HMS Canning tender : 無料・フリー素材/写真
HMS Canning tender / kitmasterbloke
| ライセンス | クリエイティブ・コモンズ 表示 2.1 |
|---|---|
| 説明 | The internment of the Imperial German Navy's High Seas Fleet at Scapa Flow following the cessation of hostilities on 11th November 1918 was the beginning of an interesting period in our history. The entire fleet of 74 ships had been assembled in the natural harbour at Scapa Flow in the Orkney Islands, which was already a Royal Navy base. The German ships were guarded by a Squadron of RN vessels. No Germans were allowed to leave there ships or cross to other ships or the land for the full duration of the internment - six months as it happened. All food had to be supplied from war-ravaged and defeated Germany as the British refused to feed their 20500 captives. Medical, but not dental, treatment was provided. No radio communication was allowed and the Ensign of the German navy had to be taken down and stowed. This situation persisted right up to the day on which Germany was supposed to sign the Treaty of Versailles in France, agreeing the terms of their surrender. Britain had gradually begun to remove German crew from the vessels and transported them first to Nigg Island PoW camp and thence back to Germany, but on the day of the scuttling, 21st June 1919, there were still 4800 men on the ships. The German Commander was Rear-Admiral von Reuter. Fearing that his capital ships and destroyers would be divided up amongst his enemies, at 11.20 am on the morning of 21st he flag-signalled the order to scuttle. The first ship to sink was Friedrich der Grosse which began to list heavily to starboard around 12 noon and sank at 12.16. at this point all the ships hoisted the Imperial German Ensign at their mainmasts. The crews then began to abandon ship. In all 52 of the 74 ships interned sank. The Royal Navy, with no prior knowledge of the scuttling plan, were on fleet exercises in the North Sea and could do little to stop the German ships sinking.The photographs you see here were taken on a Box Brownie from the Tender of HMS Canning, one of the Guard ships and must have been taken after 6th December 1918 when SMS Dresden arrived but before 9th January when SMS Baden was the last to arrive - she is noticeably missing from this set. The annotated aerial view is a picture post card that was available at the time, but the longitudinal view is believed to have been taken using a balloon. My Grandfather, Norman Wilfred Knight was a boy seaman at the time and went on to serve in the Merchant Navy in WW2, he was torpedoed twice, but survived. The photographs, in their original paper wallet were discovered when we cleared my parents’ house following the death of my Father, Norman Richard Knight.I hope you enjoy these shots, remember those who served on both sides in the conflict and visit the beautiful islands of Orkney off Scotland;s northern coast. |
| 撮影日 | 2018-09-25 09:56:56 |
| 撮影者 | kitmasterbloke , Halstead, United Kingdom |
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| 撮影地 | Oil Terminal, Scotland, United Kingdom 地図 |