The Silent Fleet of Scapa Flow

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20.11.2022 16:31
Kategorie: News

Wreckdiving at the Imperial battle fleet

On 21st June 1919, off the northern tip of Scotland, the Imperial German Navy sunk nearly an entire battlefleet in one fateful afternoon. Startlingly, that fleet was their own and their actions unwittingly created one of the world’s finest wreck diving destinations.

Gallery 1 here

Report by Steve Jones

Descending into an emerald void, I slow as the appearance of a hull surprises me. It is massive, beyond anything I’d imagined! I hover above this metal desert, trying to comprehend the scene before heading over the side into the beckoning darkness. We drop a further 20 metres into a tangle of twisted metal, our powerful lamps scanning for familiar shapes in an upside-down world, for this ship rolled as it sank, pulled over by the weight of thick deck armour and heavy weaponry. The distinct outline of a gun barrel emerges, menacing, as if it were sailing out of surface fog and suddenly the ship reveals itself. This is the mighty Markgraf, which at the time of its sinking was one of the most powerful battleships ever created. 
 
Behemoths

The sheer scale of this ship must be seen to be believed. Displacing more than 25,000 tonnes and 146 metres in length, there is so much to explore, more than enough for multiple dives. Lying at 45 metres to the seabed, the SMS Markgraf is the deepest of the German Fleet wrecks here, a factor that may have helped protect it from extensive salvage, thus preserving one of the finest diveable battleship wrecks in the world.

Gallery 2 here

The starboard side, propped up by the superstructure, is where the most interest lies; here we soon find more casemate guns, reminding us that this ship bristled with weaponry that could take on any opponent. There were 14 of these smaller 15-centimetre guns, used primarily for defence; the offence came from the 10 main guns, which could hurl huge 405kg shells onto targets 15 kilometres away. Whilst buried and inaccessible on this wreck, they are very much within reach on a nearby sister ship.

I have a battleship above my head

There are few wrecks in the world where divers can see the iconic main guns of a battleship; this fact alone makes Kronprinz Wilhelm a favourite amongst wreck aficionados.  As we near the seabed, my dive partner Bob Anderson, the affable captain of our boat, beckons me to follow him under the ship. Acutely aware that I have a battleship above my head, I move with extreme care to avoid disturbing sediment, yet my apprehension dissipates as the enormous 30.5cm gun emplacements appear, an awe-inspiring view of weapons once fired in anger. All three German battleships in Scapa Flow saw serious action that included the Battle of Jutland, where the full might of the British and German fleets faced off in one of the most momentous sea battles in history. These very guns fired some of the 264 shells expended by this vessel during an encounter that cost the lives of thousands of sailors on each side. We emerge and head forward, finding the spotting tower that would have helped guide those shells to their targets with deadly accuracy, before we ascend the anemone-covered hull to within 12 metres of the surface, whittling away our decompression stops on the way.

Lessons in design

The SMS König is the third German battleship we visit at Scapa Flow and due to heavy salvage blasting it needs careful pre-dive route planning if we are to get the best out of it. Being the least dived of the battleships, marine life thrives here, evidenced by the schools of pollock that greet us at the bottom of the line. After a short swim, we arrive at a turbine that contributed to the enormous 43,000 horsepower the engines produced to propel this fast ship to 21 knots. Dropping into deeper water, Bob points out the precise dovetail joints of the armoured citadel, the 30cm-thick rectangular casing of steel that protected critical core areas.  We finally arrive at the base of one of the barbettes, an armoured housing in which a main gun rotated. Salvage has exposed much of the inner workings of this wreck; by following my experienced guide, the dive has become an educational lesson in battleship design!

Gallery 3 here

Vulnerable to submarine attack, the approaches to Scapa Flow were fortified with defences, the simplest of which were deliberately sunk ships barricading the entrances. These “block ships” lie in clear-water channels and are well worth exploring, some of them allowing you to spend the entire dive inside them. Their shallow depth also helps keep in check the inevitable nitrogen accumulation from deeper dives, ensuring you can still maximise time on some of the most endearing wrecks, the cruisers.  Less-intense dives than the much larger battleships, the four German cruisers lie on their sides, so you do not need to go as deep to see the best of them. Consequently, they appeal to a wider range of diving experience; the shallowest is the SMS Karlsruhe, a 112-metre-long light cruiser lying at 25 metres. 
Extensively blasted during salvage, what this wreck lacks in aesthetics is made up by a glimpse of the inner workings of the ship. Starting at the bow we encounter massive anchors, their chains still wrapped around the huge capstans. The bow has broken off and lies on the seabed, now an oasis for brittle stars and wrasse. Two of the main 15cm guns lie nearby, defiantly pointing forward.

We head aft, passing the remains of the armoured control tower, the command post during battle instead of the more vulnerable bridge, before we reach the boiler room which generated enough steam pressure to propel this ship to 27 knots, fast even by today’s standards.

Reclaimed by time

The Dresden lies on a slope, 25 metres at the bow yet 38 metres at the stern. The wrecks deterioration is obvious; as it slowly turns, sinking into the seabed, gravity is peeling away the forward deck. Nonetheless, this 5,620-tonne warship remains an imposing sight.
As we swim into deeper water, we reach where the bridge once stood.  Nearby, a solitary bathtub lies in the sand, poignantly resting near the officer’s accommodation.

