When the German Navy Sank Its Own Fleet

A large natural anchorage called Scapa Flow lies right in the middle of the seven islands of Orkney in Scotland. And although the area is mainly deserted today, it has a long history in naval warfare.

The body of water, comprising about 120 square miles, served as a sheltered harbor with easy access to the North and Atlantic Oceans. And its strategic use goes back to 1198 when infamous Viking Earl Harald incurred the wrath of the kings of Scotland and Norway by putting together a large force to resist a rival's claim to half his earldom.

However, Scapa Flow’s glory days were in the 20th century, as the natural harbor served as the main base for the Royal Navy's battle fleet during the two World Wars.

Still, not many people know that another navy lies at the bottom of the ocean surrounding Scapa Flow: part of Imperial Germany's High Seas Fleet.

Scuttled by its own starved and neglected crews in 1919, the operation became the most significant act of self-destruction in naval history…