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Tue 12
Jan 2016
Diving into History by Boyd
Harris. |
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The presentation covered two main
areas of underwater archaeology undertaken by members of Chorley
Sub-Aqua Club.
1. The remains of the sunken German
Fleet that was scuttled in Scapa Flow, Orkney in 1919
2. The excavation of the first Royal
Yacht ‘Mary’ which hit rocks off the Skerries, Anglesey and sank
in 1675. |
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Scapa Flow, Orkney was the base for
the British Grand Fleet.
Following the German defeat in WWI, 74
ships of the German High Seas Fleet were interned at Scapa Flow
pending a decision on their future in the peace Treaty of
Versailles.
On 21 June 1919, after nine months of
waiting, Rear Admiral Ludwig von Reuter, the German officer in
command at Scapa Flow, made the decision to scuttle the fleet
because the negotiation period for the treaty had lapsed. He
didn’t know the signing of the treaty had been delayed.
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Port side on the Coln
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The Treaty of Versailles
ended the state of war between Germany and the Allied Powers. It
was signed on 28 June 1919.
During the 1920s and 1930s the
majority of the scuttled ships of the German High Seas Fleet
were raised. It was one of the largest maritime salvage
operations in history. Of the 52 ships that sank, only 7 remain
beneath the waters of Scapa Flow. |
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The German Fleet in Scapa Flow 1919
before being scuttled. |
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Scapa Flow, Orkney was the base for
the British Grand Fleet.
Following the German defeat in WWI, 74
ships of the German High Seas Fleet were interned at Scapa Flow
pending a decision on their future in the peace Treaty of
Versailles.
On 21 June 1919, after nine months of
waiting, Rear Admiral Ludwig von Reuter, the German officer in
command at Scapa Flow, made the decision to scuttle the fleet
because the negotiation period for the treaty had lapsed. He
didn’t know the signing of the treaty had been delayed.
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Bow of the Brummer.
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Between 1924 and 1931 Cox & Danks
Shipbreaking Co. successfully raised 35 ships of the German
fleet.
Stromness Salvage Company and the Scapa Flow Salvage and
Shipbreaking Company also raised ships.
Several were raised by sealing the
ships from the inside and blowing air into them so they floated
to the surface upside down. Some were towed upside down to the
dry docks at Rosyth on the Firth of Forth.
During the 1970s Chorley Sub-Aqua Club
members visited Orkney to dive on some of the remaining German
wrecks. At the time there was little control on diving the
wrecks.
The wrecks of the Coln, Brummer, Dresden, Karlsruhe, Kronprinz
Wilhelm, Markgraf and Konig remain.
The main ones of interest were the:
Coln light cruiser Displacement:
5,620t.
Brummer light cruiser Displacement: Design: 4,385t.
Both wrecks lie on their side in about
35m depth of water. |
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The
Royal Yacht Mary.
On 11th July 1971 members of Chorley
Sub-Aqua Club were diving off the Skerries rocks off Anglesey
when a bronze canon was found lying on the seabed. It turned out
to be from the wreck of the ‘Mary’ sunk in 1675.
It was a Dutch 4 pounder 6ft long and
560lb.
A
team of divers from Merseyside had also been diving the area and
found other canon, but these were mostly English 3 pounders.
Both groups teamed up to excavate the
wreck. |
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Background:
On 3 Sep
1651
King Charles II
lost the Battle of Worcester to Cromwell, thereby ending the
Civil War.
He managed to escape the country to
France and eventually ended up being exiled in Holland. While
there he was impressed with their fast sailing vessels. The MARY
was built by the Dutch East India Company (VOC) in 1660 and
purchased by the City of Amsterdam, embellished and given to
Charles II when he was restored to the English throne. She then
became the first Royal Yacht.
Sir John Evelyn wrote in his diary 1
Oct 1661
“I sailed this morning in one of his
Yachts or pleasure boats, vessels not known among us till the
Dutch East India Company presented that curious piece to the
King, being excellent sailing vessel.” |
Charles II
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The Mary was 100 tons displacement,
52ft (16m) long * 19ft (6m), 10ft (3m) draught.
Charles II enjoyed racing her and
after owning her for a year he commissioned the Katherine as a
faster replacement.
Mary was then used for transporting
diplomats and civil servants and was used regularly for journeys
across the Irish Sea between Dublin and Holyhead. |
The Mary
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On 25 March 1675 she was sailing from
Dublin to Chester with 74 on board; 28crew & 46 passengers.
There were no lighthouses in those days and she hit the Skerries
rocks off Anglesey. 39 scrambled ashore but 35 died including
Capt. Burstow.
Following the discovery in 1971 the
divers teamed up the staff of Merseyside Maritime Museum to
carry out underwater excavations to recover and document the
remains before looters arrived. |
11th July 1971 Dutch 4 pounder
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The ‘Mary’ and also Henry VIII’s ‘Mary Rose’ wreck prompted the
introduction of the ‘Protection of Wreck Act’ 1973.
She was
designated as a protected site on 20 January 1974.
To
continue the excavations Chorley divers had to obtain a license
that was renewed annually. Surveys and reports were submitted as
part of the excavation process.
The many artefacts recovered,
including the full complement of bronze canon, are in Merseyside
Maritime Museum.
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The bronze guns
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One of those who went down with the
ship |
Silver tankard
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The door in Worcester where Charles II
escaped Cromwell in 1651 |
Gold locket with hair inside
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