Scuttling

Scuttling is the act of deliberately sinking a ship, either to dispose of an old vessel or to prevent the vehicle from being captured by an enemy force. This is simply achieved by allowing water to flow into the hull of the ship, which can be achieved in several ways. Pumps or hatches can be used, or holes may be ripped into the hull with brute force. The most famous act of scuttling in the modern era came in 1919, when the warships of the German High Seas Fleet were scuttled by their crews at Scapa Flow to prevent the ships falling into British hands. The seabed of Scapa Flow is still littered with the warships, making the area very popular amongst undersea diving enthusiasts.

Related Topics:
Ship - Pump - Hatch - 1919 - German High Seas Fleet - Scapa Flow

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Instead of scuttling, many vessels are recycled today. However, some ships (and other objects of similar size) are sometimes sunk in order to help the formation of reefs. It is also common for military organizations to use old ships for target practice and in war games, or for various other experiments. As an example, the former USS America aircraft carrier was destroyed and sunk in 2005 to help understand how vessels of such large size react to bombardment. The research will be used in the design of future ships.

Related Topics:
Recycled - Reef - Military - Target practice - War game - USS ''America'' - Aircraft carrier - 2005

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