26 Scapa Flow The Officer Magazine Scapa Flow - an Ancient Refuge It was not until the last century that Scapa Flow influenced global events. Commander Mark Leaning visits Orkney and discovers the historical evidence that remains throughout the islands ich in history stretching back to the Mark Leaning Neolithic period, the Orkney Islands have Commander Mark Leaning joined the been an important Royal Navy in 1979 and has for much Rcentre of human activity for of that time served as a member of the more than 5000 years. Fleet Air Arm, flying ASW Sea King and Influenced by Pictish, Celtic, maritime Lynx helicopters. Since 1997 Viking and European settlers, he has served in a number of staff the culture of Orkney retains a appointments and is currently the SO1 legacy of ancient architecture, Policy at the Defence Aviation Safety imagery and language. Centre, RAF Bentley Priory. Educated at Brigg Grammar School in Lincolnshire, At the heart of Orkney and covering Cdr Leaning attended the Royal Navy Staff 120 square miles of water lies the Course in 1993, from which he also sheltered anchorage of Scapa achieved an MA in Defence Studies from Flow, once a rendezvous base for Kings College, London. He is currently merchantmen en route to the Baltic where ships could be hauled (out of Above: The Orkney studying the penultimate module of a during the Napoleonic Wars of 1789 the water for repair). It is also a place Islands that lie just six BSc (Hons) degree in Psychology with to 1815, and more recently the Royal that was well known to prehistoric miles north of John the Open University. Navy’s main UK strategic base during settlers of the Stone, Bronze and Iron o’Groats, across the two World Wars. Enclosed by the Ages, people who left behind much Pentland Firth South Isles of Orkney, and with easy evidence of their passing. access to the Atlantic Ocean and the One of several examples is the Top: Ancient settlement North Sea, the strategic importance remains of the 5,000-year-old Neolithic at Skara Brae. Until of Scapa Flow has been recognised village of Skara Brae, a site that was revealed by a huge by seafarers through the ages. occupied from 3100BC to 2600BC. storm in 1850, Skara The Vikings used it as raiding There are also numerous other Brae had lain buried base from the 7th century and the structures remaining, disused now beneath sand dunes at contemporary name comes from but built more recently for the sole the Bay of Skaill on the Old Norse words ‘skalpei floi’ purpose of defending the UK against West Mainland meaning: a place with plenty of water the threat of Germany’s battle fleets PLACES OF INTEREST MARWICK HEAD HMS Hampshire sinks off Orkney during two World Wars. Indeed, the landscape of Orkney both above water On 5 June 1916 Field Marshall Lord Kitchener, then the War Minister, and below it bears witness to the sailed from Scapa Flow in the cruiser HMS Hampshire to Russia to turbulent events of the 20th century, encourage the Czar to shore up his forces’ faltering resistance to the and it is truly surprising to realise the Germans on the Eastern Front. She struck a mine at 7.45pm off Marwick scale of military activity in this sparsely Head on Orkney’s west coast during a summer storm and sank in 15 populated northern extremity of the minutes. Of the 655 men on board about 200 made it to the life rafts, but British Isles. most perished against the cliffs and only 12 of the company survived. Kitchener did not. Preparing for war Towards the end of the 19th century Local tribute to a local hero Germany had emerged as the main Jellicoe European threat to Britain rather than assumed Such was Field Marshall Lord her traditional adversary, France. As a Kitchener’s contemporary result the North Sea, rather than the command popularity that the residents of English Channel, became the Royal of the Grand Orkney funded and erected a Navy’s main theatre of operations and memorial on the nearest point of the harbours of Orkney began to be Fleet and was the coast to where Hampshire used more frequently. appalled at the foundered (left). The memorial can Scapa Flow was found to be a be seen high above the treacherous particularly suitable large sheltered inadequacy of cliffs of Marwick Head. anchorage. However, in 1914, and for the defences some time after, the only defences it offered to the ships of the Royal Navy at Scapa were those provided by nature in the form of narrow channels, protected by strong tides, stormy weather and treacherous rocks. Indeed, at the outbreak of the First World