Sms Frankfurt: Swanbister Bay, Scapa Flow, Orkney

HY30SE 8003 c. 3619 0467 removed from c. 335 017 [N58 53.9 W3 9.3]

N58 55.5 W3 6.5

NLO: Holm of Houton [name: HY 315 029]

Cava [name: ND 327 995]

Calf of Cava [name: HY 322 006]

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 8002 Dresden (cruiser)

HY30SW 8004 Konig (battleship)

HY30SW 8007 Markgraf (battleship)

HY30SW 8008 Kronprinz Wilhelm (battleship)

HY30SW 8009 Brummer (cruiser)

HY30SW 8010 Koln (cruiser)

HY30SW 8011 Grosser Kurfurst (battleship)

HY30SW 8012 Friedrich der Grosse (battleship)

HY30SW 8014 Bayern (battleship)

HY30SE 8004 Emden (cruiser: secondary location)

HY30SE 8005 Bremse (cruiser: secondary location).

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.

Beached: refloated by RN and handed over to the USA.

P L Smith 1989; G Ridley 1992.

This ship was interned in the Cava Sound group, but an attempt at scuttling proved inadvertent as British forces brought the ship ashore in Swanbister Bay [name centred HY 360 048].

Information from RCAHMS (RJCM), 8 November 2002.

Length: 476ft 8ins (145.3m)

Beam: 45ft 6ins (13.9m)

Draught: 17ft (5.2m)

Displacement: 5120/5400 tons

Propulsion: Schulz-Thorneycroft boilers (coal or mixed/hybrid coal and oil); geared steam turbines; 2 propellers; 45,000shp; 28 kts

Armour: belt 2.5ins (64mm); deck 0.75ins (19mm) [also cited as 6in (152mm) belt and 1.5ins (38mm) deck].

Armament: 8 x 15cm (5.9ins: 45 cal: single mountings); 2 x 8.8cm AA (3.4ins: 45 cal: single mountings); 4 x 50cm (19.7ins) torpedo tubes; 120 mines

Complement: 500

This light cruiser was the first unit of the two-strong Frankfurt class, and was built at Kiel Dockyard, being laid down in December 1913, launched on 20 March 1915 and completed in August 1915. She saw action at the Battle of Jutland (May 1916), and was not scuttled but was beached by British forces while still awash. She was taken to the USA in 1920 and subsequently expended as a target in aerial bombing trials.

The cited location of this wreck falls within the area of Swanbister Bay and is evidently the location of beaching. Van der Vat (1986, endpaper maps) locates this vessel on the NE side of the Cava Sound group, at HY c. 335 017 [N58 53.9 W3 9.3]. This location appears broadly correct and falls about 0.9nm NE of Barrel of Butter light. The charted depth in this area is about 30m (sloping towards the S). The nature of the seabed is not stated but rock is noted nearby. The chart notes wrecks nearby but no foul ground.

This ship may be considered as falling within the Cava Sound group of heavy ships and cruisers, which were scuttled within the area defined by Holm of Houton [name: HY 315 029], Calf of Cava [name: HY 322 006], Barrel of Butter [name: HY 352 009] and Point of Tuberry (Cava) [name: HY 334 993]. Cava Sound (which is not noted as such on the chart) may be understood as a relatively deep eastwards extension of Hoy Sound, leading into the broad expanse of Scapa Flow. It has a generally flat bottom at a charted depth of between 30 and 45m; the seabed type is defined sparingly but is apparently of sand and stones.

Apart from the specifically-indicated wrecks, an extensive area of foul ground and numerous obstructions and wrecks attest to the former presence of the High Seas Fleet. The former is situated around N58 53.85 W3 11 [HY 31 01], while the latter form a broad band extending from E to W between about N58 53.8 W3 8.4 [HY 34 01] and N58 53.9 W3 10.8 [HY 32 01].

Information from RCAHMS (RJCM), 8 January 2003.

H M Le Fleming 1961; G Bennett 1983; D Van der Vat 1986; R Macdonald 1998; [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.