Gutter Sound
Encyclopedia
Gutter Sound is an inlet of the vast anchorage of Scapa Flow
in the Orkney Islands
of Scotland
. Gutter Sound was the site of the mass-scuttling
of the interned
German Imperial
High Seas Fleet
in 1919.
required Germany to surrender the virtual entirety of the Kaiserliche Marine
's High Seas Fleet to the Allies
for the duration of the armistice, and pending a final decision about their fate. In total, 74 ships were brought to Scapa Flow and moored at Gutter Sound, manned by skeleton crews, and under the command of Rear-Admiral Ludwig von Reuter
. As negotiations towards the drawing up of the Treaty of Versailles
progressed, Reuter feared that the fleet would be seized by the allies. He drew up plans to scuttle it should this appear likely. Eventually, acting on faulty intelligence from dated British newspapers, he decided that the seizure of the ships was imminent and on 21 June 1919 he gave the order to commence scuttling the ships.
Fifty-two of the seventy-four ships, totalling more than 400,000 tons (more than twice as much tonnage as the combined losses in the Battle of Jutland
) were successfully sunk, seventeen were towed into shallow water and beached, and four torpedo boats remained afloat. The effort marked the greatest tonnage of ships ever sunk in a day or in a single port.
, 43 by Ernest Cox
during the 1920s. He used a variety of techniques, lifting the smaller ships with floating dock
s and hawser
s. With the larger ships he patched all of the holes and then pumped the hulls with compressed air
to force out the water and make them float upside down. Seven of the wrecks are still in Scapa Flow, and are a popular target for divers
.
Commercial salvage work on the vessels ceased in the late 1970s and further salvage is no longer technically possible. There was some minor salvage work in the 1990s to remove some of the radiation free metal plating from the wreck of the Kronprinz Wilhelm., that has been used in space satellite
s and some medical equipment. Metal forged before the first nuclear detonation in 1945 does not contain any trace of radioactive isotopes that are now present in the atmosphere. The background radiation
of these isotopes could exhibit an effect on fine sensors used in space.
The seven vessels that remain are protected as maritime scheduled ancient monument
s.
divers. In addition, debris and wreckage left from the ships salvaged is sometimes dived as well.
Scapa Flow
right|thumb|Scapa Flow viewed from its eastern endScapa Flow is a body of water in the Orkney Islands, Scotland, United Kingdom, sheltered by the islands of Mainland, Graemsay, Burray, South Ronaldsay and Hoy. It is about...
in the Orkney Islands
Orkney Islands
Orkney also known as the Orkney Islands , is an archipelago in northern Scotland, situated north of the coast of Caithness...
of Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. Gutter Sound was the site of the mass-scuttling
Scuttling
Scuttling is the act of deliberately sinking a ship by allowing water to flow into the hull.This can be achieved in several ways—valves or hatches can be opened to the sea, or holes may be ripped into the hull with brute force or with explosives...
of the interned
Internment
Internment is the imprisonment or confinement of people, commonly in large groups, without trial. The Oxford English Dictionary gives the meaning as: "The action of 'interning'; confinement within the limits of a country or place." Most modern usage is about individuals, and there is a distinction...
German Imperial
German Empire
The German Empire refers to Germany during the "Second Reich" period from the unification of Germany and proclamation of Wilhelm I as German Emperor on 18 January 1871, to 1918, when it became a federal republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of the Emperor, Wilhelm II.The German...
High Seas Fleet
High Seas Fleet
The High Seas Fleet was the battle fleet of the German Empire and saw action during World War I. The formation was created in February 1907, when the Home Fleet was renamed as the High Seas Fleet. Admiral Alfred von Tirpitz was the architect of the fleet; he envisioned a force powerful enough to...
in 1919.
