SMS COLN
SMS COLN
THE HISTORY. The SMS Cöln was a Cöln-class light cruiser and one of only two ships of this class to be completed alongside her twin the SMS Dresden,
SMS Cöln is named after its predecessor, which sank near Heligoland in the southeastern North Sea. It was built in Hamburg and launched on October 5, 1916.
For many years there has been confusion around the spelling of Cöln. Köln is the German name for the city of Cologne, but this spelling has varied for many years. The correct spelling for the ship is, in fact, Cöln and this can be seen on the ship's bell, now on display at the Scapa Flow Museum and Visitor Center in Lyness on.
The cruise was also assigned to the II Group of Scoutswhich was positioned at the head of the line in all the advances of the fleet and during the attacks on the British coast. As a result, the Group suffered greatly during the Battle of Jutland in 1916, but for the SMS Cöln, however, there was little action, except for patrolling and locating mines.
In the notorious Kiel sailor mutiny of October 1918, his crew remained loyal and sailed to escape the riots.
On November 21, 1918, SMS Cöln continued north to be interned at Scapa Flow, arriving with some difficulty due to a problem in a leaking condenser.
THE IMMERSION. The starboard side rests at -36 meters deep extending to -22 meters at the shallowest point. The bow points roughly north. Overall, the SMS Cöln is an easy-to-navigate wreck suitable for recreational divers, although for technical divers, a long dive offers a great reward.
The strengths of the wreck are its breathtaking bow that appears to us as we descend, the control bridge, the two 5.9 "guns, a torpedo tube in vertical position at the bottom and behind, the 88" gun.