EPILOGUE.MARCH, 1921.

Date.German Vessels.British Escort.Saturday, 23/11/1820 Torpedo-Boat Destroyers.Torpedo-Boat Destroyers.Sunday, 24/11/1820 Torpedo-Boat Destroyers.Torpedo-Boat Destroyers.Monday, 25/11/185 Battle Cruisers, 10 Torpedo-Boat Destroyers."Lion" and First Battle Cruiser Squadron and 10 Torpedo-Boat Destroyers.Tuesday, 26/11/185 Battleships and 4 Light Cruisers.5 Ships First Battle Squadron and Second Light Cruiser Squadron.Wednesday, 27/11/184 Battleships, 3 Light Cruisers.4 Ships First Battle Squadron and Third Light Cruiser Squadron.

The German ships carried full navigating parties, and came north under their own steam. The dense clouds of smoke which will be observed in the photographs onpp. 102and103testify to the poor quality of the coal with which they were supplied. The crews were later reduced to care and maintenance parties only.

J. F. V. Guise.H.M.S. "Lion" entering Hoxa Boom, Scapa Flow, at Head of German Battle Cruisers, 25th November, 1918.

J. F. V. Guise.

H.M.S. "Lion" entering Hoxa Boom, Scapa Flow, at Head of German Battle Cruisers, 25th November, 1918.

H.M.S. "Repulse," "Renown," "Princess Royal," and "Tiger" Escorting German Battle Cruisers through Hoxa Boom, 25th November, 1918.

The complete list of capital ships (apart from destroyers) interned at Scapa is shown below. The battleships "König" and "Baden," and cruiser "Dresden," were later arrivals.

BATTLESHIPSBayernKronprinz WilhelmMarkgrafFriedrich der GrosseKönigKönig AlbertKaiserinPrinzregent LuitpoldKaiserBadenGrosser KurfürstBATTLE CRUISERSHindenburgVon der TannDerfflingerMoltkeSeydlitzLIGHT CRUISERSBrummerEmdenBremseKarlsruheDresdenNurnbergKölnFrankfurt

During the period of their internment, communication between the German ships and our own Fleet was restricted to a minimum, and no one from our own ships was allowed on board the interned vessels unless on duty of an urgent nature. The Germans were required to victual and store their own ships from Germany, coal and water only being supplied locally. As German warships were not constructed for living aboard for long periods (the sailors being mostly accommodated in barracks when in harbour), the crews at Scapa must have had a rather unenviable time of it, though there was a certain element of poetic justice in interning them in the region where for so long our own Fleet had kept its lonely vigil. As one of their officers remarked in writing home and describing the bleakness and desolation of Scapa: "If the English have stood this for four years, they deserve to have won the war."

The German ships were patrolled by a number of drifters—a somewhat ignominious guard for the much-vaunted German Fleet.

The Germans' love of music was in evidence even at Scapa, and it was somewhat strange and at times rather pathetic to hear the unfamiliar strains of "Die Wacht am Rhein" and "Die Lorelei" rising from the German ships, some of which still retained their bands.

German Battle Cruiser "Seydlitz" entering Hoxa Boom, 25th November, 1918.

German Battle Cruiser "Von der Tann" entering Hoxa Boom, 25th November, 1918.

German Battle Cruiser "Moltke" entering Hoxa Boom, 25th November, 1918.

The Interned German Ships at Scapa.

The anniversary of Jutland (31st May) was not forgotten, and most of theships displayed bunting, on the pretext of drying their flags, as they were not allowed to fly their ensigns after Beatty's signal on the evening of the surrender at Rosyth. One of the ships prominently displayed a notice in English: "To-day we celebrate the German victory of the Battle of Jutland."

German Battle Cruiser "Seydlitz."(One of the ships which bombarded Scarborough.)

