Scapa Flow underwater heritage investigations

Date December 2011 - 2020

Event ID 1093284

Category Project

Type Project

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/1093284

Survey work commissioned by Historic Scotland and Historic Environment Scotland to support consideration of a Historic Marine Protected Area for Scapa Flow's wartime underwater heritage. This involved a range of different surveys using a variety of investigative techniques includingg remote sensing (e.g multibeam sonar; sidescan sonar) and ground-truthing by divers.

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Related Event(s)

Event	Type	Subtype	Notes	Date
1169551	RECORDING	MULTI BEAM SONAR SCAN	UTM 30 N (WGS 84) X: 482056.2 Y: 6531960. Multibeam sonar survey data indicates that the wreck of Rotherfield lies along the eastern edge of Burra Sound at an orientation of 293° and the vessel appears to be resting on its keel. The wreck is largely dispersed but the outline of the vessel can still be identified (79.6m long, 14m wide and 5.5m high). Very little structural detail can be identified although the wreck appears to be better preserved at its stern to the south. Although the stern is covered in debris, substantial features are visible in the sonar data. An area of smooth plating just aft of midships may be a preserved part of the deck or a collapsed section of hull. There is a large amount of debris to the south and west of the wreck including a possible mast measuring 24m long which may or may not be part of the Rotherfield. [...]	6 December 2011
1169884	RECORDING	MULTI BEAM SONAR SCAN	UTM 30 N (WGS 84) X: 481881.6 Y: 6531895. The remains of what is thought to be the Urmstone Grange , lie on its keel in approximately 4.6m to 9.5m depth of water on a rocky seabed. The orientation of the wreck is 214°, roughly parallel to the side of the channel of Burra Sound. Although the wreck is largely dispersed its outline can still be made out as well. The wreck remains measure 94.4m long, 24.9m wide and 6.8m high, similar to the recorded dimensions of the vessel. There are several structural features discernible within the debris. In particular three boilers, forming a triangular pattern with two aft and one forward, are of a similar size measuring about 3m by 3.5m. Urmstone Grange is the only vessel in this area recorded as having three boilers. Approximately 6.5m forward of the boilers there are two circular objects, both with diameters of 2m, that may be mast footings. Further forward the vessel has largely broken up although there is some suggestion of preserved hull plating with ribs visible underneath. While there is no obvious debris field surrounding the main wreck evident in the multibeam data, debris may be hidden among the surrounding rocks. [...]	6 December 2011
1171085	RECORDING	MULTI BEAM SONAR SCAN	UTM 30 N (WGS 84) X: 495440.1 Y: 6520767. Multibeam sonar data records the probable remains of SMS S54 lying roughly parallel to the shore on the east side of Flotta on a relatively level plateau where the rocky shore meets a sandy seabed (depths range from 10.5 m to 13.7m). The observed length of the remains is 47.3m with a maximum width of 8m. The remains are well broken up and it is difficult to determine which end of the site is which although the possible identification in the sonar data of features which may be the turbine and propeller shaft might suggest that the north end of the wreck is the vessel’s stern. A debris field immediately around the wreck extends 16m to the north-east and 14.6m to the south-east but without clearly identifiable features. Further debris extends around 145m down slope to the south-east but it is unconfirmed if this material originates from S54. [...]	6 December 2011

Scapa Flow underwater heritage investigations

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References