On October 15, 1914, a British warship called the HMS Hawke was sailing off the coast of Scotland when it was hit by a German torpedo. Out of 594 sailors, only 70 survived the Hawke ’s quick descent into the depths, where it’s been lost for over a century.

Two German navy ships sailed through the sensitive Taiwan Strait on Friday in the first such transit in two decades, demonstrating Berlin's resolve to stand with Western allies at a time of soaring tensions between Taipei and Beijing.

Beijing has accused Berlin of undermining security in the Taiwan Strait after German warships transited the waterway that separates the Chinese mainland and the island seen by China as its own territory.

China's military on Saturday condemned the transit of two German navy ships through the Taiwan Strait saying it increased security risks and sent the "wrong" signal, adding that Chinese forces monitored and warned the vessels.

The strait is one of the major waterways in the Indo-Pacific region, separating China to the west and Taiwan to the east. The Chinese foreign ministry on Friday claimed that Taiwan was related to China's sovereignty and territorial integrity.