After a poor over all performance of the German Navy, Reinhardt Scheer, Franz von Hipper, and Adolf von Trotha sought to launch a sneak attack against the British Royal Navy while talks of armistice were in the works.

Sailors soon catch wind of an unapproved secret plot by top brass of the Navy to attack the British Royal Navy. Seeing the move as a suicide mission and peace talks in the works the navy men ignored orders to launch, and instead disarmed officers to take over the ships at both ports.