National Geographic
Drain the Oceans - Ultimate Battleships
Disney+

The Battle of Jutland was the biggest naval battle of World War I. In 1916, the British and German fleets fought each other in the North Sea. Both sides claimed victory, but the battle remains a mystery. Using advanced technology, researchers are now mapping the entire battlefield. They find the wrecks of many ships sunk in the battle. By studying the damage, they learn new details about what happened. For example, the British battlecruiser Invincible exploded after a shell hit its ammunition stores. This was because the crew left the blast doors open to fire faster. This episode also looks at what happened after the war ended in 1918. The German fleet surrendered and was held prisoner in the natural harbor of Scapa Flow. In 1919, the German sailors secretly sank their own ships to keep them from the British. Only a few wrecks remain today. The steel from the sunken ships was later used by Nazi Germany to build a new navy. In 1939, a German submarine even sneaked into Scapa Flow and sank an old British battleship. The story shows how the Battle of Jutland and the sinking at Scapa Flow marked the end of the era of giant battleships. The wrecks are a reminder of the courage of the sailors who served on them.