 During the German @-@ led Axis invasion of Yugoslavia in April 1941 , Sava served with the 1st Monitor Division . Along with her fellow monitor Vardar , she laid mines in the Danube near the Romanian border during the first few days of the invasion . The two monitors fought off several attacks by the Luftwaffe , but were forced to withdraw to Belgrade . Due to high river levels and low bridges , navigation was difficult , and Sava was scuttled on 11 April . Some of her crew tried to escape cross @-@ country towards the southern Adriatic coast , but all were captured prior to the Yugoslav surrender . The vessel was later raised by the navy of the Axis puppet state known as the Independent State of Croatia and continued to serve as Sava until the night of 8 September 1944 when she was again scuttled . 
