Scapa 100 - Salvaging our Heritage
The German High Seas Fleet were interned in Scapa Flow following the armistice in November 1918, to await the outcome of the peace talks that would officially end WWI, and decide the fate of the German Navy. On 21 June 1919 Admiral von Reuter took matters into his own hands and gave the order to scuttle the fleet; as a result, 52 out of 74 ships went to the seabed. The events of that day, and the subsequent salvage operations that followed, produced a story unique to Orkney.
Our exhibition tells the unique story of the salvage operations carried out in Scapa Flow on the German wrecks as well as other significant WW1 wrecks. Newly identified objects from our collection and objects loaned from private individuals, will be seen for the first time.