Scuttling of the fleet
The terms of the armistice of 11 November 1918Armistice with Germany (Compiègne)
The armistice between the Allies and Germany was an agreement that ended the fighting in the First World War. It was signed in a railway carriage in Compiègne Forest on 11 November 1918 and marked a victory for the Allies and a complete defeat for Germany, although not technically a surrender...
required Germany to surrender the virtual entirety of the Kaiserliche Marine
Kaiserliche Marine
The Imperial German Navy was the German Navy created at the time of the formation of the German Empire. It existed between 1871 and 1919, growing out of the small Prussian Navy and Norddeutsche Bundesmarine, which primarily had the mission of coastal defense. Kaiser Wilhelm II greatly expanded...
's High Seas Fleet to the Allies
Allies of World War I
The Entente Powers were the countries at war with the Central Powers during World War I. The members of the Triple Entente were the United Kingdom, France, and the Russian Empire; Italy entered the war on their side in 1915...
for the duration of the armistice, and pending a final decision about their fate. In total, 74 ships were brought to Scapa Flow and moored at Gutter Sound, manned by skeleton crews, and under the command of Rear-Admiral Ludwig von Reuter
Ludwig von Reuter
Ludwig von Reuter was a German admiral during World War I, who commanded the Imperial German Navy's High Seas Fleet when it was interned at Scapa Flow at the end of the war. On 21 June 1919 he ordered the scuttling of the fleet to prevent the British from seizing the ships.-Early life:Reuter was...
. As negotiations towards the drawing up of the Treaty of Versailles
Treaty of Versailles
The Treaty of Versailles was one of the peace treaties at the end of World War I. It ended the state of war between Germany and the Allied Powers. It was signed on 28 June 1919, exactly five years after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. The other Central Powers on the German side of...
progressed, Reuter feared that the fleet would be seized by the allies. He drew up plans to scuttle it should this appear likely. Eventually, acting on faulty intelligence from dated British newspapers, he decided that the seizure of the ships was imminent and on 21 June 1919 he gave the order to commence scuttling the ships.
Fifty-two of the seventy-four ships, totalling more than 400,000 tons (more than twice as much tonnage as the combined losses in the Battle of Jutland
Battle of Jutland
The Battle of Jutland was a naval battle between the British Royal Navy's Grand Fleet and the Imperial German Navy's High Seas Fleet during the First World War. The battle was fought on 31 May and 1 June 1916 in the North Sea near Jutland, Denmark. It was the largest naval battle and the only...
) were successfully sunk, seventeen were towed into shallow water and beached, and four torpedo boats remained afloat. The effort marked the greatest tonnage of ships ever sunk in a day or in a single port.
Aftermath
A number of the sunken ships were salvagedMarine salvage
Marine salvage is the process of rescuing a ship, its cargo, or other property from peril. Salvage encompasses rescue towing, refloating a sunken or grounded vessel, or patching or repairing a ship...
, 43 by Ernest Cox
Ernest Cox
Ernest Frank Guelph Cox was an electrical and mechanical engineer and marine salvage expert from Wolverhampton. Between 1924 and 1931 his Cox & Danks Shipbreaking Co. successfully raised 35 of the German fleet that had been scuttled at Gutter Sound, Scapa Flow in 1919. He eventually sold the...
during the 1920s. He used a variety of techniques, lifting the smaller ships with floating dock
Floating dock
A floating dock is a platform or ramp supported by pontoons. It is usually joined to the shore with a ramp that rests upon the dock on rollers, to adjust for the vertical movement of the dock...
s and hawser
Hawser
Hawser is a nautical term for a thick cable or rope used in mooring or towing a ship. A hawser passes through a hawsehole, also known as a cat hole, located on the hawse....
s. With the larger ships he patched all of the holes and then pumped the hulls with compressed air
Compressed air
Compressed air is air which is kept under a certain pressure, usually greater than that of the atmosphere. In Europe, 10 percent of all electricity used by industry is used to produce compressed air, amounting to 80 terawatt hours consumption per year....
to force out the water and make them float upside down. Seven of the wrecks are still in Scapa Flow, and are a popular target for divers
Wreck diving
Wreck diving is a type of recreational diving where shipwrecks are explored. Although most wreck dive sites are at shipwrecks, there is an increasing trend to scuttle retired ships to create artificial reef sites...
