Battle Centenary Expedition of JutlandText by Steve Slater Photos by Kieran Hatton 35 X-RAY MAG : 76 : 2016 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS WRECKS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY TECH EDUCATION PROFILES PHOTO & VIDEO PORTFOLIO feature Jutland Searching for the Battle of Jutland wrecks (above) in the North Sea, off the west coast of Jutland, Denmark. Wreath laying ceremony at the site of the HMS Invincible wreck (left). PREVIOUS PAGE: HMS Defence, starboard side 7.5-inch turret Cannon shot marks the opening ceremony of the Jutland Memorial Park in Thyborøn, Denmark It is hard to put into words what weather and mechanical problems had the Jutland peninsula in Denmark, via this time? I was feeling at this stage. I so far thwarted our plans. In mid-Sep- West Terschelling in Holland—a journey The waiting around did allow us time tember 2015, however, a discussion with that took over 24 hours. Sailing through to visit the new Sea War Museum Jutland was descending the shot line in Mark Dixon, who leads the dive team and the darkness of the North Sea at night is in Thyborøn (opened in September 2015) approximately 15m visibility and owns the project’s 12m long catamaran not for the faint-hearted. We may as well and become involved in the opening an image started to appear. Not (also named Darkstar), started a plan that have been in a room with black shutters, ceremony of the Jutland Memorial Park. the random wreckage you often would take nine months to execute. Not only occasionally alleviated by a light in May 31 was a no-go; the wind did not only would we once again try for Jutland, the distance. However, we were blessed abate and we were left kicking our heels. see, or even the straight lines of but we would do it on the 100th anniver- with calm seas and the passage proved Then, 100 years to the day of the second a cargo ship, instead these were sary, and lay a wreath in memory of the uneventful. day of the Battle of Jutland, the weather two long barrels. This was no sailors who perished over the two days of On arrival, the rest of the team had calmed and we headed out at last. Our ordinary wreck—I was looking at the battle on 31 May and 1 June 1916. already reached the destination, hav- destination was to be the closest wreck to ing driven to Thyborøn via the Channel the port, a mere 75 miles to the final rest- the ‘X’ Turret of HMS Invincible. Getting there Tunnel. All good so far—except for the ing place of HMS Invincible. Taking the catamaran to the site was the wind—and boy, did she blow! I have Twice before had our UK deep wreck first leg, and a challenge in itself. Mark heard of Jutland expeditions sitting in HMS Invincible diving team, Darkstar, attempted to get and I took the boat over from the Royal harbour for four weeks and managing Invincible was the first battle cruiser built to the site, but a combination of bad Quays in North Shields to Thyborøn on only three days of diving—but surely, not anywhere in the world. Built at Armstrong 36 X-RAY MAG : 76 : 2016 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS WRECKS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY TECH EDUCATION PROFILES PHOTO & VIDEO PORTFOLIO feature Jutland HMS Invincible’s X turret—an 11-inch main armament (above); stern deck—note the teak decking still present (top right); and Q turret bar- bette (far right)—it was here that Invincible suffered her fatal blow; Map of Battle of Jutland (right) Whitworth on the Tyne and launched in the magazine, and possibly igniting ‘A’ resting place before I even reached the in 1907, it weighed 17,250 tons and was and ‘X’ turrets. The ship broke in half, its wreck. 173m in length. By the time of the Battle stern and bow sticking out of the water. On arriving at the turret, in approxi- BY-SA 3.0 WIKIMEDIA COMMONS / CC GRANDIOSE / of Jutland, the ship had already taken With 1,026 lives lost, there were only six mately 50m of water, it was immediately part in the Battles of Heligoland Bight and survivors. clear that an explosion must have also cataclysmic explosion that tore this once the Falkland Islands, having played its Like most divers, I had dived wrecks taken place here, as the roof was missing, mighty warship in two? part in the sinking of the German cruisers with loss of life before. That these wrecks presumably blown out as the fire ripped Dropping down from the turret to the Scharnhorst and Gneisenau. were grave sites was a constant thought through the magazines. Swimming to the wreck