Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1919-06-24
SAILORS SCUTTLE
|NTERNED SHIPS
Of GERMAN NAVY
German Crews Destroy
Practically Entire Fleet of
100000 Tonnage and Es-
cape to Shore in Boats

German officers and sailors man
ming the ship of the Germany navy
informed at Scapa Flow sank most Of
the German fleet Saturday. All the
big ships, all the battleships and
battle cruisers, except the Baden,
and numerous small craft were scut-
tied; and others went ashore half
sunken. Eighteen destroyers were
peached by tugs, four were left
af1oat and the remainder went under.
The wholesale sinking of the ves-
sells, which were surrendered under
the terms of the armistice, had evil
IDENTIFY been carefully arranged by Of
fcers and crews, which were COM
posed entirely of Germans, no Brit
ish guards being allowed on the
ships under the terms Of the armi-
stice. The sailors and officers APP
parently opened the sea cocks of the
vessels, hoisted the German flag, and
took to the boats for the shore.
A dispatch from Thurso, Scotland,
says that the hosting of a red flag
was the signal for the sailors to
scuttle the tships.
I'm it's statement to the public the
BIRTHS hadmfralty states:
"a German real 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
killed or wounded.
I'm accordance with the terms of
the armistice, the German ships were
informed with skeleton crews as care
takers and without British guards
aboard"
to the combined allied fleet off the
Firth Of Forth the morning of No
vember 81, 1913. The incident had
no precedence in naval history, since
moe than 100000 tons of enemy war
craft in frst-class condition, hoisted
the white flag without firing a shot.
The German ships were at once taken
to Scapa Flow, a land locked harbor
in teh Orkney Islands about 200
miles north Of Edinburg which has
often formed the principal base of
the grand fleet during the war.
There the enemy ships were disman-
tied sufficiently to render them pow
erless. A portion of each crew. it is
understood, was maintained aboard
to prevent the vessel from falling
into disrepair.
The peace conference had not yet
determined upon final disposition OF
the German fleet, although a ma
jority of allied naval officials favored
towing the vessels out to sea and
scuttling them, after removing brass,
copper and other valuable metals.
The German submarines which
were surrendered the day before the
main fleet, were taken temporarily
into Harwich and since have been
scattered about among several allied
countries.
wBIMAR, Sunday, June 22.-(By
the Associated Press. 1.-The German
warships which were not surrendered
to the allies and which have been an
chored off Kiel Wilhelmanshaven and
other points, have been sunk by Ger
man sailors manning them, according
to a report received here from re-
liable authority.
According to the reports, there
were twelve German war vessels, be-
sides destroyers, which were in Ger
man waters, not having been turned
over to the entente under the armiS-
tice provisions.
ADMIRALTY TO PROBE
SINKING OF WARSHIPS
LONDON, June 23.--Admiral Won
Reuter-, commander of the interned
German feet sunk by it's own crews
Saturday in Scapa Flow, may be tried
by an international court, together
with U-boat commanders and other
war criminals, it was learned today.
The British admiralty is forward
ing a full report of the sinking to
the naval armistice commission in
Paris. by whom the next steps will
be directed.
According to the Daily Mail,
copy of the German Admiral Won
Reuters detailed orders for sinking
of the fleet has been found. A ds-
patch to the Mail from Scapa Flow
quoted Won Reuter- as declaring the
ships were sunk before the kaiser
at the beginning of the war ordered
that no German vessels be allow
ed to fall into the enemy's hands.
Won Reuter- understood, he said, that
the armistice ended Saturday, so he
proceeded to carry out the order.
1t was noted that Won Reuter- Wis
tied Berlin a few weeks ago, under
preteXt of illness.