The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1919-06-23
SUNK THEIR SHIPS
Bone of Contention at Scapa FlOe
Has Been Removed by
the BOche

London, June 22.-(By the AssO-
ciated Press. ALI the German ships
at Scapa Floe have been sunk with
the exception of the battleship Baden.
The German fleet was scuttled by
the crews opening the seacocks, ac-
cording to a Thurso dispatch to the
Exchange Telegraph Company. The
Germans attempted to swim ashore,
but were captured. Some were fired on
and killed.
The statement which was issued by
the admiralty says:
According to the latest reports
from Scapa Floe all the interned bat
tleships and battle cruisers have been
sunk, except the battleship Baden,
which is still afoat. Five light cruis-
ers have sunk. but three have beach
ed. Eighteen destroyers were beach
ed by local tugs. Four destroyers are
still afoat. The rest of the destroy
ers have sunk"
A German admiral and most of the
Geermans 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 killed
or wounded.
In accordance with the terms of
the armistice the German ships were
interned with skeleton crews as care
takers and without British guards
aboard.
The wholesale sinking of the Ger,
man ships, which were surrendered
under the terms of the armistice, was
carefully arranged by the officers and
crews. All explosives had been re-
moved, and, therefore, the only means
of destroying the feet was by open
ing 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 arm
istice 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, a few
casualties resulting.
REUTER- TOOK RESPONSIBILITY
London, June 23.-Although it has
been reported six Germans were kill
ed and ten wounded when boats of
the German fleet at Scapa Floe were
fired upon after the scuttling of the
warships, the Daily Mail says others
were probably drowned and some
may have reached the Orkney Islands
and not yet been reported.
The main force of the British fleet
was at sea when the German ships
were sunk, only few vessels being
on guard. Admiral Won Reuter-, COM
mander of the surrendered German
feet, says he issued an order to sink
the ships, the Daily Mail adds, and
did so because at the beginning of the
war the German emperor directed
that no German warships be allowed
to fall into enemy hands. He says he
believed, from newspaper reports, the
armistice had been ended.
HAVE A FEW SHIPS LEFT
Weimar, Sunday, June 22-(By the
Associated Press)-German warships
not surrendered to the Allies and
which have been anchored off Kiel
Wilhelmshaven and other points, have
been sunk by the German sailors
manning them, according to report
received here from a reliable autho-
rity. According to reports there were
| twelve German war vessels, besides
destroyers, in German waters, not
having been turned over to the Allies
under the armistice provisions.