The German Fleet
The remains of the WW1 scuttled warships.
Tug alongside scuttled German destroyer G 102 at Scapa Flow. Photo: Imperial War Museum
Exploring the German Wrecks of Scapa Flow:
A divers time capsule
Scapa Flow, nestled in the Orkney Islands of Scotland, is one of the world’s premier cold-water wreck diving destinations and for good reason. Beneath its chilly, nutrient-rich waters lie the ghostly remains of the German High Seas Fleet, scuttled in 1919 at the end of World War I. These historic wrecks offer a fascinating blend of naval history, marine life, and world-class diving. In total, 74 German warships were interned at Scapa Flow following the armistice. On June 21, 1919, Rear Admiral Ludwig von Reuter gave the fateful order to scuttle the fleet, to prevent the ships from falling into Allied hands. Today, several of these massive vessels, primarily battleships and cruisers still rest on the seabed, preserved by the cold, dark waters and protected as scheduled ancient monuments. Among the most iconic dive sites are the battleships Kronprinz Wilhelm, Markgraf, and König, each offering an awe-inspiring experience as divers descend upon their colossal hulls. For those interested in exploring cruisers, Dresden, Brummer, Karlsruhe and the Cöln present more accessible depths and and Karlsruhe structural details like gun turrets and engine rooms that continue to fascinate even seasoned wreck divers. These wrecks lie between 12 and 45 meters, making them suitable for advanced and technical divers. A thriving marine ecosystem adds an additional layer of interest, with anemones, crabs, and shoals of pollock often seen among the rusting iron. Whether you’re a history buff, a wreck diving enthusiast, or someone chasing legendary dive sites, the German wrecks of Scapa Flow offer an unforgettable underwater journey through one of the most dramatic chapters of naval warfare.
SMS Kronprinz Wilhelm
Kronprinz Wilhelm, a König-class battlecruiser, was laid down in 1911, launched in February 1914, and commissioned in August 1914. Initially named Kronprinz, she was renamed Kronprinz Wilhelm in 1918. She was one of four ships in the König class, alongside König, Grosser Kurfürst, and Markgraf.
In May 1915, Kronprinz suffered a minor gun explosion without major damage. She participated in the 1916 raid on Lowestoft and Great Yarmouth and took part in the Battle of Jutland, where she was unharmed despite being in the fleet's vanguard.
Kronprinz was later involved in recovering two German submarines and was torpedoed by the British submarine J1, requiring a month of repairs. In March 1917, she was accidentally rammed by Grosser Kurfürst, flooding her with 600 tonnes of water, leading to more repairs.
In October 1917, she joined Operation Albion, engaging the Russian battleship Graschdanin without sustaining damage. On 15 June 1918, she was renamed Kronprinz Wilhelm, but in November, she left Germany for Scapa Flow, where she was scuttled later that year.
• Depth: 12-38 meters
• Type: Battleship
• Condition: The Kronprinz Wilhelm is quite a well-preserved battleship, offering large sections of the ship’s hull and superstructure for divers to explore.
• Dive Highlights: Key features include its massive gun turrets, which are still clearly visible, along with the ship’s propellers and boiler rooms. The wreck is largely intact and lies on the seabed, upside down to her starboard side. This wreck is a home for a vast array of marine life, including starfish, anemone, scallops, crabs, lobsters and an array of different fish species.
SMS König
Laid down in 1911 and launched in 1913, König was the lead ship of the König-class battleships in the Imperial German Navy. Commissioned in 1914, she led the German line at the Battle of Jutland in 1916 but suffered a rough start, running aground in the Kaiser Wilhelm Canal and being rammed by Grosser Kurfürst in December 1914.König participated in the 1915 raid on Lowestoft and later led the German line during the Battle of Jutland, where she took heavy damage, including 10 direct hits and significant casualties. Despite listing to port and taking on water, she returned to port by 1 June 1916.In October 1917, she participated in Operation Albion, engaging Russian forces and helping sink the battleship Slava. By October 1918, König was involved in the Kiel mutiny, with several officers killed.After the war, König and the cruiser Dresden were the last ships to arrive at Scapa Flow for internment in December 1918. Unlike most of the High Seas Fleet, König was not raised after the 1919 scuttling.
• Depth: 24-40 meters
• Type: Battleship
• Condition: Large sections of the hull remain intact but also badly broken up in places. a great dive, something for almost every level of diving. She is one of the most salvaged and damaged of all the German wrecks but it makes for one of the most interesting too, as you can view the internal workings of this ship.
