SUNK AT SGAPA FLOW

Auckland Star, Volume L, Issue 148, 23 June 1919, Page 5

SUNK AT SGAPA FLOW

FORTY-SIX GERMAN WARSHIPS SCUTTLED BY THEIR CREWS ON EVE Of HANDING OVER TO ALLIES FLEET WORTH SEVENTY MILLIONS LONDON, June 22. "The Admiralty announces that certain of the interned German warships at Seapa, Flow have been sunk and abandoned by the crews. The latter will be detained in safe custody. The Germans sank 46 out of the 72 warships, namely:—. Nine out of ten battleships. All five battle-cruisers. Five out of eight light cruisers. Twenty-seven out of forty-nine destroyers. The total tonnage sunk approximates 400,000 tons. The largest ship was ..She Bayern of 28,000 tons. The fleet was worth £70,000,000. The men concerned in the affair are already in custody. They were the Germans who were attending to the upkeep of the vessels. They scuttled the ships by opening the seacocks, and then swam ashore. The German Ensign was hoisted on all the ships before they were sunk. The Baden is now flying the White Ensign over the German flag. The first warship sank at mid-day, the others settling down until halfpast four in the afternoon, when the last Dreadnough turned turtle. Several Germans swam to the Island of Caint. Arrangements had been made to board the ships on Monday in the event of peace being signed. Thus they would have passed into the possession of the Allies. The largest ships were sunk at a depth of 120 ft. The newspapers are aghast at the sensation. They demand an inquiry, pointing out that the ships were placed in the custody of the British Navy as trustee for the Allies.—(A. and N.Z. Cable.) The Admiralty states that the battleship Baden and four destroyers are still afloat. Three light cruisers and 18 destroyers were beached by salvaging tugs. Several boats containing escaping German crews refused to stop and were fired upon by British warships. A small number of Germans were killed and wounded.—(United Service.) THE INTERNED FLEET. GREATEST SURRENDER IN HISTORY.

States'of America. All vessels of the auxiliary fleet (trawlers, motor vessels, etc.) are to be disarmed. All vessels specified for internment shall be ready to leave German ports seven days after the signing of the Armistice. Directions of the voyage will be given by wireless. One of the cruisers was not handed over with the rest of the fleet, as she ■was not sufficiently advanced, but she subsequently joined the rest of the fleet in the Orkneys.

it was on November 15 that RearAdmiral Sinclair went out to meet the light cruiser Konigsberg, bringing the German delegates to discuss the tenne of the naval armistice with the Allied naval leaders. Next day the details ■were arranged. The whole German fleet was to be handed over to the Allies, for internment until peace was finally signed at Scapa Flow, in the Orkneys. The ships came out on November 21 for their last voyage, and were picked up at sea by the Grand Fleet and escorted into the Firth of Forth. Here they were examined at the anchorages assigned them by the British to make sure that all the conditions of the armistice had been complied with. AVhen this had been completed the enemy ships were transferred to Scapa Flow. The bulk of the crews were sent back to Germany forthwith, but skeleton crews were left aboard for maiatenance work. The ships were found to be in a dirty condition, showing signs of grave demoralisation among the crews. When the fleet had been moored at the appointed place Admiral Beatty signalled. "The German flag is to be hauled down at 3.57 p.m., and is not to be hoisted again without permission." At sunset the flags came down, and the greatest surrender in hostory had become an accomplished fact. THE SURRENDERED SHIPS. The tonnage of the vessels sent to Scapa Flow approximated 410,000, divided as follows: — BATTLESHIPS. Tons. Bayern (1916) 28,000 Ko'nig <1!»16) 25,000 Grosser Kurfurst (1914) 25,293 Markgraf (1914) 25,293 Kaiser (1912) 25,000 Kronprinz Wilhelm (1915).. 25,000 Konig Albert (1913) 24,113 Friedrich der Grosse (1913).. 24,11:? Kaiserin (1913) 24,113 Prinzregent Luitpold (1913). 24,113 BATTLE-CRUISERS. Sevdlitz (1913) 25,000 Derffiinger (1914) 28,000 Hindenburg (1916) 27,000 Moltke (1911) 23.000 Yon der TaHn (1910) 18,000 LIGHT CRUISERS. Karlsruhe 4,000 Frankfort 5,400 Emden 5.400 Broomberg 4,000 Breslau , 4,000 Koln ■• 4 .500 Bremen - 4,000 Brummer - 4,000 DESTROYERS. Total of 50, averaging 000 tons, from the Ist, 2nd, 3rd, 6th, and 7th flotillas?. The armistice terms included the following naval conditions: —The following German surface warships, which shall be designated by the Allies and the United States of America, shall forthwith be disarmed and thereafter interned in neutral ports, or, failing them, Allied ports, to be designated by the Allies and the United States of America, and placed under the surveillance of the Allies and the United States of America, only caretakers being left on board, namely: —Six battle-cruisers, ten battleships, eight light cruisers, including two minelayers, 50 destroyers of the most modern types. All other surface warships (including river craft) are to be concentrated in German naval bases to be designated by the Allies and the United States of America, and are to be paid off and completely disarmed and placed under the supervison of the Allies and the United