Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1919-06-27
ESTABLISHED 1865
SINKING OF GERMAN Ships
Full Story Of Remarkable Incident In
SCapa Flow.
GERMAN GOVERNMENT RESPONSIBLE

Admiral in Charge Says He Thought
the Armistiee Was Over and He Had
a Right to Take Such Steps as he
Considered Necessary-Many Ger
man Sailors Missine-Some of the
Ships Will Be Quickly Recovered.
It is now accepted that the German
fleet was sunk under instructions from
Germany. The thing was done by or
der Of the admiral in command, ne
trying to justify himself with the
claim that he believed the armistice al
an end. 1t also develops that the Ger
man sailors who were killed owe their
deaths to the German officers rather
than to British fire The British or
dered the men back to try to save the
ships by closing the seacocks, and
when the men started to obey the Ger
man officers shot them. Several OF
the sunken ships have been saved al
ready.
Although reports have stated thai
six Germans were killed and ten
wounded when the boats Of the Ger
man fleet in Scapa Flow were fired up
on, subsequent to the scuttling Of the
fleet, the Daily Mail says that Others
may have been drowned ad thai
some may possibly have reached the
Orkney islands and have not as vel
been reported.
The main force of the British fleet
was absent exercising at sea when the
German ships were sunk, only some
drifters, small warships, and patroll'
ing aircraft being on guard over the
interned enemy squadron.
Admiral Won Reuter-, commander OF
the surrendered German fleet, the Dal-
" Mail adds, says that he believed
from newspaper reports, that the ar
mistice had been ended"
Admiral Won Reuter- visited Germany
some weeks ago, it being understood
at the time that the reason for his trip
there was that he was ill, but he soon
returned, and it is believed that at that
time he circulated the order to sink
the German ships, by evading the CEN
sorship or making signals to the vari-
Gus vessels, an act which the close
proximity Of the German ships made
quite easy.
The Mail quotes the admiralty as de-
nying that the German crews were pc
riodically changed, and saying that the
original crews remained on board the
vessels. There were from $50 to 2OV
men on the big ships, and from ten to
twenty on board the destroyers.
There were, therefore, nearly 5000
in the water on the ships boats when
the fleet was sunk. Fourteen hundred
were landed by the British on Sunday
at Nigg, Rosshire, on the northern
shore Of Cromarty Firth. They were
placed in hutments and are being held
under military guard.
The Daily Mail prints the story oil
an eyewitness Of the sinking OF the
feet, who says that he witnessed naval
activities at Scapa Flow for many years
and saw many impressive sights, bu'
"the most imposing of them was tame
compared with Saturdays staggering
spectacle.
Toward noon one Of the German
battleships was reported in sinking
condition, and almost simultaneously
each German ship hoisted the German
ensign at the masthead, the most OF
them showing also the red flag at thell
foremost.
"The crews Immediately commenced
to leave the ships, and it was soon EVIL
dent that a concerted plan Of actor
was being carried out
From the behavior of the ships, ac'
cording to the Mail, it was evident the
sea valves had been opened, and In
surprisingly short time the vessels olt
and small, began to settle down. EV'
cry effort was made by the British nav
al craft to beach the sinking ships
and in the case Of destroyers consider
BILE success was achieved.
By 1 o'clock in the afternoon, how
ever, what an hour before had beer
q stately fleet riding calmly ct anchor
was an array Of reeling, rocking bat
tleships, the doom Of which was writ
ten on their movements.
Ships Plunged in Cloud of Steam.
Here a destroyer would disappear
amid a cloud Of steam, and there
batt,eship would take her last plunge
and disappear in cloud Of spray. on'
would settle down by the stern an'
another would heel over until only th'
keel showed above water.
The Derffinger, Hindenburg, Won de-
Tam, Moltke, and Seydlitz settie'
down beside each other, the last named
turning turtle as she filled with water
Her keel is still showing where sh'
capsized. The waters of Scapa FloV
were dotted. with small boats full
men who had, with dramatic sudden
ness, settled the question of the dlspo
sition of the interned ships.
AS the first boatloads of the escapin'
Grew were towed alongside OF II. M.
Victorious by drifter German ON
Ger in the boat ordered his men u
cheer. They responded with three Wig
orous "Hochs"
Craft Of every description followed
fast to the side of the warship, eaci
towing boatloads of Germans, WIZ
were taken on board the Victorious
the decks of which soon became crowd
ed with men and bundles.
A German officer who came aboar'
wore a sword and seemed to wish u
make an impressive ceremony by hand
ing it over to an officer who had beer
in command Of a division of internet
destroyers.
1--WE are not Bolsheviki," he saN
Peace was signed today. We had ou
orders and carried them out"
The Germans were not aware ina
the armistice had been extended unit
Monday, and there was an almost con
l,,ti I'M a