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A dive trip to Scapa Flow wrecks of WW1

(part 1)

The Orkney Islands, location of Scapa Flow a natural harbour since the days of the Norse invaders, more recently a base for the Royal Navy, the final resting place for the remains of the German High Seas Fleet and the destination for this year's 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... (continue)

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