Scapa Flow wrecks for sale on Ebay
The wrecks of four First World War ships that have been lying on the seabed in Orkney for a century have been put up for sale on ebay.
The vessels are part of the German High Seas Fleet, which was famously scuttled at Scapa Flow while interned there as the Treaty of Versailles was being finalised.
The scuttling was carried out on 21 June 1919 on the orders of Admiral Ludwig von Reuter to prevent allied forces seizing the ships after Germany’s defeat in the conflict.
Intervening British guard boats were able to beach a number of the ships, but 52 of the 74 interned vessels sank.
Many of the wrecks were salvaged over the next two decades and towed away for scrapping.
The seven that remain today – three battleships that took part in operations such as the Battle of Jutland, three light cruisers and a fast mine-layer – have become popular diving sites.
Prospective buyers now have the chance to buy some of the historical vessels, which are protected as official scheduled monuments.
It’s the first time the ships have been put on the market for nearly 40 years.
Their current owner, Tayside-based diving contractor Thomas Clark, bought them from a salvage firm for an undisclosed sum in 1981.
Now aged 70, Mr Clark has retired and hopes the ships will be taken on by someone with a vision for their future.
Mr Clark said: “It has been an absolute pleasure to own and dive on these iconic vessels and I regret I have not managed to do more with them during the period of my ownership.
“I look forward to passing them on to the new owner and hope they get the opportunity to realise their aspirations for the vessels.”
The selling agent has described the unusual offering as “a once in a lifetime opportunity” for someone to own their own sizeable naval fleet with historical significance – albeit a sunken one .
Up for grabs are what’s left of three dreadnought battle ships – the sister ships Kronprinz Wilhelm, Konig and Markgraf – listed at a ‘Buy it now’ price of £250,000 each, and the cruiser Karlsruhe, at a slightly more affordable £60,000. To get them all would set you back just under £1 million, including vat. Some of the vessels have already been partly salvaged.
Currently recreational divers are allowed to access the waterspace around the wrecks, but are not permitted to touch, enter or to go within one metre of them.
New owners would have the right to dive on the ships, including touching and entering, and also to reclaim items from within – subject to gaining the necessary permissions from the heritage body Historic Environment Scotland. The listing suggest there could be opportunities to generate revenue through tourism or recovery of materials from the wrecks, but warns that potentialbuyers should satisfy themselves of these possibilities. The Royal Navy battleship HMS Royal Oak – sunk in 1939 with 883 crew aboard – also lies in Scapa Flow and has been designated a war grave.
“It has been an absolute pleasure to own and dive on these iconic vessels and I regret I have not managed to do more with them during the period of my ownership”
THOMAS CLARK
It’s hard to find a present for the person who has everything. Well, perhaps not actually everything, but everything they appear to want, which is obviously not the same thing at all.
A nice woolly jumper? No, that was last year’s one. A book token? Bit boring. A hot air balloon ride? They’re afraid of heights. A sushimaking class? What if they’re allergic to shellfish? Hmm.
How about a World War One German dreadnought battleship? The SMS Kronprinz Wilhelm to be precise. We should warn you that it is a
bit on the expensive side with a “buy it now” price of £250,000 so this is probably only something to consider as a gift if you are a member of the super-rich. But if that’s too much, then how about the cruiser SMS Karlsruhe? A snip at £60,000.
One other thing we should probably mention before you dash off to the bank to discuss a loan. Both these ships and two others on sale on ebay are, well, at the bottom of the sea in Scapa Flow after being scuttled by their crew as Germany surrendered. But still, as the selling agent said, it’s “a once in a lifetime opportunity”.