scuttling

Scuttling is the deliberate sinking of a ship or other vessel by its own crew or by others with access to its hull. The aim is usually to prevent the vessel from being captured, exploited, or salvaged by an enemy, or to deny its use in harbor defenses or to create a blockade. Scuttling can involve opening seacocks, flooding ballast tanks, rupturing hull compartments, removing watertight bulkheads, or other acts that ensure sinking.

Historically, scuttling has been used as a wartime measure and has occurred in several major naval episodes. The best-known example is the scuttling of the German fleet at Scapa Flow in 1919 to prevent its transfer to the Allies. Another famous instance occurred in Toulon in 1942, when French ships were deliberately destroyed to prevent Axis capture. Scuttling can be planned in advance or carried out as a last resort during combat to deny resources to an enemy.

Metaphorically, the term can describe the deliberate destruction or abandonment of a plan, project, or organization to prevent its success or to withdraw support.

In nautical terminology, scuttle also refers to a hatch or opening in a vessel's hull that can be opened to admit water as part of a scuttling operation.