It was somewhat difficult, owing to the isolation of the German ships, to form an idea of the discipline which prevailed on board. It was evident that on most of the ships there were representatives of the Soldiers' and Sailors' Councils, as the members could be readily distinguished by their white armlets. Indeed, there is probably some truth in the report that when the German ships surrendered, the crews confidently expected that our ships, the crews of which they believed to be on the verge of mutiny and Bolshevism, would make common cause with them, and they must have been considerably surprised when Admiral Beatty refused to negotiate with the Council representatives. There were undoubtedly disturbances on some of the German ships whilst they were at Scapa, and it appears to have been due to a rather serious case of insubordination that AdmiralVon Reuter, who was in command of the German ships, changed his flagship from the "Friedrich der Grosse" to the "Emden."

On the other hand, the simultaneous sinking of the German ships on 21st June, 1919, proved conclusively that a certain discipline still prevailed, for the scuttling was undoubtedly organised and carried out with (from the German point of view) very commendable precision and thoroughness.

The scuttling of the German ships on 21st June, 1919, has already been briefly referred to in the earlier part of the book, but as the writer was privileged to be an eyewitness of the events of that afternoon, the reader will perhaps pardon the intrusion of the personal element in a more detailed description of the sinkings.

German Battle Cruiser "Moltke" at Scapa Flow.

German Battle Cruiser "Derfflinger" at Scapa Flow.

German Battle Cruiser "Hindenburg" at Scapa Flow.

It was at five minutes past noon that the signalmen reported that the German ships had hoisted ensigns and burgees. The excitement which this announcement produced was intensified a short time later when it became apparent that the ships were sinking, and that the crews were taking to the boats. Lunch was completely forgotten, and arrangements were hurriedly made to get all available small craft to the ships to ascertain if anything could be done to save any of them. I obtained permission from the Admiral to accompany him on an inspection of some of the nearer destroyers, from which it was ascertained that there was no possibility of saving any of the ships other than by beaching them, as the sea-cockshad not been only opened but the valves had been destroyed. Our picket-boat happened to come alongside at this stage, so I jumped aboard and proceeded north up Gutter Sound, where the larger vessels were anchored. Our instructions were to board any German vessels which were still afloat, haul down their ensigns, and to take such steps as were necessary to save life and to direct any boats or Carley floats of Germans to the Flagship. Our picket-boat followed the course shown in the sketch map onp. 110, and we reached the "Seydlitz" at about one o'clock, boarded her and hauled down her colours, and at the same time opened the windlass with a view to parting it and allowing the vessel to drift ashore, but unfortunately it brought up at the slip and held. The "Seydlitz" was then beginning to list heavily, so we left her and next boarded the "Hindenburg," which was also beginning to list heavily to port.

German Battleship "Friedrich der Grosse."(Admiral von Reuter's Flagship.)

German Battleship "Kaiserin."

German Light Cruiser "Köln."

German Destroyers at Lyness, with Battleships in the Distance.

We then proceeded past several of the battleships, which were seen to be rapidly settling down. Whilst abreast of "König Albert," our picket-boat was hailed from the deck of a trawler by the German Admiral, Von Reuter, who asked us to save the crew of the "Bayern," who were in the water. Two drifters which were near by were accordingly ordered close to the "Bayern" for this purpose, and we proceeded in the same direction, when the photographs onpp. 112and113were taken. Immediately afterwards the ship turned over to port, bottom up, and sank, whilst the crews of the boats cheered loudly and waved their caps.

We next headed for the "Derfflinger," on the way sending back several boats full of Germans to the "Victorious." The "Derfflinger" foundered a few minutes after taking the photograph onp. 24. On the way back we passed the "Hindenburg," which had then settled on to an even keel with her masts and funnels showing, whilst the "Seydlitz" was then resting in shallow water on her starboard side, with her decks nearly vertical, and her port propeller just showing above the water.

Meantime a considerable number of the destroyers had been beached by tugs and other small craft, in addition to three cruisers, whilst the "Baden," the only battleship saved, was still afloat, though very low in the water.

On arrival on the "Victorious" we found the ship crowded with Germans, who, after examination, were sent to the Flagship, H.M.S. "Revenge"—which had by this time returned to the Flow from the Pentland, where the 1st Battle Squadron had been exercising—from which ship they were sent south.

