Unknown: Lyness Wharf, Ore Bay, Scapa Flow, Orkney

Three 'obstructions' lie in the waters to the SE of Lyness Pier.

Moore and Wilson, 1997

Coastal Zone Assessment Survey

UKHO Identifier : 000990

Feature Class : Obstn

Obstruction Category : Foul ground

State : LIVE

Classification : Unclassified

Position (Lat/long) : 58.83389,-3.18722

Horizontal Datum : ORDNANCE SURVEY OF GREAT BRITAIN (1936)

WGS84 Position (Lat/long) : 58.83347,-3.18879

WGS84 Origin : 3-D Cartesian Shift (BW)

Previous Position : 58.83388,-3.18722

Position Quality : Approximate

Depth : 11.9

Depth Quality : Least depth known

Water Depth : 12

Water Level Effect : Always under water/submerged

Vertical Datum : Lowest Astronomical Tide

Name : Foul

Type : REMAINS OF SHIP

Flag : GERMANY

Contact Description : Notable debris

Original Sensor : None reported

Original Detection Year : 1934

Original Source : Other

Surveying Details : **H7105/34 25.10.34 FOUL OF 6.5FMS 109 DEG 0.5 CABLES FROM SE CORNER OF LYNESS WHARF. (CP 17750/34)

**7.11.74 AMEND TO FOUL 11.9MTRS. NC 2568 (PLAN - LYNESS WHARF).

Chart Symbol : F PA 11.9

Date Last Amended : 28/09/1999

Date Position Last Amended : 28/09/1999

Sitename : Lyness Wharf

Altname : Hoy

Note : From MBES geophysical data - at NGR 331452E 994561N, an area of low mounds, c. 117 metres by 79 metres, off Lyness Wharf c. 0.5 metres high that could be associated with anchorages or the salvaging of the German High Seas Fleet off Lyness. It is part of an area of similar sized mounds covering 1.2 kilometres between Hoy and Fara extending from offshore of Mill Bay to Ore Bay. High potential.

This area of mounds is near the obstruction Canmore ID 102248, which was previously given as an approximate position.

Kevin Heath (pers. comm) Unknown wreckage.

Source :

Aspect Survey,Lyness SeaZone TruDepth Points SeaZone in OSGB36 SeaZone Dataset 109871,SeaZone,2011

The Scapa Flow 2013 Marine Archaeology Survey Project, commissioned by Historic Scotland, undertook remote sensing surveys and archaeological diving evaluations at some of the sites within Scapa Flow, Orkney and at the Churchill Barriers.

The project aimed to establish or confirm the identification, extent of survival, character and condition of around 28 known but mostly poorly recorded First and Second World War wreck sites, 8 salvage sites, several sites thought to be associated with Second World War Boom Defences, and a limited sample of geophysical features identified in previous studies (Project Adair).

The work built on that of previous surveys including those completed as part of the ScapaMap Project (2001 and 2006) and by Wessex Archaeology Scapa Flow Wrecks Survey (2012), amongst others.

The project was completed by ORCA Marine and SULA Diving

58 50.008 N 3 11.327 W The remains of both contacts from the side scan sonar survey lie on a muddy bottom in 8m – 12m of water in an area of slight tide. The remains at both contacts are moderately corroded and have a limited coverage of short animal turf.

Both contacts were found to be large hollow circular steel objects. The circular rings are punctuated by weight saving apertures spaced 10-15cm apart. The central aperture of each of the rings is filled with numerous sections of grating, copper piping and crumpled steel plates.

Contact 1 protruded straight out of the seabed, but was not a complete circle and part of the ring appears to have collapsed.

Contact 2 is more intact and stands further off the seabed, protruding at a slight angle.

There was some evidence of modern debris in the remains.

Results

The presence of gratings often found in the funnels of battleships, and evidence from the Seydlitz salvage site where another of these features was identified in association with more debris to provide additional contextual data), suggests these are the remains of funnels. Likely deposited during salvage activities in the area it is not possible to associate these remains with a specific ship, and as such they cannot be dated.

Information from Annalisa Christie, Kevin Heath and Mark Littlewood (ORCA) March 2014

58 50.008 N 3 11.327 W This site was assessed by side scan sonar surveys using a winch-towed towfish. The side scan image showed two circular features approximately 30m apart. The contact to the northwest (Contact 1) measures 10.2m by 6.2m and stands 0.78m proud of the seabed. The contact to the southeast (Contact 2) measures 7.3m by

6.2m and stands 1.78m proud of the seabed. This feature appears more intact than Contact 1.

and diver ground-truthed using the methods detailed in Section 4.3 and 4.5 above.

Stills and video footage were collected during two dives – one on each circular

feature. A selection of these are presented in Figure 35.

Results

Side Scan Data