but later confirmed it and isSu-
ed an official statement. The German
officers and crews have been made
prisoners. None of the officials would
offer an opinion as to how they are
to be dealt with.
According to the latest reports from
Scarpa Flow all the interned battle
ships and battle cruisers have sunk,
except the battleships Baden, which is
still af1oat. Five light cruisers have
sunk, but three have been beached.
Eighteen destroyers were beached by
local tugs. Four deStroyerS are still
af1oat. The rest of the destroyers have
sunk.
"a German rear admiral and most
of the Germans from the ships are
now in custody aboard British ships.
Some boats from the ships refused to
stop when ordered, and were fired on.
A small number of Germans were kill
ed or wounded.
"In accordance with the terms of
The armistice, the German ships were
,nterned with skeleton crews as care
takers and without British guards on
BOARD"
Admiral Won Reuter-, commander of
he surrendered German fleet, person
ally ordered its scuttling by the crews
n the belief that the armistice had
expired. He says so himself, accord
ing to the London Daily Express in
The following message to the British
commander:
II ordered the sinking in the belief
he armistice was terminated and fol-
owing the German navy's tradition,
which knows no surrender"
In firing on boats in which German
sailors escaped from the scuttled war
ships six men were killed and ten
wounded.
Here is an interesting situation:
Out of the mighty fleet Of seventy
one ships of all classes, only the bat
leship Baden and three destroyers re-
main af1oat, following the daring con-
certed action of the German crews.
Four hundred thousand tons, valued
at approximately $35OOOOOOO, disap-
peared, and the admiralty tells the
story in exactly $50 words.