Plan of the Anchorage of German Ships at Scapa Flow.

A large amount of salvage work ensued on the vessels which had been beached, most of them being pumped out and docked in the Floating Dock, although it was not found possible to get some of the destroyers off, and these still remain as a memento of that eventful day.

All the salved ex-German ships have now been towed south, and have been apportioned amongst the Allied Powers. It is interesting to note that the "Baden" and "Nurnberg," of which several photographs are shown in the following pages, have been allotted to Great Britain, whilst the "Emden" goes to France, and the "Frankfurt" to U.S.A. It appears that most of the salved vessels are to be broken up, thus finally disposing of the remnants of the once great German Fleet.

A Party of French Officers visiting the German Ships.

German Battleship "Bayern" Sinking by the Stern, 2 p.m., 21st June, 1919.

The Final Plunge of the "Bayern."

German Destroyers sinking or beached off the Island of Fara.

German Sailors taking to the Boats.

British Boarding Party alongside Sinking German Destroyer.

General View showing German Destroyers sinking on the Right and Battleships in the Distance.At 3.30 p.m., 21st June, 1919.

German Battle Cruiser "Hindenburg" as she now rests at Scapa.

Whaler "Ramna" stranded on German Battle Cruiser "Moltke" 23rd June, 1919, taken just before "Ramna" Refloated.

German Cruiser "Nurnberg" immediately after being refloated at 2 p.m. on 3rd July, 1919.

Salvage Operations on Battleship "Baden" and Cruiser "Frankfurt" beached at Smoogroo.

Salvage Work on the "Baden."

Pumping out the "Frankfurt."

Cruiser "Bremse," which capsized whilst being beached.

Battle Cruiser "Seydlitz," lying on her Starboard Side in Shallow Water.

Hoisting the Union Jack on a sinking German Destroyer.

On the "Seydlitz."

"Baden" being towed South to Invergordon.

Salving German Destroyer "G 102."

Salvage Party working on a German Destroyer.

View showing salved ex-German Cruisers and Destroyers at Long Hope, October, 1919.

The Salved German cruisers "Nurnberg" and "Emden" in Long Hope Bay.

View Looking Aft from After-Control Top of "Frankfurt."

View Looking Forward from the Same Position.

Expansion Ring Marking on 6-inch Gun "Nurnberg."

A Humorous Effort on the Part of One of Our Sailors.

The Propeller Blade of the "Seydlitz."

Range-Finder and Searchlight Platform, "Nurnberg."

88-Mm. Guns, "Nurnberg."

6-Inch Gun on "Nurnberg" After-Turret.

5·9-Inch After-Breech, "Nurnberg."

Searchlight Control Platform, "Frankfurt."

10·5-Cm. Gun on a German Destroyer.

Torpedo Tubes on a Destroyer.

Engine-Room Control Board, "Emden."

Lower Conning Tower, "Emden."

German Destroyer being towed South to Rosyth, March, 1920.

R. J. Towers.Blowing up the Minefields.Group of mines exploded in February, 1919, by the Quoyness Mining Station, Flotta Island.

R. J. Towers.

Blowing up the Minefields.Group of mines exploded in February, 1919, by the Quoyness Mining Station, Flotta Island.

R. J. Towers.Closer View of a Mine Explosion.Photograph taken a mile away with a telecentric lens.

R. J. Towers.

Closer View of a Mine Explosion.Photograph taken a mile away with a telecentric lens.

EPILOGUE

A fewnotes remain to be added to the preceding pages to complete the story of Scapa to the present time. The war necessarily left its aftermath at Scapa, as elsewhere, and although much of the "clearing up" has been accomplished, there will remain for many years visible traces of the "naval occupation" of the Orkneys.

The signing of the Armistice in November, 1918, entailed only a cessation of active hostilities, and it was not until the summer of 1919 that the reversion of the Base from a war to a peace footing really began. One of the earliest and most important operations to be undertaken after the Armistice was the clearance of the North Sea mine barrage between the Orkneys and Norway, which has already been briefly referred to. This entailed a sweep over an area of 6,000 square miles, and the destruction of over 70,000 mines. The American Minesweeping Detachment, to which the major portion of this task was allotted, arrived in Kirkwall in April, 1919, and by the end of September of that year their task had been successfully accomplished, and the northern gateway was open once more to the mercantile traffic of the world.

