Hundreds of wrecks that cost thousands of lives lie in Scapa Flow

THE waters of Scapa Flow are a graveyard for dozens of ships and an archaeological haven for divers trying to unearth their mysteries.

Regarded as one of the world’s great natural harbours, Scapa Flow covers just over 200 square miles and parts of it are almost 200ft deep.

It is sheltered by the Orkney mainland to the north, the island of Hoy to the west, South Ronaldsay and Burray to the east and Flotta to the south.

More than 1,000 years ago Vikings anchored their longships in its waters. Today Scapa Flow is at the heart of the oil industry, one of the key transfer and processing points where oil tankers share space with fishing boats, ferries, chartered diving vessels and tourist boats.

During the First World War, however, Scapa Flow was at the centre of the naval action, in its role as the base for the British Grand Fleet.

British vessels sailed from Scapa Flow in May 1916 to engage with the German High Seas Fleet at the Battle of Jutland. The battle resulted in the loss of eight British destroyers, three armoured cruises, three battle cruises and 6,097 men.

Following the battle Lord Kitchener, the Minister of War, visited the Grand Fleet in Scapa Flow on his way to Russia. As his vessel HMS Hampshire left the area there was an explosion, and the vessel sank with the loss of 737 men, including Lord Kitchener.

At the end of the war, 74 vessels from the Imperial German Navy’s High Seas Fleet were interned in the area. Believing the British planned to seize the vessels, Rear Admiral Ludwig von Reuter, the German officer in charge, gave the order to scuttle every ship.

In total, 52 ships were lost and while many were salvaged today divers regularly explore the wrecks of three battleships, three light cruisers and a fast mine-layer that lie between 40ft and 150ft below the surface.

Scapa Flow was centre of navy attention in the Second World War, and again the base for the Grand Fleet. HMS Royal Oak was anchored in Scapa

Bay in October 1939, when a German U-boat fired two torpedoes into its side. The vessel flooded and capsized with the loss of 833 lives.

More than 150 further wrecks lie scattered on the sea bed.