Dive Scapa Flow

Rod MacDonald

Whittles Publishing

£30

A centenary edition of this classic dive book to commemorate the ‘mass suicide’ of the German High Seas fleet. Seventy-four ships were scuttled in June 1919 on the orders of Admiral von Reuter who believed the Armistice was about to fail. Rod MacDonald’s description is dramatic and moving. The tonnage (therefore the scrap value) of the fleet was immense and salvage operations took place until 1977. Service histories, up-to-date surveys and photographs guide today’s divers to explore the seven remaining vessels as well as the underwater ‘scrapyard’ and other wrecks. MacDonald has been diving Scapa Flow since the 1980s and has recently surveyed HMS Hampshire off Marwick Head which (together with HMSs Royal Oak and Vanguard) is a designated war grave. Fascinating, even for non-divers.