Study of a surrendered German cruiser at Scapa Flow, probably the 'Karlsruhe'

Inscribed by the artist, 'Hun cruiser', lower right. Among the ships interned at Scapa Flow, there were five German cruisers that had raised funnels: 'Karlsruhe', 'Emden', 'Nürnberg', 'Cöln' and 'Dresden'. This is probably the 'Karlsruhe' which is the only one that other general visual sources (mainly photos) show with her topmasts lowered. All photos of 'Emden' and 'Nürnberg', including when beached at Scapa, show them with high topmasts. All photos of 'Cöln' and 'Dresden' up to the time of their sinking also show them with high topmasts. In this study, an unidentified German destroyer is alongside. Wyllie spent a month as a guest of Admiral Sir Charles Madden on board HMS 'Revenge' at the time of the surrender and subsequent internment of the German fleet at Scapa, and made many such studies on the spot. [BTodd/PvdM 5/13]

Object Details

ID: PAF1869
Collection: Fine art
Type: Drawing
Display location: Not on display
Creator: Wyllie, William Lionel
Places: Unlinked place
Date made: 1918
Credit: National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London, Caird Collection
Measurements: Sheet: 322 x 448 mm