Scapa 1919: The Archaeology of a Scuttled Fleet

Description

The German fleet which fought the battle of Jutland surrendered at the end of WW1 and was interned in Scapa Flow pending the outcome of the Treaty of Versailles. In July 1919 the entire fleet attempted to sink itself in the Flow to prevent it being broken up as war prizes. Of the 74 ships present, 52 sunk and 22 were prevented from doing so by circumstance and British intervention. This book examines the scuttling, subsequent salvage, by the RN, locals, Cox & Danks and Metal Industries, of much of the fleet and crucially the remains of the seven intact warships from the scuttling and the remains of the lifted ships, which are more extensive then previously imagined. This has been done in the most comprehensive way because of the survey taking place in January 2017 aboard MV Vina the vessel previously used to survey the Jutland site. In this book, marine archaeologist and historian Dr Innes McCartney reveals for the first time what became of the warships that were scuttled, examining the circumstances behind the loss of each ship and reconciling what was known at the time to what the archaeology is revealing today. The knowledge of what was present was transformed in 2015 by a groundbreaking survey using the modern technology of multi-beam. . This is the first book to identify the locations of many of the wrecks, and how many of these sites have been illegally plundered for salvage. A revealing study of a fleet lost for nearly a century beneath the waves and the secrets it has given up on further study.

Dr Innes McCartney is a nautical archaeologist, explorer, historian and author. Over the last 25 years he has specialised in the discovery of and investigation into twentieth century shipwrecks including the wrecks of the Battle of Jutland and many British and German submarines. He has appeared regularly on documentaries such as Time Team Special and is a popular speaker at conferences.

fascinating, crisply written, and handsomely produced (Jutland 1916) * Andy Brockman, the UKs leading conflict archaeologist * a timely and valuable record of an important battlefield (Jutland 1916) * Archaeology magazine * a worthy companion for anyone studying the battle ... highly readable with some fascinating photos (Jutland 1916) * Warship World *