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Sunken German Warship at Scapa Flow, Orkney

Posted by
Fran (Ft Pierce FL, United States) on 29 June 2015 in Lifestyle & Culture and Portfolio.

Scapa Flow is a body of water in the Orkney Islands. The Royal Navy had a base here during World War I and the German High Seas Fleet was interned there at the end of the war. Fearing that all of the ships would be seized and divided amongst the allied powers, the German commander, Admiral Ludwig von Reuter, decided to scuttle the fleet. The scuttling was carried out on 21 June 1919. Intervening British guard ships were able to beach a number of the ships, but 52 of the 74 interned vessels sank. Many of the wrecks were salvaged over the next two decades and were towed away for scrapping. Those that remain are popular diving sites.