When the First World War finally ended, Germany’s powerful High Seas Fleet was not allowed to sail home. Instead, dozens of warships were sent to Scapa Flow in Scotland, where they remained under uneasy Allied supervision while the terms of peace were being decided. Then, on 21 June 1919, the German commander made a decision that stunned the British. Believing his fleet was about to be seized, Rear Admiral Ludwig von Reuter ordered his crews to scuttle the ships rather than surrender them intact.
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