SCAPA FLOW RECALLED

Hokitika Guardian, 22 October 1929, Page 8

SCAPA FLOW RECALLED

SCENE AT SCAPA FLOW. On June 21, 1019, Admiral von Reuter ordered the sinking of the German battleships which were al Sc-apai Flow. Richard Stumpf, a sailoi. describes in the “Vossichc Zeitung.’ this event. “In the ‘patriotic courses’ which we had to submit to in the fall of 1917' we sailhrs often discussed ' wha should happen to'the English • flee: ‘after our victory.’ Some thought w< should use the British battleships t( increase the German navy, vvhil others, the moderates, pleaded for sinking all enemy ships. Any other possible solution did not seem to exist.

“Even when the German requesi for an armistice became known w< still remained so incredibly naive. The enemy demanded that our battleships should remain locked up in neutral harbours. Wc thought: ‘After peace has come the ships will go home again.’ This optimism prevailed even after the united Allied navies had locked us uip in, the Firth of Forth. “A manifesto of the chief of the navy, countersigned 'by the chief of the ‘Soldiers’ Council,’ decreed on November 118, 1918, that all battleships should be disarmed within a week. If this condition were not fulfilled Heligoland would be occupied by the Allies and other retaliatory steps taken. \ “I doubt that we ever worked as intensely during the World War as in those days of November, 1918. Our ships were ready to fight at almost a moment’s notice; but to demobolise them completely required giganticefforts.

“On November 17, my ship, the Heligoland, wps completely disarmed. Thousands of fine yellow bombs lay on the pier, and our vessel lay fully a yard higher on the water because it had become so much lighter. “The neutrals, with the exception of Spain, didn’t seem to want to lodge our vessels. Finally it was said that the English insisted our vessels should first be searched in one of their war harbours and then would be sent to some ‘prison.’

GATHERED FOR LAST TRIP. “On November 19 most of the German navy, especially all modern battleships, gathered for their last trip together. A dense autumn, fog made navigation difficult and not one of us was glad-that day. No sailors’ band, played. There were altogether thirty-two ships. The admiral’s vessel was the battleship Frederick the Great, on which Admiral von Reuter, upon the wish of the English, hoisted his admiral’s flag. “On the morning of November 21, the first English vessels appeared, and a big cruiser travelled ahead' of us to indicate the' route through the ‘prison frontier.’ We saw American battleships and even a French cruiser stationed there. When the fog lifted we saw ail impressive and yet depressing sight. The German navy was surrounded by Allied war vessels. “Around noon the English chief, Admiral Beatty, ordered by wireless: ‘The German figg must be taken down and cannot be hoisted any more without permission.’

“Two days later each single Gorman war vessel was examined from top to bottom. The entire German crew had to go on deck during the time, and all doors had to remain open. Only after this investigation had taken place were we told about our ‘prison ports’ and then lost all hope of being sent to neutral harbours.

“Several days passed before everything was arranged. The exceedingly monotonous service s soon resulted in a great deal of homesickness among the German crew. The ‘British understood this and therefore reduced the crew from 200 to 20 men, according to the size of the ship. “Men were prohibited to go from One ship to another, and none could go, on shore. The fear of Bolshevist infectio’n must have been the reason. But later on our relations grew more •friendly. The decree never was recalled. The mail was our only connection with, home; but it came only with great delay since the British looked over* all letters.

“Beeauso of our long imprisonment, the crews on the various German ships grew very irritated and there were quarrels between the, so-called radical and moderate elements. Admiral von Reuter arranged with the British admiral for a signal which would serve to call the British to aid if there should be any mutiny on a German ship. “When the peace negotiations approached their end we came to know that the Allies would not return our vessels to Germany. The English press spoke about sinking them in a Solemn ceremony in the presence of all Allied navies.

“The tension among us grew in.tolcjrable. We all thought that Germany would not accept the peace treaty and that there would be war again on June 21. “It was easy to sink our battleships. A single man could do that. He just-had to open the valves, turn due certain ‘flood valve,’ and then the water streamed in. In peace times wc had practised that a good many times and had accomplished it in half a, minute.

“So avo hoisted the Avar flag at noon on June 21, and a few nv,notes later our ships sank. Unfortunately, the British fired, because they were so excited, and six sailors were killed.”