Sms G39: Gutter Sound, Scapa Flow, Orkney

ND39NW 8027 3167 9702

N58 51.3333 W3 11.0667

NLO: Gutter Sound [name centred ND 316 968]

Mill Bay [name centred ND 307 955]

Fara [name: ND 329 959]

Stromness [name: HY 253 090]

Scapa Flow [name centred HY 36 00].

For other ships within this group, see:

ND39NW 8009 V129 (destroyer)

ND39NW 8011 S136 (destroyer)

ND39NW 8012 G92 (destroyer: probable secondary location)

ND39NW 8016 S52 (destroyer)

ND39NW 8018 V70 (destroyer)

ND39NW 8019 S53 (destroyer)

ND39NW 8020 G89 (destroyer: possible secondary location)

ND39NW 8021 S55 (destroyer)

ND39NW 8022 G91 (destroyer)

ND39NW 8023 S36 (destroyer)

ND39NW 8024 S32 (destroyer)

ND39NW 8026 G86 (destroyer)

ND39NW 8028 G35 (destroyer: identity uncertain)

ND39NW 8029 S138 (destroyer)

ND39NW 8030 S53 (destroyer: identity uncertain and possible secondary location)

ND39NW 8031 G40 (destroyer)

ND39NW 8032 B110 (destroyer)

ND39NW 8033 B112 (destroyer: possible secondary location)

ND39NW 8034 B109 (destroyer)

ND39NW 8036 G104 (destroyer)

ND39NW 8037 G101 (destroyer)

ND39NW 8038 V83 (destroyer: secondary location)

ND39NW 8044 G103 (destroyer)

ND39NW 8053 B109 (destroyer: secondary location)

ND39NW 8055 S56 (destroyer)

ND39NW 8057 G38 (destroyer)

ND39NW 8058 H145 (destroyer: possible secondary location)

ND39NW 8059 B111 (destroyer)

ND39NW 8062 V127 (destroyer: possible secondary location)

ND39NW 8063 V126 (destroyer: secondary location)

ND39NW 8064 V125 (destroyer: secondary location)

ND39NW 8065 V82 (destroyer: secondary location)

ND39NW 8066 V81 (destroyer: initial location)

ND39NW 8068 V43 (destroyer)

ND39NW 8069 V100 (destroyer)

ND39NW 8070 V73 (destroyer)

ND39NW 8071 V80 (destroyer)

ND39NW 8072 S60 (destroyer)

ND39NW 8073 S51 (destroyer)

ND39NW 8074 S137 (destroyer)

ND39NW 8075 V128 (destroyer: doubtful location)

ND39NW 8076 V78 (destroyer: probable secondary location)

ND39NW 8077 S65 (destroyer)

ND39NW 8078 V46 (destroyer)

ND39NW 8079 V44 (destroyer: secondary location)

ND39NW 8082 G102 (destroyer: secondary location)

ND39NW 8083 S132 (destroyer: secondary location)

ND39SW 8002 V45 (destroyer: secondary location, probably formerly on ND39NW)

ND39SW 8005 S131 (destroyer: secondary location, probably formerly on ND39NW)

ND39SW 8012 S50 (destroyer: secondary location, probably formerly on ND39NW)

ND39SW 8013 S49 (destroyer: secondary location, probably formerly on ND39NW)

ND39SE 8003 S54 (destroyer: secondary location, probably formerly on ND39NW)

(All the above locations are apparently primary unless otherwise specified).

Formerly entered as ND39NW 8805.

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.

SMS G39: no. I flotilla, with G38, G40 (leader), G86, V129 and S32.

D Van der Vat 1986.

Raised by Cox and Danks, 1927.

P L Smith 1989.

Listed among 'German salvage sites' with destroyers SMS G38 (ND39NW 8057), S52 (ND39NW 8016), S53 (ND39NW 8019) and S55 (ND39NW 8016). Attributed to No. 1 Flotilla.

G Ridley 1992.

Horizontal Datum = UND

Circumstances of Loss Details

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

The German Destroyer G39 was scuttled.

Surveying Details

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

1919. A dangerous wreck, with the least depth of 1.8 metres, is reported at 58 51 20N, 003 11 04W

1925/26. The vessel lies on top of the destroyer G86. It was raised and towed away to Mill Bay on 3 July 1925.

1927. The hull is broken up.

See the wreck of G86 in the same position.

Hydrographic Office, 1995.

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.

Length: 261ft (79.6m)

Beam: 27ft 6ins (8.4m)

Displacement: 822/1051 tons

Propulsion: steam turbines; 2 propellers; 24,000/25,000 hp; 33/36 kts

Armament: 3 x 89mm (3.5in) guns; 6 x 60cm (19.7in) torpedo tubes; 24 mines

Complement: 85/100

SMS G39. This ship was built by Krupp's Germania Yard, Kiel, launched on 16 January 1915 and completed in 1915 as the third unit of the six-strong G37 class. She was raised by Cox and Danks on 3 July 1925, and scrapped in 1927. The cited location of this vessel, which is apparently primary, falls in the centre of the N entrance to Gutter Sound and about 400m SE of the SE end of Rysa Little.

This ship may be considered as falling within the Fara/Rysa (Gutter Sound) group of destroyers and torpedo craft, which were scuttled within the area of Gutter Sound [name centred ND 316 968]. This area of water may be understood as a narrow sheltered passage between the islands of Hoy, Fara and Rysa Little, to the W of the broad expanse of Scapa Flow. It has a level seabed at a charted depth of between 13 and 16m; the seabed type is indicated sparingly but is apparently a mixture of gravel, shingle and sand. Apart from the specifically-indicated wrecks, extensive areas of foul and spoil ground and numerous obstructions attest to the former presence of the High Seas Fleet. Wrecks (Wk or Wks) are noted at N58 50.3 W3 11.3 [ND 314 951], N58 50.75 [ND 310 959] and around N58 50.7 W3 11.5 [HY 312 958], the latter annotation having a buoy immediately to the W. Areas of foul ground are charted around N58 49.7 W3 10.5 [ND 321 939], N58 50.05 W3 10.9 [ND 317 946] and N58 51.l3 W3 10.7 [ND 320 969].

The recorded identical locations for ships in this group may reflect their being moored in trots.

Information from RCAHMS (RJCM), 6 June 2003.

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

HO chart 35 (1980, revised 1991).