• Dive Highlights: The wreck is upside down with a list to the port. Divers can explore the propellers, the stern, the main guns, and the hull. The visibility is generally good, and the wreck is home to a rich variety of marine life including but not limited to sea urchins, dead mans fingers, crabs, lobsters, and a host of different varieties of fish
SMS Markgraf
Markgraf, a König-class battleship built in Bremen, Germany, was commissioned in October 1914 and served in World War I. Along with her sister ships, she participated in major battles, including the Battle of Jutland in May-June 1916, where she took five heavy hits, killing 11 men and wounding 12. After repairs, she was involved in the failed 1917 attack on Sunderland and the 1917 Operation Albion in the Baltic, where she struck two mines and suffered flooding but managed to reach Wilhelmshaven for repairs. In October 1918, Markgraf was sent to Kiel, where riots led to the arrest of 180 sailors, contributing to the German Revolution. The ship was interned in Scapa Flow in November 1918 and was scuttled in 1919, sinking in deeper waters, which spared her from extensive salvaging.
• Depth: 24-45 meters
• Type: Battleship
• Condition: The Markgraf is one of the better-preserved wrecks in Scapa Flow, with large parts of its hull still intact, providing excellent diving opportunities. Lying upside down to her port side.
• Dive Highlights: Divers can explore the stern, propellers, large guns, and other structural elements. The wreck is the deepest of all 3 battleships and makes it an excellent site for intermediate divers. This is probably one of Scapas most iconic dives. Some of the wonderful marine life you might encounter are deadmans fingers, starfish, crab, lobster, scallops and again a whole variety of fish species.
SMS Brummer
SMS Brummer, a mine-laying vessel built by AG Vulcan in 1915, was one of two minelayers (along with Bremse) designed to bolster the German Navy's limited number of such ships. Unlike light cruisers, Brummer and Bremse were lightly armoured and armed but could carry up to 400 mines, significantly more than cruisers.
The ships resembled British Aurora-class cruisers with their curved bows and collapsible masts. Their hulls had three decks, with oil and coal bunkers.
In October 1917, Brummer and Bremse intercepted a British convoy from Bergen to Lerwick. Disguised in dark grey to blend in as British ships, they sank the destroyers HMS Mary Rose and HMS Strongbow, along with nine neutral vessels. The attack was brutal, with no warning given to neutral crews, resulting in the deaths of 250 men, though some survivors were rescued by trawlers.
The raid raised plans to convert Brummer and Bremse into commerce raiders, but these were never carried out. In November 1918, Brummer was interned at Scapa Flow.
• Depth: 18-34 meters
• Type: Light Cruiser
• Condition: The wreck lies in two main sections, making it more challenging to explore, but also can host an easy dive for all levels, with little to no current. It lies on its starboard side.
• Dive Highlights: Divers can explore the main guns, the stern, and the engine room, though the wrecks scattered nature means navigation can be tricky. The capstan and kedge anchor are still in place, along with the mast. The searchlights can be seen on the seabed. The Brummer is covered with marine life including starfish, sea urchins, crab, lobster, scallops and a variety of small shoaling fish along with cod Pollock and other species. Seals are often seen here too providing a unique diving experience.
SMS Cöln
SMS Cöln was a light cruiser of the Cöln class, one of only two completed, the other being SMS Dresden. Launched on 5 October 1916, she was named after a predecessor that sank near Heligoland. While ten ships were planned, only Cöln and Dresden were finished during World War I.
Despite the setback at Jutland in 1916, Germany continued to build surface warships, with Cöln and Dresden being the last light cruisers constructed. There was confusion over the ship's name, as "Cöln" was the correct form, seen on her bell now at the Scapa Flow Visitor Centre.
Cöln was commissioned late, on 17 January 1918, due to material and personnel shortages. She served in the II Scouting Group, which suffered heavy losses at Jutland before her commission. Cöln saw little action, mostly conducting patrols and mining. At the war's end, she was in Wilhelmshaven.
During the Kiel mutiny in 1918, her crew stayed loyal and sailed away to avoid unrest. She arrived in the Firth of Forth on 21 November 1918, before being interned at Scapa Flow, where she struggled with a leaking condenser.
