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Seize the dayThe story of the largest deliberate sinking of a fleet of ships in naval history is well documented. |  | |
The Koln
The Markgraf
The Koln
The Dresden
The Karlsruhe
The Brummer
The F2
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The story of the largest deliberate sinking of a fleet of ships in naval history is well documented. After the end of the First World War, ten battleships, six battle cruisers, eight light cruisers and 50 destroyers from the German High Seas Fleet were to be interned as part of the armistice. They ended up in the relatively sheltered waters of Scapa Flow in Orkney under the watchful eye of the Royal Navy, although still manned by a skeleton German crew.
On the morning of 21 June 1919, Rear Admiral Ludwig von Reuter ordered his men to sink the fleet rather than hand it over to the British. Reports differ as to why the ships were scuttled; nevertheless, seacocks were opened, pipes below the water line smashed, and at least one condenser per ship allowed to flood, ensuring that the ships would sink quickly with little chance of being saved. Eyewitness accounts describe the event as 'unbelievable', as thousands of tons of prime German fighting vessels simply disappeared beneath the waves in a mass of hissing and what was described as 'boiling water'.
Over the following years, many salvage operations took place, with valuable gunmetal and non-ferrous metals being the primary objectives. Some ships were salvaged in their entirety, while others had their engine rooms smashed and propellers and guns removed. However, some were either too deep or too inaccessible to be worth salvaging and to this day remain where they sank in the relatively sheltered waters of the sound in Scapa Flow.
Today, diving them is a must for all wreck divers interested in exploring some
of the largest naval shipwrecks anywhere
in the world. Of all the wrecks to dive, the German battleships and cruisers are the jewels in Scapa's crown.
The average visibility is around 10m but can get as high as 20m in mid-summer. The water temperature ranges from around 8°C to 14°C, so a drysuit is essential. A good nitrox mix will extend your bottom time and will be sufficient for the majority of the wrecks, while a rebreather or trimix dive could be considered for some of the deeper battleships.
For my mind, the best way to dive them is from a liveaboard, which also gives you a chance to explore some of the more remote islands in the evenings. I visited the wrecks from MV Halton, run by Bob Anderson, whose knowledge coupled with enthusiasm is hard to match. The Orkneys' remote location mean a fair amount of travelling for most visiting divers, many of whom drive there so that they can take their own kit. Northlink Ferries runs a regular service from Scrabster and Aberdeen - I favoured the former, which involves a longer, scenic drive but a shorter crossing (90 minutes long).
Battleships - König class
Displacement: 25,388 tons >> Dimensions: 575.5 x 96.8 x 30.2 feet >> Engines: three sets of turbines driving three propellers; coal/oil-fired >> Max speed:
21 knots >> Armament: five twin 12in, 14 5.9in and six 3.45in guns; four 3.45in
anti-aircraft guns; five 19.7in torpedo tubes >> Crew: 1,136
SMS Markgraf
Max depth: 46m
The deepest of the battleships, the Markgraf is completely upside-down - if anything, it lies slightly on its port side. Extensive salvage damage can be seen towards the bow and especially aft of midships. Towards the stern and virtually on the sea bed lies a row of intact portholes. At the stern itself, the tremendous sight of the huge twin rudders can be seen. As it is relatively deep, several dives are needed to fully appreciate the sheer size of this vessel.
SMS König
Max depth: 40m
The battleship König lies virtually upside-down, with its starboard side just above the sea bed. It was extensively salvaged, with a large section of the hull cut away, allowing easy entrance for the exploring diver. Some sections are so badly damaged that it is difficult to orientate yourself, but the extent of the damage means there are plenty of opportunities to penetrate the inner parts of the wreck. The upturned hull is covered with a huge variety of anemones and corals.
SMS Kronprinz Wilhelm
Max depth: 34m
The Kronprinz lies on its starboard side, almost upside-down. The superstructure is covered in silt and is difficult to make out, but the hull is in slightly better condition than the König, with both
bow and stern clearly visible. The top
of the wreck is covered with plumose anemones. A lot of wreckage is strewn across the sea bed. Orientating yourself is easy, as most of the hull remains identifiable along the port side, and the hull has four prominent bilge keels.
Light cruisers - Dresden II class
Displacement: 5,531 tons >> Dimensions: 510.2 x 46.9 x 21.1 feet >>
Engines: two sets of turbines driving two propellers; coal/oil-fired >> Max speed:
27.5 knots >> Armament: eight 5.9in guns; three 3.4in anti-aircraft guns; 23.6in
torpedo tubes; 200 mines >> Crew: 559
SMS Köln
Max depth: 34m
In nearly as good a condition as the Dresden, the Köln is also relatively intact and lies on its starboard side with the deck almost vertical. The visibility is good when the sun shines, and
the wreck warrants several dives. The only sign of salvage damage
is at the engine-room area, and the propeller and anchor chains have been removed. Two masts
lie on the sea bed, but the most impressive sight is the well-preserved guns toward the stern. The bow is also in superb condition and well worth exploring.
