Sms Hindenburg: Bring Deeps, Scapa Flow, Orkney

ND39NW 8049 3167 9943

N58 52.6333 W3 11.1167

NLO: Bring Deeps [name centred HY 300 022]

Holm of Houton [name: HY 315 029]

Calf of Cava [name: HY 322 006]

Cava [name: ND 327 995]

Barrel of Butter [name: HY 352 009]

Point of Tuberry (Cava) [name: HY 334 993]

Stromness [name: HY 253 090]

Scapa Flow [name centred HY 36 00].

For other ships within this group, see:

HY30SW 8001 Kaiser (battleship)

HY30SW 8003 Prinzregent Luitpold (battleship)

HY30SW 8005 Kaiserin (battleship)

HY30SW 8006 Karlsruhe (cruiser)

HY30SW 8013 Konig Albert (battleship)

HY30SW 8016 Derfflinger (battlecruiser)

HY30SE 8006 Baden (battleship: secondary location)

ND39NW 8041 Seydlitz (battlecruiser)

ND39NW 8045 Moltke (battlecruiser)

ND39NW 8050 Von der Tann (battlecruiser)

ND39NW 8051 Nurnberg (cruiser).

Formerly entered as Site no. 8835.

For general plans of High Seas Fleet (Internment Formation) wrecks in Scapa Flow, see Van der Vat 1986 (endpapers), Smith 1989, 4, Macdonald 1998, 19 and George 1999, 35.

Raised by Cox and Danks, 1930.

P L Smith 1989.

Listed among 'German salvage sites'.

G Ridley 1992.

Horizontal Datum = OGB

Buoyage =

General water depth = 16

Circumstances of Loss Details

-----------------------------

The German battlecrusier HINDENBURG was scuttled.

Surveying Details

-----------------------------

1919. A dangerous wreck, with a least depth 8.2 metres and with its mast showing, is reported at 58 52 38N, 003 11 07W.

1926. Salvage operations have begun and a temporary Notice to Mariner's has been issued.

1929. Salvage work is to recommence in March 1930. The wreck was raised on 22 July 1930.

8 August 1930. The wreck is still in Mill Bay. 2 concrete blocks are being used for steadying. The wreck is still in its original position.

19 August 1930. The wreck has been removed, but the position 58 52 38N, 003 11 07W remains foul. (authority not stated)

20 September 1930. The 2 concrete blocks have 16.45 metres over them. (authority not stated)

Hydrographic Office, 1995.

(Name cited as [SMS] Hindenberg). Only guns remain. Registration: German.

(Location of loss cited as N58 52.50 W3 11.25).

I G Whittaker 1998.

Length: 689ft (210m)

Beam: 95ft 3ins (29m)

Draught: 28ft (8.5m)

Displacement: 26180/28000 tons [also cited as 26180/28000 and as 26,600]

Propulsion: steam turbines; 4 propellers; 85,000 hp; 27/28 kts

Armament: 8 x 30.5cm (12ins: 50 cal: twin turrets); 12 or 14 x 15cm (5.9ins: 45 cal: single mountings); 4 x 8.8cm AA (3.5ins: 45 cal: single mountings); 4 x 50cm (19.7ins) torpedo tubes [Tertiary armament cited by Jane as 12 x 24pdr with no AA armament fitted: this remains unverified].

Armour: belt 11.75ins (298mm); turrets 10.75ins (273mm)

Complement: 1112/1214

This battlecruiser was the final vessel of the three-strong Derfflinger class, and was built by Schichau at Wilhelmshaven (also cited as Blohm and Voss at Hamburg), being laid down in July 1913, launched on 1 August 1915 and completed in May 1917. At the time of their construction, the ships of this class were considered the best battlecruisers in the world, having 12-inch guns in superimposed turrets, tripod masts and a flush-decked design.

She missed the Battle of Jutland and apparently saw little war service, but was the largest (but not the heaviest) ship in the Internment Formation, being fractionally longer than SMS Derfflinger (HY30SW 8016).

This ship was the last to scuttle and settled (uniquely) on an even keel in shallow water, her upperworks projecting above the surface. Her attitude, situation in 70ft (21m) depth of water, and position (about 1km W of Cava) made this appear the obvious first target for the attempted salvage of a heavy ship (some 25 destroyers having already been lifted). It was originally intended to use her hull as a lifting pontoon in further operations. Work was considerably assisted by the discovery during initial survey of plans which detailed her pumping arrangements, but was delayed by the general strike of 1926. Initial attempts at lifting (in September 1926) proved spectacularly unsuccessful on account of bad weather and stability problems. Operations were then postponed, SMS Moltke (ND39NW 8045) being raised in the interim. The ship was finally brought to the surface on 23 July 1930, her superstructure and tripod mast, and at least one of her forward turrets being first removed. Concrete wedges were placed under the quarters to prevent listing, and the number of patches fitted reached eight hundred. The wreck was then beached in Mill Bay [name: ND 306 955] until August, when it was towed uneventfully to Rosyth. It was then the largest wreck ever salvaged.

The cited location of this wreck falls about 0.65nm SSW of Calf of Cava light and in a charted depth of about 16m. The seabed type is not noted locally, but the location is within an extensive area of foul ground.

This ship may be considered as falling within the Bring Deeps group of heavy ships, which were scuttled within the area defined by Holm of Houton [name: HY 315 029], Calf of Cava [name: HY 322 006] and Green Head (Hoy) [name: ND 303 993].

Bring Deeps may be understood as a south-eastwards extension of Hoy Sound. It has a generally flat bottom at a charted depth of between 35 and 50m; the seabed type is defined sparingly but is apparently sandy. An area of spoil ground is noted around N58 53.9 W3 12.2 [HY 30 01], and may attest to the former presence of the High Seas Fleet.

Information from RCAHMS (RJCM), 7 January 2003.

H M Le Fleming 1961; D Van der Vat 1986; S C George 1999; Jane [2001].

HO Chart 35 (1980, revised 1991).

This vessel is considered a 'casualty' rather than a craft on account of its successful salvage, the available evidence being written rather than material. In the absence of diver survey, however, artifacts, fittings and, possibly, structural elements may survive on or in the seabed at the location of scuttling. Depressions in the seabed may also represent the locations of the turrets or superstructure.

Information from RCAHMS (RJCM), 10 January 2003.