Diving Scapa Flow

The Orkney Islands, location of Scapa Flow a natural harbour since the days of the Norse invaders, more recently a base for the British Royal Navy, The final resting place for the remains of the German High Seas Fleet and the destination for this years Selby Aquanauts diving expedition. The story starts at the beginning of the twentieth century when Germany envious of the colonies of her European neighbours and the wealth they are bringing decided to build a navy to match that of the British Royal Navy, at the time the most powerful in the world and protector of the biggest empire the world has known. With the Royal Navy as her target Germany started the first arms race of the 20th century. The Royal Navy's policy at this time was to be able to outfight and outgun the 2nd and 3rd navies in the world combined so no two countries could form an alliance to defeat Britain and when Germany started their building Britain took a close interest. Since Britain was always more of a maritime nation than Germany the infrastructure was in place to build ships at will so this was a race Germany was destined to lose, especially when Britain brought out the first of a new class of warship, "the Dreadnought" larger and more powerful than any war ship ever built it gave its name to a new class of ships. As the great war started Germany's naval policy was to shell Eastern towns of England to tempt the Royal Navy out and take them out individually. This policy never worked as, Germany, always nervous of what was over the horizon, tended to hit and run so the two powerful navies played a game of cat and mouse around the North Sea, Each wanting to meet in battle, but nervous of the power of their adversaries, until May 1916. Both fleets were out in force when a Danish merchant ship steamed past on the horizen and both navies sent a detachment to investigate. The British ships were met by an outnumbering force of the German "High Seas" fleet so turned and lead the Germans in a running battle onto the guns of the rapidly advancing dreadnoughts of the "Grand Fleet". As darkness fell neither side could claim a definite victory. The Royal Navy had lost more ships but this was down to lighter armour to keep the ships faster and more manouverable. Most of the German ships had sustained damage that would have sunk a British ship so come the morning the German fleet had fled to harbour for repairs, many of them just floating hulks. The following day the "Grand Fleet" was back at sea and the "High Seas Fleet" was blockaded in port never to take to the seas in force for the remainder of the war. As the war came to an end the once proud German navy was escorted to internment at Scapa Flow where in a final defiant act they scuttled 74 of their own ships. Some were saved, others beached and during the 20's and early 30's a massive salvage operation took part and many of the ships were salvaged for scrap, but, with the onset of the second world war this came to a stop, and then, in 1945 when W.W.2 ended there was no shortage of scrap iron so the remaining 14 ship were left to rest. The Dive Trip Sailing South from our base at Stromness on the mainland of Orkney we pass the brooding high hills of Hoy on our right and as we head slightly east into the calm waters of Scapa Flow the islands part. In the distance we can see the low mounds of Burray, Flotta,Holm, Fara and Ronaldsay. Hoy by the way got its name because it's the hoyest island in the Orkneys, the Vikings either had a dry sense of humour or were not very imaginative with name giving. It's a glorious day, the sun glistening on the blue green water ahead. It's a forty minute trip out to the wreck we are diving today. There is no rush to get our equipment together so during the next half hour the usual leg pulling and mickey taking goes on. During this time most of the divers have brought their gear up from the drying room where it was hung up last night and are starting to assemble it. A number of jobs need to be done, making sure you got a good air fill yesterday and for the majority of divers aboard analysing the Nitrox fill (Nitrox is an oxygen enriched air which has recently become the gas of choice for most responsible and suitably qualified divers) Because the boat was full of Yorkshire folk there was of course the tight wad who used air all week because it was free, my nitrox bill for the week was