War, Admiral Sir John Jellicoe assumed command of the Grand Fleet and was appalled at the inadequacy of the defences at Scapa. As a result, between 1914 and 1918 the defences of Scapa Flow were increased significantly. Coastal def- PLACES OF INTEREST ence guns were established at key points around the Flow, blockships DRESDEN CRUISER were sunk across the eastern Von Reuter’s orders 52 ships to be scuttled channels, anti-submarine nets placed across the main entrances and Fearful that the German Fleet might be used against the Fatherland, underwater indicator loops laid to Von Reuter ordered his ships to be scuttled by their own crews. Fifty- detect submarine incursion; never- two sank in water up to 30m deep and 22 were beached or ran aground. theless, many of the projects were not It remains the largest single loss of shipping in one day. completed before the end of the war. See Reuter’s scuttled ships Sailing to battle Between 1914 and 1918 a number You don’t have to get wet to see of significant events occurred in the these ships as local commercial waters of the North Sea, perhaps the diver Keith Bichan uses his survey most well known being the action boat and a submersible Remote between the British Grand Fleet and Operated Vehicle (ROV) to give the German High Seas Fleet on 31 May visitors an underwater guided tour 1916, in what became known as the of the SMS Dresden. Dresden was a Battle of Jutland. In that action 144 5620-tonne cruiser and lies on her British ships under Jellicoe sailed side in 30m of water in the western from the Flow and Rosyth and met half of Scapa Flow off the small 99 German ships under von Scheer island of Cava. Keith’s tour in a sea battle that all Britain hoped includes a detailed briefing and would emulate Trafalgar and destroy video presentation about the events the German naval might, once again leading up to the mass scuttle, underlining Britain’s supremacy. followed by a live ROV dive, which As it was, the British lost 14 ships transmits back fascinating pictures and 6097 men compared to the of the wreck and marine life at the German casualties of 11 ships and bottom of the Flow. 2551 men in a battle that was indecisive, but from which both sides Above: Keith Bichan of Roving Eye Enterprises explains what his ROV can do 28 Scapa Flow The Officer Magazine claimed victory. In reality it was the German Fleet that broke off the engagement and returned to port, never to emerge again in strength until their surrender in 1918. The Royal Navy continued to have the freedom of the seas, eventually overcoming the U-boat threat and maintaining the North Sea blockade of Germany from Scapa Flow. The following week the cruiser HMS Hampshire sailed from Scapa 52 ships sank Flow and struck a mine at about off Marwick Head on Orkney’s coast and in water up sank within 15 minutes. 12 of the 655 to 30m deep company survived. Kitchener did not. and 22 were A fleet interned beached. The From April 1918 onwards, Rosyth on the Firth of Forth became the Fleet’s largest single main base, although Scapa continued shipping loss to provide support to the regular visiting ships of the Royal Navy, in one day and its defences were maintained. Following the Armistice on 11 November 1918, the German High Seas Fleet, under Admiral Ludwig von Top: SMS Dresden before she was interred at Scapa Flow Reuter, surrendered to the Allies off Above: HMS Royal Oak at anchor in Scapa Flow the Firth of Forth and was interned at Scapa Flow to await the outcome of the Versailles Peace Conference. Weak defences exposed and expanded as men and material Seventy-four ships were held, Another wreck that lies at the bottom poured into Orkney. Many of the shore their companies reduced from 20,000 of the Flow is that of HMS Royal Oak, battery facilities maintain their silent to 1,700 by June 1919. As the ships a battleship that was one of the first vigil today. Although the naval air languished at their moorings they casualties of the Second World War, station at Hatston to the west of had to be victualled and supplied and a victim of the inter-war run- Kirkwall, and the only one operational from Germany and the men were down of defences around the Flow in August 1939, is now a trading not allowed ashore or to visit any as its significance as a strategic base estate, the site of the RAF station at other interned ship. With no radio reduced. Despite being elevated to Grimsetter to the east of Kirkwall communication, and relying on four- a Category A Defended Port and the became the islands’ main airport.