Stromness, Scotland, United Kingdom

SMS Coln

SMS Coln, sometimes spelled Cologne, is a German Cologne-class light cruiser scuttled with the High Seas Fleet in Scapa Flow on 21 June 1919. It is widely regarded as the most intact of the four surviving German cruisers, lying on its starboard side at depths from 20 to 36 metres. The 155-metre hull preserves the bow, the foredeck and bridge superstructure, port-side rangefinders, davits, multiple 15cm guns and a striking stern with surviving propellers and rudder. Holes in the hull allow guided penetration into mess decks and corridors for suitably trained divers. Visibility is generally 8 to 12 metres in summer and water temperatures sit between 6 and 12 degrees Celsius year-round. The wreck supports thick growths of plumose anemones, dead man's fingers, hydroids and sponges, and is home to wolffish, conger eels, ling, ballan wrasse and pollack. Currents are weak to moderate. Coln is consistently rated by Scapa veterans as the best of the German cruisers and is typically dived from Stromness-based hardboats around slack water.