Also known as: SMS König
Ravaged by decades of industrial salvage, the Konig offers something none of the other Scapa battleships can: a cross-section through the guts of a WWI dreadnought. Where Metal Industries tore away hull plating and superstructure in the 1960s, the armoured citadel now stands exposed — twelve inches of dovetail-jointed steel that once protected the magazines. Seven casemate guns lie upside down on the seabed along the starboard side like fallen dominoes. The wreck is the least-dived of the three battleships, partly because pre-dive route planning is essential amid the tangled debris field of wires, blocks, and davits. That quietness is its own reward: schools of pollock patrol the wreckage undisturbed, and a careful diver can spend an entire dive tracing the skeleton of a ship that traded broadsides at Jutland.
Lead ship of the Konig-class dreadnoughts. Armed with 10 x 30.5cm guns. Fought at the Battle of Jutland. Scuttled on orders of Rear Admiral Ludwig von Reuter as part of the mass scuttling of the German High Seas Fleet. Extensively salvaged by Metal Industries (Nundy's) between 1963 and 1965.
SMS Konig is a battleship wreck located off Orkney, United Kingdom at a depth of 40 metres. The vessel was lost by scuttling in 1919. The wreck is diveable.
SMS Konig lies at 24 to 40 metres depth, Gutter Sound, Scapa Flow.
SMS Konig was deliberately scuttled on 21 June 1919 during World War I — Scuttling of the German High Seas Fleet, off Orkney, United Kingdom. 0 people lost their lives.
Diving the SMS Konig is rated advanced and is requires an Advanced Open Water certification with wreck diving experience. Minimum certification: Advanced Open Water. Recommended: Advanced Open Water + Nitrox.
The best months to dive SMS Konig are May, June, July, August, September. Water temperature ranges from 6°C in winter to 14°C in summer.
SMS Konig is accessed by boat from Stromness, Orkney, United Kingdom. A dive permit is required.
| Month | Temp | Visibility | Access | Marine life |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 6.0°C | 5.0m | poor | Low — winter conditions |
| Feb | 6.5°C | 5.0m | poor | Low — winter conditions |
| Mar | 7.0°C | 6.0m | poor | Low — winter conditions |
| Apr | 8.0°C | 8.0m | marginal | Moderate — season starting; seals present |
| May | 9.5°C | 10.0m | good | Moderate — seals, wrasse, lobster, soft corals |
| Jun | 11.0°C | 14.0m | good | High — seals, jellyfish, lobster, wrasse, soft corals, pollock shoals |
| Jul | 12.5°C | 18.0m | good | High — seals, jellyfish, lobster, wrasse, soft corals, pollock shoals |
| Aug | 14.0°C | 18.0m | good | High — seals, jellyfish, lobster, wrasse, soft corals, pollock shoals |
| Sep | 13.0°C | 14.0m | good | Good — seals, lobster, wrasse, soft corals |
| Oct | 11.0°C | 9.0m | marginal | Good — seals, lobster, wrasse, soft corals |
| Nov | 8.5°C | 6.0m | poor | Low — winter conditions |
| Dec | 7.0°C | 5.0m | poor | Low — winter conditions |
3 evidence records from 3 sources.
Konig-class dreadnought battleship. 10 x 30.5cm guns. Served at Battle of Jutland. Commissioned 9 August 1914.
Depth range 24m shallowest to 40m seabed. Seven casemate guns on seabed. Barbette of A turret visible.
Lead ship of Konig class. Scuttled 21 June 1919. Extensively salvaged by Metal Industries 1963-1965. Lies completely upside down, bows pointing north.
Gutter Sound, Scapa Flow