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The Koenig is a 145m long vessel, built at Wilhelmshaven in 1913 and 1914. She sank on 21st June 1919. She lays upside down in 40m of water. Her keel is at 20 metres.



E side of Cava island.

SMS König is also known as Konig.

SMS König

The SMS Dresden was a light cuiser class vessel. She was built at Kiel and launched April 1917. She was attacked by a British submarine and sunk in August 1917.

The wreck of the Dresden lies in 35 metres of water on her portside.

The Dresden was name-ship for the Dresden II class, and rests on her port side in water ranging from 25-45m. Although the hull is well preserved, the weather deck of the Dresden is collapsing to port, exposing the underside and burying the forward armaments in the mud of the area. Built in Kiel and launched on 25 April 1917, she was scuttled at 1130 hrs on 21 June 1919. Displacing 5,600 tons and 156m (512 ft) long, she was the heaviest of the light cruisers in the fleet, carrying 2.5" thick armour, and armed with eight 5.9" guns. 

E side of Cava island, just few mines off Embden.

SMS Dresden

SMS Markgraf was a battleship of the Kaiserliche Marine, the German Imperial Navy.

She was the third of four König class battleship built, weighing 25,388 tons and having a length of 175 m, 30 m at the beam and a draft of 9 m. She was powered by three turbines developing 46,000 hp (34 MW) each yielding a maximum speed of 22 knots. Her armament consisted of ten 305 mm guns, fourteen 150 mm guns, six 85 mm guns and five 500 mm torpedo tubes. She carried a crew of 1136 men and officers.

The Markgraf was built at the AG Weser shipyard at Bremen. She was launched on 4 June 1913 and officially completed on 1 October 1914. She served in the Third Battle Squadron and took part in the Battle of Jütland on 31 May 1916. Her final fight occurred in Scapa Flow, where she was scuttled. A group of Royal Marines killed the captain, Walter Schumann and the chief officer Hermann Dittman while trying to prevent the scuttling. On 21 June 1919, SMS Markgraf vanished beneath the surface.

The dive site of the SMS Markgraf lies inside Scapa Flow, in the Orkney Islands at (58° 53′31″N, 3° 9′55″W). The starboard side of the hull lies at 24 m and the port side at 45 m.

Source: Wikipedia.org

NE side of Cava island

SMS Markgraf

The Kronprinz Wilhelm was 177m long Koenig class vessel. She was launched on 21st Feb 1914 at the Germania Yard in Kiel. She sank on 21st June 1919.

She lays nearly upside down in 38 meters of water. The highest point of her upturned keel is about 12 metres from the surface.

NE side of Cava island.

SMS Kronprinz Wilhelm is also known as Kronprinz.

SMS Kronprinz Wilhelm

The SMS Brummer was a 140m long Bremse class vessel. It was built at Stettin by A.G. Vulcan and launched on 11 December 1915.

She lies on her starboard side at 36m deep.

NE side of Cava island.

SMS Brummer

The SMS Cöln was built in Hamburg by Blohm & Voss and launched in 1916. It was a sistership of the Dresden light cruiser. The boat was scuttled on 21st June 1919.

This 5600 ton light cruiser is 155.5m long! It is quite impossible to dive the entire wreck in a single dive. The penetration is easy due to the ease of access, with lots of opportunities to get out.


NE of Cava island.

SMS Cöln is also known as Koeln, Koln, SMS Cöln II.

SMS Cöln

Barrel of Butter is a 0-star rated scuba dive and snorkel destination in UK, Scotland, Orkney Isles, Scapa Flow which is accessible from shore based on 0 ratings.

Barrel of Butter

The SMS Karlsruhe was a Konigsberg II class light cruiser of 150m long. She was completed by Laiserliches Werft in January 1916 at Wilhelmshaven, and sank on 21st June 1919.

The SMS Karlsruhe is the shallowest of the High Seas Fleet, lying on her starboard in 26 metres with a minimum depth of 12 metres. The stern is quite impressive, don't miss it!


NW side of Cava island.

SMS Karlsruhe

The V83 Destroyer is a Torpedo-boat destroyer, V 67-84 class, built by A.G. Vulcan at Hamburg during 1916. She sank on 21st June 1919.

She is a shallow Scapa wreck. She lies in two parts. The bows is in 8 metres and stern in 16 metres. She is a good second dive.

NE side of Rysa Little island.

V 83 Destroyer

The F2 was a German Second World War escort vessel (similar to a destroyer). She was built at the Germaniawerft shipyard in Kiel in 1936. This 75m long vessel sunk in 1946. This is a good second dive.

At about 45m off the starboard of the F2 is a barge with an anti aircraft guns inside.

Gutter Sound (near Lyness), between Fara island and Hoy island.

F2 & Barge is also known as YC21 Barge.

F2 & Barge

The Gobernador Bories was a steamer built in 1882 in West Hartlepool. She sanl in 1915.

More broken than the Doyle, the Gobernador Bories is covered in kelp and makes a good second dive.

Burra Sound, between Graemsay island and Hoy island.

SMS König

Snorkeling and Scuba Diving at SMS König