The mines which had been laid in the smaller areas around the entrances to the Flow were exploded simultaneously in sections—a very much simpler task, as these were connected electrically to shore stations. The photographs onp. 140give some idea of the force of the explosions, which were audible for miles around. It is of interest to note that the buoy shown on the left of the photograph on the lower part ofp. 140marks the resting-place of the German submarine which was sunk in this minefield a few days before the Armistice.

The removal of the booms and the release of the boom defence drifters and trawlers was completed before the end of 1919. The fishermen who formed the crews of these vessels, incidentally, deserve to be recognised for their work during the war, the monotony and isolation of which made their task one of the least enviable at the Base.

T. Kent.Salvage Operation on S.S. "Aorangi" in Holm Sound.1

T. Kent.

Salvage Operation on S.S. "Aorangi" in Holm Sound.

T. Kent.2

T. Kent.

The raising of the barrier at Clestron (seep. 39) proved a more formidable operation. The ice-breaker "Sviagator," early in 1920, made the unique experiment of crushing some of the hurdles to a sufficient depth to allow vessels of medium draught to pass over with safety, but it was not until the summer of 1920 that the removal of the hurdles was undertaken and completed by a salvage company, and the rails shipped south.

The raising of the "block" ships, which had been sunk in some of the narrow channels leading into the Flow, appears to have presented almost insuperable difficulties, mainly owing to tidal currents, and there does not seem to be much likelihood that the vessels in Burra and Water Sounds will ever be raised. In Holm Sound, however, one of the sunken ships, S.S. "Aorangi," was successfully salved by the East Coast Wrecking Company on 8th September, 1920, and beached near the churchyard at Holm.

Of the temporary shore establishments at Scapa very little now remains, and the buildings which are still standing have nearly all been converted to meet peace-time requirements. The "miniature base" at Lyness is in the hands of caretakers, and the completion of the wharf (on which £300,000 has been spent) has been stopped, whilst the control of the Naval Area, which since February, 1920, had been in the hands of Captain Alan G. Bruce, R.N., C.B., D.S.O., was on 1st December, 1920, removed to Invergordon.

The air stations at Houton, Smoogro, Caldale, and Stenness have been closed down or removed, whilst the seaplane station at Scapa has been acquired by the Orkney County Council as a tuberculosis hospital. Nearly all the shore batteries have been dismantled, the guns removed, the searchlights withdrawn, and the huts sold or demolished. Only at Hoy (Stromness) are the batteries intact, but these are in charge of a civilian caretaker. The Royal Marine Station at Carness (near Kirkwall) remains, but as a smallpox hospital under the Orkney County Council.

Various schemes have been under consideration for the removal of the sunken German ships, but at present they still remain as they sank on the memorable 21st June, 1919—a constant source of danger to ships passing through the narrow channels where they lie. It remains to be seen whether steps will eventually be taken to remove the more dangerous of these vessels, or whether they will remain as a permanent memorial of one of the most dramatic episodes of naval history.

Sunset over the Hills of Hoy.(Mast of sunken German destroyer showing in foreground.)

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Transcriber's NotesSome place names have been found with alternative spellings. These alternatives may be legitimate and have been left as found.Smoogroo, SmoogroBurra, BurrayandStennis, Stenness.The cruiser Nurnberg should be Nürnberg. This spelling has been left as found.Page numbers are not continuous, since illustrations have been moved to paragraph breaks, leaving empty pages.

Some place names have been found with alternative spellings. These alternatives may be legitimate and have been left as found.Smoogroo, SmoogroBurra, BurrayandStennis, Stenness.

The cruiser Nurnberg should be Nürnberg. This spelling has been left as found.

Page numbers are not continuous, since illustrations have been moved to paragraph breaks, leaving empty pages.

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