SMS Dresden
Max depth: 34m
Resting on its port side, the cruiser Dresden is one of the more complete of the German wrecks. The whole superstructure and the main mast, which lies perpendicular to the wreck, are relatively intact. The bow section is covered with plumose anemones, with the anchor chain running out on the starboard side. There is slight damage around its engine room, where some salvage took place. There are plenty of areas to venture into inside the wreck, although care should be taken around loose-lying plates.
Fast mine-laying cruiser - Bremse class
Displacement: 4,308 tons >>
Dimensions: 461.7 x 44.3 x 19.7 feet
>> Engines: two sets of turbines driving two propellers; coal/oil fired >> Max speed: 28 knots >> Armament: four 5.9in guns; two 3.4in anti-aircraft guns; 360 mines >> Crew: 309
SMS Brummer
Max depth: 34m
The Brummer lies on its starboard side and is in pretty good condition for its age. In reasonable visibility, it is easy to navigate around it, and the bridge and main mast structure is fairly intact. Both of the anchor chains run out and hang over the starboard bow, while a must-see for all divers is the 5.9in gun facing towards the stern just aft of the bridge. Towards the stern, significant salvage damage has broken up the engine-room section, allowing plenty of chances to explore and enter the wreck.
Light cruiser - Königsberg II class
Displacement: 5,354 tons >>
Dimensions: 496.7 x 46.9 x 20.7 feet >> Engines: two sets of turbines driving two propellers; coal/oil-fired >>
Max speed: 27.7 knots >>
Armament: eight 5.9in guns; two 3.5in anti-aircraft guns; two 19.7in torpedo tubes; 200 mines >>
Crew: 475
SMS Karlsruhe
Max depth: 24m
This cruiser is the shallowest and has the best visibility of the High Seas
Fleet wrecks. It has been heavily salvaged and lies on its starboard side. The hull has huge areas of damage,
but don't let this put you off diving it. Towards the forward section, two guns make an impressive sight, as do the anchor winches and chain. There are plenty of large holes that allow easy penetration, with all sorts of artefacts lying in the superstructure.
Escort vessel (Geleitboote)
class F1-F10
Displacement: 790 tons >> Dimensions: 249.1 x 28.9 x 10.6 feet >> Engines: two sets of Brown Boveri turbines driving two propellers; oil-fired >> Max speed: 26 knots >> Armament: two 4.1in guns; four 37mm and four 20mm anti-aircraft
guns >> Crew: 121
F2 and YC21 barge
Max depth: 18m
Although not from the First World War (it sank in 1946), the F2 escort vessel makes a very enjoyable second dive. Lying on its port side, it is in good condition, with its forward gun clearly visible. The stern part of the wreck
has been blown apart and much machinery is on display. About 15m away lies the wooden salvage barge YC21 that sank in a storm in 1968. There is a 20mm anti-aircraft gun
still in place in the main hold.
Blockship:
Gobernador Bories
Max depth: 14m
Deliberately sunk in 1915 to block the entrance to Burra Sound, this 2,332-ton iron single-screw steamer was built in West Hartlepool in 1882. It is probably one of the best 'blockships' to dive. It is fairly well broken up with only the bow and stern intact. The visibility tends to be better here than in the sound itself, with plenty of marine life sheltering from the fast tidal current, which flows over the wreck almost constantly.
Bayern turrets
Max depth: 35m
The four main armament turrets fell
from the Bayern battleship when it was salvaged in 1933. Diving them is a unique experience and is often sadly missed because divers think that they won't be of interest. Even though they are only the gun turrets, they weigh more than 600 tons each and rise some 10m off the sea bed. The experienced diver can get inside and see the massive 12in gun barrels at a depth of about
9m below the sea bed.
THANKS TO
• Bob Anderson of MV Halton
• Northlink Ferries
• Tony Hillgrove of TH Diving
• Lumb Brothers/GreenForce Lighting
• JMB Lighting
• Milton Keynes Sub-Aqua Club
Bibliography: The Wrecks of Scapa Flow by David M Ferguson
ISBN: 0907618065
CONTACTS
DIVING CELLAR CHARTERS
01856 850055
www.divescapaflow.co.uk
MV HALTON
01856 851532
www.mvhalton.co.uk
SCAPA FLOW CHARTERS
01856 850879
www.jeanelaine.co.uk
SCAPA FLOW DIVING HOLIDAYS
01856 851110
www.scapa-flow.co.uk
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