SMS Markgraf

SMS Markgraf was the third of four König class battleship built, weighing 25,388 tons and having a length of 175m, 30m at the beam and a draft of 9m. She was powered by three turbines developing 46,000hp each yielding a maximum speed of 22 knots. Her armament consisted of ten 305mm canons, fourteen 150mm canons, six 85mm canons and five 500mm torpedo tubes. She carried a crew of 1136 men and officers.

HISTORY Built at the Weser AG shipyard at Bremen, she was launched on the 4th of June 1913 and officially completed on the 1st of October 1914. She served in the Third Battle Squadron and took part in the battle of Jütland on the 31st of May 1916. Her final fight occurred in Scapa Flow, where she was scuttled. A small band of British Marines killed the commanding officer, Captain Walter Schumann and the chief officer Hermann Dittman while they fought off additional British troops. On the 21st of June 1919, SMS Markgraf vanished under the surface.

DIVE SITE Site : the SMS Markgraf lies in the bay of Scapa Flow, in the Orkney Islands. Co-ordinates : 58 deg 53,31 north / 03 deg 09,55 west Depth : the starboard side of the hull lies at 24m and the deepest part is on port side at 45m.