DOOM DAY RECALLED.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 246, 17 October 1929, Page 23

DOOM DAY RECALLED.

SCENE AT SCARPA FLOW. GERMAN SAILOB'S STOKY. MEN ON VERGE OF MUTINY.

On June 21, 1919.- Admiral von Keuter ordered the sinking of the German battleships which, were at Scapa Flow. Richard Sfcumpf, a sailor, describes in the "Vossiche Zeitung/' Berlin, this event. "In the 'patriotic courses' which we had to submit to in the fall of 191 i we sailors often discussed what should happen to the English fleet 'after our victorv.' Some thought we should use the British battleships to increase the German nav-. while others, the moderates, pleaded for sinking all enemy ships. Any other possible solution did not seem to exist. "Even when the German request for an armistice became known we still remained so incredibly naive. The enemy demanded that our battleships should remain locked up in neutral harbours. We thought: 'After peace has come the -hips will go home again.' This optimism prevailed even after the united Allied navies had locked us up m the Firth of Forth. "A manifesto of the chief of the navy, countersigned by the chief of the •Soldiers' Council." decreed on .November 18 1913 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 intenselv during the World War as in those days of November, 191 S. Our ships were ready to fight at almost a moment's notice: but to demobilise them completely required gigantic efforts. \

"On November 17, my ship, the Heligoland, was 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. I "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 thejr 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 an impressive and yet depressing sight. The German navy wa3 surrounded by Allied war vessels.

"Around noon the English chief, Admiral Beatty, ordered by wireless: 'The German flag must be taken down and cannot be hoisted any more without permission. 5 "Two days later each single German 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 toid 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 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 inaction 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. "Because of our long imprisonment, the crews on the various German ships grew very irritated, and there were

quarrels between 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 ■Wβ came to know that the Allies would not return oar vessels to Germany. The English press spoke about sinking them in a solemn ceremony in the presence oi all Allied navies. ■'The tension among us grew intolerable. Wβ all thought that Germany would not accept the peace treaty and that there would be war asain on June 21. "It was easy to sink our battleships. A single man could do that. He just had to open the valves, turn one certain 'flood valve,' and then the water streamed in. In peace times we had practised that a jrood many times and had accomplished it in half a minute. "So we hoisted the war flag at noon on June 21, and a few minutes later our ships sank. Unfortunately, the British fired, because they were so excited, and six sailors were killed."