Similarly, the forward deck is also peeling away on the Brummer, which is otherwise in good condition with lots to see, making it a firm favourite with divers. This mine-laying cruiser has one of the most memorable features of all the wrecks, an intact bridge whose anti-magnetic brass construction has resisted corrosion. Further back we find a camera-like iris that once allowed a searchlight to shine and be extinguished in an instant, a design that gave a significant advantage during night actions. Salvage on the Brummer was largely restricted to the engine room but even here there are plenty of artefacts to be seen on this enthralling dive.

Gallery 4 here

The intactness of the cruiser Cöln inspires awe, yet my attention is distracted by the sheer amount of wildlife on this wonderful wreck. At the anemone-covered bow, I’m intrigued by a dark shadow inciting panic amongst the schooling fish. As I lower my camera, a grey seal swoops in - when the school reforms, their numbers are depleted by one. The easiest to navigate, this wreck also lies on its side between 22 and 36 metres with features that are quickly recognisable: gun emplacements, armoured control tower, bridge, engine room, all where expected. As time runs out we glimpse the elegant stern before returning along a hull teeming with crabs and starfish, clambering over each other and leaving no space unoccupied.

As the wreck fades into the rich green waters beneath, I am left with the feeling that I have barely scratched the surface exploring this historically significant area that sits up there with Truk Lagoon and Bikini Atoll as one of the world’s great wreck diving locations.

General Information
A Fleets Last Act

Scapa Flow, a strategically important natural harbour in the heart of the Orkney Islands, has seen its fair share of tragedy, including the World War Two torpedoing of HMS Royal Oak, where 833 sailors lost their lives. However, it was immediately after World War One that fateful events transformed this into one of the world’s great wreck diving destinations.

Following the November 1918 Armistice, seventy-four ships of the Kaiserliche Marine were interned here, but as final peace proved elusive, the German fleet commander, Rear Admiral Ludwig von Reuter, became fearful the British would seize his ships. He formulated a plan to thwart such an outcome.

Finally, Germany was given a deadline to accept terms by 21st June 1919 or war would resume and that morning Von Reuter, in full dress uniform, gave the order to scuttle his fleet. Meticulous preparation by his crews assured success; by late afternoon, where there was once a battlefleet there was now floating debris.  Fifty-two ships were on the bottom, the remainder beached by the Royal Navy. Sixteen German sailors were wounded and nine killed during skirmishes, the last casualties of World War One. 
The armistice had in fact been extended two further days, but Von Reuter claimed he did not know, even though his British counterpart suggested otherwise. Both men stood by their opposing accounts for the rest of their lives with Von Reuter resolute that any British Officer would have done the same faced with the similar circumstances.

As for the men who sank their own fleet, they were considered to have committed an act of war during an armistice and were interned as prisoners of war until January 1920, the last World War I POW’s to return home, where they received a hero’s welcome. The war officially ended on June 28, 1919, just seven days after the momentous events that sent nearly an entire fleet to the seabed.

Gallery 5 here


The Great Salvage

By the early 20’s demand for steel attracted salvors to the sunken fleet, including the tenacious Ernest Cox, a man who so believed in the impossible that he bought all the wrecks, earning him the title “The Man Who Bought a Navy”.

Ingenious methods were devised for recovering the large ships, including airlocked tubes fastened to the wrecks allowing men to descend and work in the dry as they sealed the hulls, before filling them with air and re-floating the ships. 

Despite the dangers, they raised some of the largest ships including the 213-metre-long battlecruiser Hindenburg, which at the time was the largest vessel ever raised intact. Despite his ingenuity, Cox lost money and quit in 1933 allowing other companies to continue the work. The last of the big ships was raised in 1939 from a record 45 metres depth, bringing the total raised to 44 ships and placing it firmly amongst the biggest marine salvages in history. Minor operations continued until the late 70’s on the remaining German wrecks, comprising 3 battleships, 4 cruisers and a destroyer but they are now protected as historic monuments, allowing them to be enjoyed by divers for generations to come.

Travel info

International airports located in Edinburgh and Glasgow. From there it is approx. 6 hours drive to the ferry terminal at Scrabster in the north of Scotland.

NorthLink Ferries run car and passenger ferries from Scrabster to Stromness in Orkney. The ferry conveniently docks right next to where the dive boat is moored.

Alternately the regional airline Loganair flies from Edinburgh or Glasgow to Kirkwall in Orkney but technical divers should take note of baggage restrictions!

More infos on Scapa Travel Plans: www.clasina.co.uk/scapaplan/

Experience level: These wrecks are relatively deep and in temperate water, thus needing a drysuit. They are suitable for decompression-stop trained and experienced recreational divers or technical divers. Equipment hire available and full rebreather support (make arrangements in advance with MV Clasina).
Operator: MV Clasina at Clasina Charters; A well-equipped diving vessel with superb crew
Price: www.clasina.co.uk/booking-2023
Diving conditions and when to go: Dive Season is March to November. The water temperature ranges between 8°C in April to 14°C in September. Visibility is average 8 to 15 metres.
References and recommended reading:
Dive Scapa Flow (Rod MacDonald) ISBN: 978-1849952903.
More of Steve’s work can be seen at www.millionfish.com
Photographic info: Steve used the SEACAM housing for the Nikon D850 with a 13mm fisheye lens to photograph these wrecks. For lighting he used SEACAM S-150D strobes and off-camera LED lamps

More Information about Steve Jones
https://www.millionfish.com/index
https://www.instagram.com/photostevejones/

 

Scapa Flow on Taucher.Net