▁Ludwig ▁von ▁Re uter ▁and ▁sent ▁to ▁meet ▁the ▁Al lied ▁fleet ▁of ▁some ▁ 3 7 0 ▁vessels . ▁Hi pper ▁watched ▁from ▁shore ▁as ▁the ▁German ▁fleet ▁left ▁for ▁Sc apa ▁Flow ▁on ▁ 2 1 ▁November ▁ 1 9 1 8 . ▁He ▁later ▁wrote , ▁My ▁heart ▁is ▁breaking ▁with ▁this ; ▁my ▁time ▁as ▁fleet ▁commander ▁has ▁come ▁to ▁an ▁ing lor ious ▁end . ▁The ▁remaining ▁questions ▁of ▁dem obil ization , ▁dis arm ament , ▁and ▁the ▁negoti ations ▁with ▁the ▁soldiers ▁coun c ils ▁can ▁be ▁handled ▁by ▁my ▁chief ▁of ▁staff ; ▁I ▁have ▁nothing ▁more ▁to ▁do . ▁I ▁shall ▁remain ▁pro ▁forma ▁in ▁command ▁for ▁a ▁short ▁time , ▁otherwise , ▁I ▁am ▁dead ▁tired . ▁Less ▁than ▁two ▁weeks ▁later , ▁on ▁ 2 ▁December , ▁Admir al ▁Hi pper ▁submitted ▁his ▁request ▁to ▁be ▁placed ▁on ▁the ▁in active ▁list . ▁He ▁retired ▁on ▁ 1 3 ▁December ▁with ▁a ▁full ▁p ension ; ▁at ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁ 5 5 , ▁Hi pper ▁spent ▁almost ▁ 3 7 ▁years ▁on ▁active ▁duty ▁in ▁the ▁Imperial ▁Navy . ▁The ▁German ▁fleet ▁in ▁Sc apa ▁Flow , ▁mean while , ▁was ▁sc utt led ▁by ▁its ▁crew ▁on ▁ 2 1 ▁June ▁ 1 9 1 9 . ▁ ▁Post - war ▁life ▁Following ▁the ▁German ▁defeat ▁in ▁World ▁War ▁I , ▁Hi pper ▁retired ▁on ▁ 1 3 ▁December ▁ 1 9 1 8 ▁from ▁the ▁n avy ▁and ▁lived