• Depth: 18-34 meters
• Type: Light Cruiser
• Condition: The Cöln has large sections of the hull that still remain. It is one of the more popular wrecks for divers looking for a unique experience. This makes for quite an easy dive with very little current.
• Dive Highlights: The bridge section can be seen, with its armoured control tower and range finder. Some of the guns can be seen and the kedge anchor remains in place along with the rudder. The Cöln is a good dive site for those comfortable with navigating broken wreckage. She lies on starboard side. This wreck is definitely one of the favourites. This wreck is home to a huge amount of marine life, including scallops, sea anemones, sea urchins, deadmans fingers and fish life in abundance. Seals are often found here too.
SMS Dresden
SMS Dresden was a Cöln-class light cruiser, one of only two completed, the other being SMS Cöln. Launched on April 25, 1917, she replaced the original SMS Dresden, scuttled in 1915 after the Battle of the Falklands. The Cöln-class was a slightly larger, faster version of the Königsberg class, and despite the failure of the German fleet at Jutland in 1916, these ships demonstrated Germany's commitment to surface warships.
Dresden wasn’t fully operational until August 1918, joining the II Scouting Group of the German High Seas Fleet. She participated in a failed operation to attack a British convoy in Norway in April 1918 and was later involved in a planned attack on British merchant shipping in October 1918. However, this mission was canceled due to a sailors' mutiny.
Amid the unrest, Dresden was ordered to Eckernförde, and then to Swinemünde, where false reports of a mutiny led her crew to partially scuttle the ship. After Germany’s surrender, Dresden was among the last ships to intern at Scapa Flow, arriving on December 6, 1918, due to turbine failure and leaks.
• Depth: 22-36 meters
• Type: Light Cruiser
• Condition: The Dresden is good for picking a depth. The bow is 24m and stern is 36 and is in a fairly decayed condition. The wreck has scattered remains, with sections of the hull and stern still identifiable. It is largely intact with the anchor chain, guns, armoured bridge, range finder and name-ship shield. •
Dive Highlights: The Dresden is an excellent site for all divers interested in exploring warship remains. The main guns and propellers are among the key highlights. This wreck is a host of marine life too including lobster, crab, scallops and a variety of fish species. At certain times of year, near the anchor chain, you might spot a wolf eel too. Different types of anemones and dead mans fingers are growing in abundance down there.
SMS Karlsruhe
SMS Karlsruhe, a Königsberg-class light cruiser, was laid down in May 1915 and named after its predecessor, which sank in 1914. Along with its sister ships Emden, Königsberg, and Nürnberg, Karlsruhe featured improved protection, with coal bunkers and oil tanks offering extra defense. Commissioned in November 1916, Karlsruhe served in the II Scouting Group, patrolling the Heligoland Bight and protecting minesweepers. In 1917, she took part in Operation Albion to eliminate Russian forces in the Gulf of Riga, escorting German troops and acting as a scout for the IV Battle Squadron. In April 1918, she protected Bremse and Arcona during a failed operation off the Norwegian coast. Later that year, Karlsruhe guarded the Flanders coast during the German evacuation of Zeebrugge and Bruges. She was the only ship of her class scuttled at Scapa Flow in 1919, while Nürnberg and Emden were beached. The wreck was sold in 1962 and partially dismantled between 1963 and 1965.
• Depth: 16-27 meters
• Type: Light Cruiser
• Condition: The Karlsruhe is one of the most fragmented wrecks in Scapa Flow and is the smallest of the four cruisers. Its remains are scattered across the seabed, with sections of the hull and superstructure still visible. She lies on her starboard side
• Dive Highlights: The wreck is broken into large sections, offering a unique challenge for divers. The wreck’s large guns, propellers, and parts of the hull are visible, though much of the structure is missing. The boiler room is exposed and some of the items in the engine room can still be seen. This dive is among one of the favourites and is a home for an array of marine life including a variety of fish, crab, lobster, sea urchin and starfish. This wreck is particularly good for scallops.
The Seven German Wrecks of Scapa Flow provide divers with a thrilling glimpse into naval history. These wrecks, from the mighty battleships like the König and Kronprinz Wilhelm to the lighter cruisers such as the Brummer and Karlsruhe, offer diverse and exciting dive sites for those with the necessary technical diving expertise. Whether you’re exploring their immense structures or diving deeper into the broken remains, these wrecks are a must-visit for any serious diver with an interest in history.
Apart from the “the big seven” there are plenty other options for you to dive.