TROVE OF SQAPA FLOW

Evening Star, Issue 20138, 1 April 1929, Page 9

TROVE OF SQAPA FLOW

NEW TREASURES RAISED WONDERFUL SALVAGE WORK, For sale, eighteen battle cruisers and one light cruiser, sunk in Seapa Flow by a defeated enemy; once the pride of Germany; took part in tlio Battle of Jutland; bargains at £SOO and £I,OOO each; prospective purchasers must give proof of bona lides, for wlipm desired and for what purpose. Apply hi first instance at Admiralty,” This, in the language of the advertisement columns, sums up the position with regard to the German fleet, now rusty and barnacle-covered after nine years in the depths of Seapa Flow. There still remain to he salved eighteen battle cruisers and one jight cruiser, representing a tonnage of between 350,000 and 400,000. They comprise: Kaiser, Fneclerieh der Grosso, Prince Regent Lnitpold, Kinog Albert, Kronpnnz, Von der Tani), Gremen, Pillan, Brnmmer, Konig, Grosser Knrfnst, Mnrkgraat, Bayern, Hindenburg, Emdcn, Frankfurt, - Koln, and Bremisc. 'The first of the big vessels to bo saived, the Moitke, is in dry dock, bottom upwards, at Rosyth, .suffering indignities at the hands ol the Alloa Shipbreaking Company. Half of this 23,000-ton vessel lias disappeared—gone to Lanarkshire furnaces—and by the end of January she will be a name only. WINES —AND £2,000 IN GASH. A wonderful piece of navigation and salvage work was done by the salvors, Messrs Cox and Danks, London. Bottom upwards, coated with rust, and covered with barnacles, she reposed in Seapa Flow for nine years. By the employment of ingenious devices, the insertion of compressed air, and by coaxing and wheedling, theMoltkowas put on an even “deck” and towed by German tugs to Rosyth. 250 miles away. Now she lies in the Admiralty's largest dock a few yards from the Colossus, the last of the British Dreadnoughts, which, too, is going the way of all scrapped warships. There have been many interesting “ finds ” in the Moltko. The ship’s officers evidently kept a good collar. Consignments ot various kinds of wine, with an occasional bottle of hock, were found on the “roots,” and, according to the recipients, the quality was exeellcid. In one of the, chambers tbo Instruments of the ship's band, including a drum, wore collected. Alter burnishing, these have been given away as souvenirs. The appearance of the paymaster's safe suggested that when the seacocks were opened and the ship began to scuttle the crew made a hurried departure. At any rate, they left behind a sum of £2,000, mostly in German marks, but there was in addition some British money, mostly shillings. The Moltke’s crockery was found to he almost intact. There have been many eager inquiries lor enp, saucer, and plate .souvenirs. One ol the recipients was Viscount Jcllieoe. BRILLIANT .SEA GARDEN. Other articles in the “Treasure Trove” were eats-o’-nine-tnils, used, not for flogging purposes,, but for cleaning officers’ uniforms; bars ol chocolate in a wonderlnl state of preservation, and some ol them eatable; bundles ot picture postcards ot the Moitke in her wartime majesty, and tbo vessel’s flags, one of them bearing the German naval ensign and another an iron cross. With the raising of the Moltko Messrs Cox and Danks eon cent rated their efforts on the battle cruiser Seydlitz, which, like the Moitke, is lying keel upwards. The Heydlitz, which lias a normal displacement of 25,000 tens, cost about £2,234,250, and is one of tbo units of the 1010 programme. Her complement was 1,108. She suffered severely from tlio British guns at tlio Battle ot Jutland, and is said to have been beached in a. sinking condition. She returned to port under tow with her hows almost under the water and her stern in the air, having more than 200 dead officers and men on board. The extent of her injuries will probably be disclosed when she is taken to Rosyth. Her salvage proved the most difficult yet tackled. When operations were begun at the beginning ot September she lay submerged in twenty fathoms of water. Preliminary survey showed that the vessel lay practically level, bottom upwards, on a gravelly sea bottom. So vast was the marine growth on her that divers declared the battleship resembled the prettiest garden imaginable. CRUSHED LIKE MATCHWOOD. Tlio (livers speedily cut away the barnacles and located the open seacocks. These were closed and an air look fitted on the vessel’s bottom. Air was pumped into the Scydlitz, and gradually she began to rise. Then came a hitch. She assumed a list of 27deg. To counteract this and to bring her exactly bottom upwards tho divers concentrated their efforts.

Tho blasting away of the superstructure from the cruiser’s deck was a help, but her gigantic funnel, though severed, still lay under her, thus preventing the vessel, from righting. This was bodily removed, and then it was found that the Seydlitz’s starboard bottom was deep in the mud in the sea bottom, while tho port side was raised.

The whole problem was how to raise this low side. When under pressure of air her bow could be raised above the water, halves of destroyers were sunk and pushed under her low side to act as supports, but so tremendous was the cruiser’s weight that the destroyers were crushed like matchwood. Messrs Cox and Hanks next tried the experiment of making fifty-ton blocks of cement on Lyncss Pier. These wore lifted by llonting < cranes and placed under the warship’s quarter. Added to this was the lifting power exerted by twenty-two Klin wire hawsers from floating docks passing to the low side of the Soydlitz. A WONDERFUL FEAT.

Months of effort were crowned with success. W ith six air locks going at full stretch and with air hissing Irom her sides, the great vessel yielded to human effort, and the salvors’ triumph was complete. The vessel is now in a stable position, and the long tow to Rosvth will begin when favourable weather arrives. 'The Kaiser and Hmdenburg will be tackled next.