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German High Seas Fleet The German fleet sank at their anchorages around the small island of Cava. Over the years many were salvaged completely, a remarkable story in itself, whilst others were blasted to access the valuable non-ferrous metals inside. Time and tide have also taken a toll, but the most remarkable fact lies in how well preserved the wrecks actually are. These are ships built to withstand the worst of naval barrages and their strength of construction has stood the test of time. Of the ships left, four are cruisers and three battleships. The cruisers lie in shallower water, between 18-36m, whilst the battleships are slightly deeper. The wrecks were recently surveyed using side scan sonar techniques, the results of which can be seen here. 
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The shallowest of the main wrecks, the Karlsruhe is a popular "shake-down" at the start of a diving trip. She lies on her starboard side with the shotline generally kept midships. There is often a slight tide, though never more than a diver can swim against. The basic structure of the hull is easily made out despite the salvage work that has opened up many areas of the hull, allowing access inside. The two forward guns lie almost on top of each other and are clearly visible.
The Dresden lies on a slight slope with the bows shallowest which allows for an easy conservative multilevel profile. This was the first dive that I did in Scapa and I can still picture to this day the bows emerging out of the gloom as I descended the shotline. The two stern guns are still in place and there is plenty of scope to explore the aft accommodation. In the last two years the deck has peeled away from the hull exposing the inner workings around the bows.
The Cöln is the most intact of the cruisers and gives the best idea of what these ships looked like in their heyday. The two stern guns are still in place and the bridge and accommodation are remarkably strong. The shotline is normally at the stern.
The Brummer, like the Cöln, is in good condition with the main structures intact. The best area to explore is forward around the bridge area were the shotline is usually tied.
The sheer size of the battleships often intimidate people on their first dive. One drop is not enough to fully explore a ship this big so most people aim for the big 12inch guns at the stern which are easily accessible. Being shallower, the Kronprinz is often dived first, allowing the diver to get their bearings before tackling the other two.
The Markgraf, like the other battleships, lies upside down so divers need to descend fairly deep to see the main structures other than the hull. The big guns and the casement guns are accessible whilst many divers spend time exploring the insides of this large wreck.
The König is the most broken of the battleships and for that reason the least dived. Although untouched by Cox and Danks, Nundy Metals placed charges against the hull to access her innards. Despite this there is still plenty left to see.
Most notable of the other sites is the F2. The F2 was a WW2 Escort Boat, handed over at the end of the war as part of the repatriations. Moored just off Lyness, she sank in 1946. A barge used to salvage her sank in 1968 and remains there to this day.
The F2 lies on her port side in 18m of water with the shotline near her forward gun. The forward section is relatively intact and a line runs from her hull to the barge 20m away. In the hold of the barge lies two AA guns, salvaged from the F2. This site can be dived at any state of the tide and, being very sheltered, in almost any weather conditions. Being shallow, it is a perfect afternoon dive. Others There are many other sites not mentioned here, including the V83, bottle dive and the scrapyard sites. The definitive guide is Rod Macdonald's "Dive Scapa Flow", an excellent source of information and an almost essential part of the dive kit for Scapa. Highly recommended reading.
Bob Anderson: bob@mvhalton.co.uk Tel:(01856) 851532
©Halton Charters
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