TEN YEARS AGO

Hawera Star, Volume XLIX, 17 August 1929, Page 11

TEN YEARS AGO

QX the afternoon of .Tune 21, 1910, 10 years ago, the German warships which had been surrendered just seven months earlier, and had been interned at Seapa Flow, were sunk by their crows, acting on the orders of RearAdmiral von Reuter. The last vestige of llohenzollern sea power was thereby extinguished. The news of whalt had occurred Was at first received with surprise, indignation and resentment, until the conditions under which ithc vessels were interned became generally realised. I-t was then viewed somewhat more tolerantly. In a measure, it. relieved the situation, for the scuttling solved the problem of the destination of ithe ships, a matter bristling with difficulties .which otherwise would have had to be settled by the Allied Council in Paris.

How the ships tame Ito be at Seapa is explained by the terms of the .Armistice. Clause 28 of this instrument required that the principal vessels of the German Navy, namely, 16 armoured ships, eight light cruisers, and 50 destroyers, should be disarmed and interned in neutral ports, or failing them. Allied ports, and placed under the surveillance of the allies and the United Srales. Only caretakers were to be left on board. As none of the Powers was anxious to have them, the vessels, it was finally agreed, should come to Great Britain. In accordance with this decision, Rear-Admiral von Reuter left Germany at noon on November 19, 1918. and his fleet was met on the morning of November 21 by the Grand Fleet under Admiral Beatty and escorted to Rosyth. Here the ships wore inspected to ascertain that the terms of disarmament had been complied with, and they were then taken in groups to Seapa Flow. At Seapa Flow the Germans spent a dismal winter. They were not pci-mit-red go land. The ships could communicate with one another only once a day and by means of the British drifters or patrol boats. Once a month also there was communication with Germany by means of a 'transport which brought provisions and mails. There was very little comfort on board a German warship nr the best of times, and in the conditions which obtained at Seapa. coupled with '.the enforced idleness, if is srn'all wonder that Rear-Admiral von Router and his officers bad a dilfienH task to maintain discipline. The Admiral’s authority was circumscribed from the outset by the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Council. More than once he appealed to the British authorities for help, and large numbers of the most disorderly men were, with British as-

LAST OF GERMAN FLEET

SALVAGE WORK AT SCAPA FLOW

sis'tanee, set back to Germany. The return of the unruly men after each of the disturbances, .without reliefs, suited the Rear-Aidmiral’s plans, as it, reduced the numbers left to abandon their ships when the time came for scuttling. Out of the 4,700 'originally in the crews, not many more than one-third were left.

During the progress of the Peace Corrferonec in Paris the Rear-Admiral discussed with his officers measures for sinking the ships, and by the end of May the plans were ready. On June 17 the Rear-Admiral .circulated a secret order to his officers to be prepared to sink their ships at a given signal, or should the British try to take possession of them June 21 was determined upon as “The Day.” On that morning, by a coincidence which was fortunate for the conspirators, the divisions of the British Fleet at Seapa under AficcAdmiral Sir Sydney Fremantle loft .the roadstead for torpedo practice; this had been arranged to take place.-on the day before and had been postponed on account of the weather. The departure of the British ships was anxiously watched by the Germans, and as soon as the last Was out of sight von Reuter gave the signal for opening the Kingston valves. HOW THE SHIPS SANK.

A description of what happened was furnished to “The Times’’ on June 25, 1919, by Air. B. F. Gribble, the marine artist, who was at Seapa making drawings of the interned ships and by a stroke of good fortune was an eyewitness of the sinking. He was in the trawler So-chosin, a captured German vessel, when at 11.45 a.in. he noticed the German sailors in the Friedrich der Crosse throwing baggage into the boats

alongside. He remarked to the lieutenant of the trawler, “Do v ou allow them t > go for joy rows?” The answer was. “No, but. by Jove, it looks as if they were.’’ Then, after a moment’s hesitation. the lieutenant exclaimed, “My word. T have get it. T believe they are scuttling their ships a-nd are abandoning them.” die made straight for the nearest vessel, the Frankfurt, and ordered the Germans to return to their shins at once. They replied that they had no oars, and, two of the boats approaching the trawler, the German officers asked to bo taken on b aud. The lieutenant told liiern to return to i licitshins, bur by this Dine the vessels were sinking, and -the German * 'crews cheered as they saw their ships go down.

Bo soon as it was understood what was happening, every effort was made !•> save the vessels still afloat, and the British battleships and destroyers were

recalled. The plan, however, had been well laid, and a few hours later only the Baden, among the 16 armoured ships; the cruisers Emden, Frankfurt, and Nurnbcrg, of the eight light cruisers; and 20 of the destroyers were afloat or beached. All the other vessels had sunk.

The German officers and a. large number of the men were made prisoners and placed on ‘board the Revenge. RearAdmiral von Reuter, who occupied a cabin under the firebridge, states in his apologia that he and his flag-lieu-tenant played piquet before going to bed, and .that he had not slept, so soundly for months. Before the Germans were sent to an interment camp in Wales, Sir Sydney Premantle addressed them on the quarterdeck of the Revenge and expressed his ‘indignation at the deed you have perpetrated, and which was that of a traitor violating the action of tho arrangements entered it; to by the Allies.”

TIIE WORK OF SALVAGE

For nearly live years after the sinking the wrecks ..voro allowed to lie undisturbed. They did not constitute a menace to navigation, and therefore (ho question of moving or demolishing them was not urgent. In April, 1924. a start was made with the task of raising them. Messrs. Cox and Banks, Ltd., of Sheffield, iron and steel merchants and ship-breakers, undertook this as a commercial venture. Their enterprise was the more commendable in that they had not before engaged in marine salvage work. The operations have provided work in the Orkneys for between 160 and 200 men for oh years, and about as many more men have been employed in breaking up the salved ships in yards on the East Coast. Industry generally has also 'benefited by the £OO,OOO spent upon the necessary plant, floating docks, and the like, and by the £340,000 which the undertaking has cost up to the present time. Nor is it yet finished, as about 20 out of the 50 sunken ships, including most of the large vessels, have still to bo raised, so tliat operations ma v continue for some rears.

Manifestly, the lifting of these huge armoured ships, of 2d,000 tons or more, after (hey have lain submerged for rears. Is quite l the largest job of its I-aid ever undertaken, and the manner in which it is being melded is ' fry creditable to British industrial enterprise. After the ships are broken up, the scrap metal is disposed of in Germane ami Poland and, so far as is known, is used for the general purposes n? industry.-“ Times Weetdv.”