Ludwig von Reuter (* 9 February 1869 in Guben; † 18 December 1943 in Potsdam) was a German admiral during World War I, who commanded the Kaiserliche Marine's High Seas Fleet when it was interned at Scapa Flow at the end of the war. On 21 June 1919 he ordered the scuttling of the fleet to prevent the British from seizing the ships. 1869 (MDCCCLXIX) is a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Sunday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar. ... 1943 (MCMXLIII) is a common year starting on Friday. ... Admiral is a word from the Arabic term Amir-al-bahr (commander of the sea). ... Combatants Allies: Serbia, Russia, France, Romania, Belgium, British Empire, United States, Italy, and others Central Powers: Germany, Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria, Ottoman Empire Casualties Military dead:5 million Civilian dead:3 million Total dead:8 million Military dead:4 million Civilian dead:3 million Total dead:7 million The First World... The Kaiserliche Marine or Imperial Navy was the German Navy created by the formation of the German Empire and existed between 1871 and 1919; it grew out of the Prussian Navy and the Norddeutsche Bundesmarine. ... German battlecruiser Derfflinger scuttled at Scapa Flow. ... Scapa Flow is a body of water in the Orkney Islands, Scotland, United Kingdom. ... German battlecruiser Derfflinger scuttled at Scapa Flow. ...

When WWI began, von Reuter was captain of the battlecruiser SMS Derfflinger, which he also commanded during the Battle of Dogger Bank. In September 1915 he became commander of a scouting group. He commanded the German naval forces during the Second Battle of Heligoland Bight in 1917. WWI may be an acronym for: World War I World Wrestling Industry This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... SMS Derfflinger was a German Kaiserliche Marine battlecruiser in World War I named after prussian Field Marshal Georg Reichsfreiherr von Derfflinger. ... The Battle of Dogger Bank was a naval battle in the North Sea that took place on 24 January 1915, during the First World War, involving units of the Royal Navy and the German Fleet. ... The Second Battle of Heligoland Bight was a naval battle of World War I. On 17 November 1917, German minesweepers clearing a path through the British minefield in the Heligoland Bight of the North Sea near the coast of Germany was intercepted by two Royal Navy cruisers Calypso and Caledon...

After the armistice, Rear Admiral von Reuter was ordered to take command of the fleet that was to be interened at Scapa Flow until its final disposition would be decided at Versailles. Admiral Franz von Hipper, commander-in-chief of the High Seas Fleet had refused to lead his ships into internment. Scapa Flow is a body of water in the Orkney Islands, Scotland, United Kingdom. ... The Treaty of Versailles (1919) was the peace treaty which officially ended World War I between the Allied and Associated Powers and Germany. ... Franz von Hipper Franz Ritter von Hipper (September 13, 1863 in Weilheim - May 25, 1932 in Hamburg-Othmarschen) was a German admiral. ...

As the final deadline neared for the German delegation to sign the Treaty of Versailles, von Reuter anticipated that his fleet would be handed over to the victorious Allies. To prevent this, he ordered all 74 ships of the fleet scuttled on 21 June 1919, using an unusual flag signal previously agreed upon (a reference to a German students' drinking song, calling for more liquid). Unknown to the British, all ships had long ago been prepared for this action. Within five hours, 10 battleships, 5 battle cruisers, 4 light cruisers, and 32 destroyers/torpedoboats sank that day in Scapa Flow. The battleship SMS Baden, the four light cruisers SMS Emden, SMS Nürnberg, SMS Frankfurt and SMS Bremse and 14 torpedo boats were beached when British watch personnel were able intervene in time and tow them to shallow water. Only four torpedoboats remained afloat. Nine Germans were killed in scuffles aboard some of the ships (including the captain of SMS Markgraf) or shot to death while drifting in their lifeboats -- the last German war deaths of World War I. The Treaty of Versailles (1919) was the peace treaty which officially ended World War I between the Allied and Associated Powers and Germany. ... SMS Baden was a Bayern-class battleship launched in 1916. ... The cruise of the German light cruiser SMS Emden was among the most romanticised and notable incidents of World War I. In the latter half of 1914 Emden raided Allied shipping in the Indian Ocean, sinking or capturing thirty Allied merchant vessels and warships before being run aground by its... SMS Nürnberg, named after the town of Nuremberg, was a German light cruiser launched in 1907. ... SMS Markgraf was the third of four König class battleship built, weighing 25,388 tons and having a length of 175m, 30m at the beam and a draft of 9m. ...

Von Reuter was vilified in Britain and made a prisoner of war, along with the other 1773 officers and men of the fleet's remaining rump crews. In Germany he was celebrated as a hero who had protected the honor of the navy. He retired from service and played no further role in public life. In August 1939 he was made full Admiral.