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| CLASSIC DIVE BOOKS - Wrecks of Scapa Flow | ||
| Please note: The books are listed for interest only, and not offered for sale. |
| At Scapa Flow on 21 June
1919, there occurred an event unique in naval history. The German High
Seas Fleet, one of the most formidable ever built and prime cause of the
Great War, was deliberately. sent to the bottom of the British Grand Fleet's
principal anchorage at Orkney by its own officers and men. The Grand Scuttle
became a folk legend in both Germany and Britain. However, few people are
aware that Rear-Admiral Ludwig von Reuter became the only man in history
to sink his own navy because of a misleading report in a British newspaper;
that the Royal navy guessed his intention but could do nothing to thwart
it; that the sinking produced the last casualties and the last prisoners
of the war; and that fragments of the Kaiser's fleet are probably on the
moon.
(From the blurb in The Grand Scuttle). |
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DEATH OF A
FLEET
Paul Schubert and Langhorne Gibson. The loss of the German Fleet at Scapa Flow. |
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JUTLAND TO
JUNKYARDpjs soft only
The raising of the scuttled German High Seas Fleet from Scapa Flow - the greatest salvage operation of all time. S.C.George. First published 1973 by Patrick Stephen Ltd. Possibly several editions and reprints, possibly by othr publishers. Released in softcover 1999, by Birlinn Limited, London. On 21 June, 919, at Scapa Flow in Orkney, one of the most extraordinary events in naval history occurred. To the astonishment of those who witnessed it, the German High Seas Fleet - one of the most powerful in history - began in unison to sink. By late morning, ten battleships, six battlecruisers, eight light cruisers and a host of smaller ships lay on the seabed. Although at the time the Admiralty stated that salving the ships was an impossibility, from 1924 on, the great battlefleet was, ship by ship, raised and scrapped. Jutland to Junkyard is the story of this, the greatest salvage operation of all time. It recounts the extraordinary ingenuity, courage and resourcefulness of the salvagers in the face of extreme odds. Bottom, paperback,1999. [ps] |
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THE GRAND
SCUTTLE
Dan van der Vat. Hodder and Stoughton, London, 1982. ISBN 0 340 27580 4. Hardcover, dustjacket, 238 pages, mono prints, index. Birlinn Milited, Edinburgh, Scoland, 1997. ISBN 1 874744 82 3. Softcover, 240 pags, mono prints, index. From the back cover blurb of the paperback: This is the remarkable story of the scuttling of the German fleet in Scapa Flow. It contains previously unused German archive material, eye-witness accounts and the recollections of survNors, as well as many contemporary photos which capture the awesome spectacle of the finest ships of the time being deliberately sunk by their own crew. Dan van der Vat, born in Holland and educated in England, became a full-time author after 25 years in journalism. He has published seven books on maritime history, including The Ship that Changed the World and The Riddle of the Titanic (with Robin Gardiner), as well as a biography of Albert Speer. Call it the ‘Truk Lagoon of the British Isles' if you like, but the loss of shipping at Scapa Flow in the Orkney islands off Scotland is one of the most bizarre of all wartime incidents. On 21 June 1919, the German high Seas Fleet, one of the most formidable ever built and prime cause for the Great War, was deliberately sent to the bottom by its own officers and men. "The Grand Scuttle" became a folk legend in both Germany and Britain. After all, how often does an admiral order the sinking of his own, complete, fleet. If the scuttling was remarkable, more so was the purchase of the fleet and the attempted raising of some of the war ships for scrap. Van der Vat documents meticulously the reasons for this massive act of destruction (with lesser details on the subsequent salvage), providing a remarkable insight into German thinking at the time. Anyone interested in wreck diving will be educated, amused and entertained by The Grand Scuttle. Soft cover, 240 pages, mono plates. Top: Hardcover. Bottom: Paperback. [ps] |
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DIVE SCAPA FLOW
Rod Macdonald. Mainstream Publishing, Edinburgh and London, 1990. ISBN 1 85158 983 X. Hardcover, laminated boards, 126 pages, mono and colour prints, index, bibliography. rom the back cover blurb: Dive Scala Flow is.s comprehensive and practical guide to the spectacular and famous Orkney wrecks - the colossal, intact remains of the scuttled German fleet, U-boats, steamers, tugs and Churchill's extraordinary 'Blockships'. Since this book was first published there have been huge advances in diving technique and, with the new wave of 'technical diving', wrecks previously beyond the realm of the air diver can now be reached. This updated and revised edition incorporates these, particularly , HMS Hampshire which took Lord Kitchener to his doom in 1916. Rod Macdonald's intimate knowledge of the dives is supplemented by up-to-date information on charterers, travel and accommodation in the area. An essential companion for discovering the underwater secrets and intriguing naval history of Britain's most popular dive site, Dive Scapa Flow comes complete with new illustrations, photographs and charts. I believe the book is still in print and readily available in the UK. |