itself, a vast array of twisted metal Under the command of Admiral Hood, in the back of my mind as we swam back of the guns, I found the breeches soon revealed itself. Moving forward, a Invincible was the flagship of the Third around “enjoying” the hobby that mod- closed and locked—a clear indication number of smaller, 4-inch guns lay strewn Battlecruiser Squadron at Jutland. At ap- ern techniques and equipment give that artillery was loaded and ready to fire about the ship, as were there small am- came into sight as we swam towards the proximately 6:30 p.m. on May 31, the ship us. This experience, however, was on a when the fateful salvos came from the munition lying concentrated in one area, upturned bow—a long swim! As impres- came under intense fire from the Derf- whole different scale. Each turret had ship’s German counterparts. Were the while some of the larger shells still lay near sive as all these features were, however, flinger and Lutzow. A shell penetrated ‘Q’ approximately 70 crew members working guns still loaded, I wondered, or would ‘X’ turret. the most poignant finds were the human turret, which in turn led to a detonation on them, and I was looking at their last the shells have erupted as part of the The distinctive Yarrow boilers soon elements: small ceramic pots, plates, 37 X-RAY MAG : 76 : 2016 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS WRECKS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY TECH EDUCATION PROFILES PHOTO & VIDEO PORTFOLIO HMS Invincible x turret and barbette (left); Wolffish on feature HMS Invincible (center) Jutland its part in churning up the muddy back to port. With a good fore- still in Thyborøn, was now repaired seabed. cast from here on in, we looked and needed bringing back. So At this stage, I would love to tell forward to diving more of these why not go out for the week and you of all the interesting sections iconic wrecks. Alas, it was not to try and finish off what we started? on the Frauenlob, but the visibility be! It seemed too good an opportuni- was just too bad. Moving along ty to miss. Starting from where we the edge of the wreck, it was HMS Queen Mary had left off, we now headed out obvious that, unlike the Invincible, The next day, as we headed out to HMS Queen Mary again. Frauenlob was reasonably intact. to the site of HMS Queen Mary, Queen Mary was the pride of Gauges and pipes seemed to in- we were treated to bright sun- the British Fleet. The last battle dicate that we were in the vicinity shine and flat, calm seas. Less cruiser built before the outbreak of the engine room and heading than half a mile out of harbour, it of World War I, Queen Mary was aft, but that was as much infor- was clear that something was not the sole member of its class. At mation as I could glean from the right. Mechanical gremlins had 214m long and 26,700 tons, the dive. struck the boat down, and we ship’s four shafts could produce Upon surfacing, conditions had headed back to port—our diving 28 knots. slightly improved. But time was was over for the week. During the battle, the vessel getting on, so we soon headed Fast forward a month. The boat, came under fire from SMS Seydlitz. knives and forks and, perhaps— HMS Southampton, the most moving of all—the sole Dublin, Birming- of a leather shoe. ham and Notting- All too soon, it was time to head ham. At approxi- up. Once back aboard Darkstar, mately 10:35 p.m., we placed a wreath in the water the Southampton in memory of those lost and as a fired a torpedo tribute to their sacrifice. We head- and Frauenlob ed back to shore in a mood that sank soon after was both sombre and elated. taking 320 officers and crew mem- SMS Frauenlob bers with it—there The next morning, our nemesis, were only nine the wind, returned. Forecasts, survivors. however, told us that by midday For over four it would start to back off. So, as hours, we battled morning turned to afternoon, we against 2m swells, gingerly pointed our bows out to as we headed sea in what could best be termed out to the Frauenlob’s final resting I reached the wreck itself, it was “questionable” conditions. Our place. Arriving on site, a discussion soon evident that this was not target this time was the German took place as to whether the con- going to be a dive similar to the light cruiser SMS Frauenlob. ditions were, indeed, diveable, one the previous day. Visibility was Sometime after 10:00 p.m. on 31 and a consensus was reached: It at best at 1 to 2m, and that was May 1916, the Frauenlob got in- was time to go.