.
Commercial salvage work on the vessels ceased in the late 1970s and further salvage is no longer technically possible. There was some minor salvage work in the 1990s to remove some of the radiation free metal plating from the wreck of the Kronprinz Wilhelm., that has been used in space satellite
Satellite
In the context of spaceflight, a satellite is an object which has been placed into orbit by human endeavour. Such objects are sometimes called artificial satellites to distinguish them from natural satellites such as the Moon....
s and some medical equipment. Metal forged before the first nuclear detonation in 1945 does not contain any trace of radioactive isotopes that are now present in the atmosphere. The background radiation
Background radiation
Background radiation is the ionizing radiation constantly present in the natural environment of the Earth, which is emitted by natural and artificial sources.-Overview:Both Natural and human-made background radiation varies by location....
of these isotopes could exhibit an effect on fine sensors used in space.
The seven vessels that remain are protected as maritime scheduled ancient monument
Scheduled Ancient Monument
In the United Kingdom, a scheduled monument is a 'nationally important' archaeological site or historic building, given protection against unauthorized change. The various pieces of legislation used for legally protecting heritage assets from damage and destruction are grouped under the term...
s.
Diving the wrecks
Today the seven remaining wrecks, though deep, make for popular and interesting dives for skilled scubaScuba diving
Scuba diving is a form of underwater diving in which a diver uses a scuba set to breathe underwater....
divers. In addition, debris and wreckage left from the ships salvaged is sometimes dived as well.
| Name | Type | Depth |
|---|---|---|
| Brummer SMS Brummer SMS Brummer was a minelaying light cruiser of the German Kaiserliche Marine; she was the lead ship of her class. Her sister ship was . Brummer was laid down at AG Vulcan's shipyard in Stettin in 1915 and launched on 11 December 1915 and completed on 2 April 1916... |
light cruiser Light cruiser A light cruiser is a type of small- or medium-sized warship. The term is a shortening of the phrase "light armored cruiser", describing a small ship that carried armor in the same way as an armored cruiser: a protective belt and deck... |
36m |
| Köln | light cruiser | 36m |
| Karlsruhe SMS Karlsruhe (1915) SMS Karlsruhe was a light cruiser of the Königsberg class, built for the German Imperial Navy during World War I. She was named after the earlier Karlsruhe, which had sunk in November 1914, from an accidental explosion.-Construction:... |
light cruiser | 36m |
| Dresden SMS Dresden (1916) SMS Dresden was the second and final ship of the of light cruisers to be completed and commissioned in the Kaiserliche Marine. The ship was laid down in 1916 and launched on 25 April 1917; she was commissioned into the High Seas Fleet on 28 March 1918... |
light cruiser | 25m |
| König SMS König SMS König"SMS" stands for "Seiner Majestät Schiff" was the first of four König class dreadnought battleships of the German Imperial Navy during World War I. König was named in honor of Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany, who was the king of Prussia as well as the German Emperor... |
battleship Battleship A battleship is a large armored warship with a main battery consisting of heavy caliber guns. Battleships were larger, better armed and armored than cruisers and destroyers. As the largest armed ships in a fleet, battleships were used to attain command of the sea and represented the apex of a... |
43m |
| Kronprinz Wilhelm SMS Kronprinz Wilhelm SMS Kronprinz"SMS" stands for "Seiner Majestät Schiff" was the last battleship of the four-ship of the German Imperial Navy. The battleship was laid down in November 1911 and launched on 21 February 1914. She was formally commissioned into the Imperial Navy on 8 November 1914, just over 4... |
battleship | 38m |
| Markgraf SMS Markgraf SMS Markgraf"SMS" stands for "Seiner Majestät Schiff", or "His Majesty's Ship" was the third battleship of the four-ship . She served in the German Imperial Navy during World War I. The battleship was laid down in November 1911 and launched on 4 June 1913... |
battleship | 47m |
External references
- The Grand Scuttle: The sinking of the German Fleet at Scapa Flow in 1919. Hodder and Stoughton, London, 1982