Scapa Flow 2017 survey by the Sea War Museum Jutland
Date January 2017
Event ID 1172924
Category Recording
Type Multi Beam Sonar Scan
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/1172924
Multibeam sonar survey (2017) recorded the wreck of the light cruiser Sms Coln.
The wreck of Coln lies on its starboard side, pointing to the northwest and appears to be the most intact of all the High Seas Fleet shipwrecks. The salvage area around the engine rooms is easily spotted and minimal by comparison with Karlsruhe, supporting accounts that salvage of this wreck was relatively superficial (only the condensers and port side turbine were removed). Although more intact than the other light cruisers, Coln appears to be degrading in many of the ways also seen on the other light cruiser wrecks. At the stern, the upper deck has peeled away from the hull since 2006, as heavier features on the deck head to the seabed. The stern itself has largely collapsed. At the bow almost the entire plating from the forward capstans has become exposed as the side of the ship in this area has seemingly completely degraded.
Diver inspection (2013-17) recorded many notable features of the wreck: at the stern, an anchor capstan, a 5.9 in super-firing gun, and auxiliary helm. In the vicinity of the engine room salvage damage, there is a surviving torpedo tube and 88mm AA gun. Moving forward are intact davits, the bridge structure with main mast including crow’s nest and searchlight platform (loose on the seabed). Ahead of this, is the armoured conning tower. At the bow, the pair of 5.9 in guns have gone but the capstans and anchor chain survive. A pair of skylights aft of the gun emplacements sheds light into the crew accommodation area in the deck below.
I.McCartney 2019
