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The Falklands Maritime Heritage Trust: Discovery of WW1 German Battlecruiser SMS Scharnhorst
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LONDON , Dec. 5, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The Falklands Maritime Heritage Trust is pleased to announce that the wreck of SMS Scharnhorst has been located off the Falkland Islands. The Scharnhorst, an armoured battlecruiser and the flagship of Admiral Maximilian Graf von Spee's East Asia Squadron, was sunk on 8 December 1914 during the Battle of the Falkland Islands , a crucial naval battle in the early days of the First World War.
This discovery is a major breakthrough in the quest to locate all of the ships that comprised the German squadron lost during the battle. The search began on the centenary of the Battle in December 2014 but was initially unsuccessful. Five years later, the mission was resumed using state of the art subsea search equipment. Working from the subsea search vessel, Seabed Constructor, the search operation involved the deployment of four Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs), exploring a search box of approximately 4,500km of seabed. Working methodically through the designated search area, and using equipment including side scan sonar and a multi-beam echo-sounder, Scharnhorst was discovered on the third day of the search 98 nautical miles south east of Port Stanley at a depth of 1610 metres.
The Battle of the Falkland Islands followed the Battle of Coronel, fought off the coast of Chile in November 1914 , where Graf von Spee's fleet overpowered the Royal Navy and in which 1600 British sailors perished. A month later a British squadron under the command of Vice-Admiral Doveton Sturdee, pursued, engaged and defeated Graf von Spee's squadron, comprising the Scharnhorst, Gneisenau, Nürnberg and Leipzig . The action was particularly important because as a consequence of the battle, the German East Asia Squadron, Germany's only permanent overseas naval formation, effectively ceased to exist, bringing an end to commerce raiding by German warships.
The Scharnhorst, built in Hamburg in 1905, was the first to be sunk, having sustained substantial damage inflicted by HMS Invincible and HMS Inflexible. Tragically 2,200 German sailors died, including Graf von Spee himself and his two sons - Heinrich aboard the Gneisenau, and Otto aboard the Nürnberg.
The Falkland Maritime Heritage Trust is now seeking to have the site formerly protected in law. The wreck was not touched or in any way disturbed during the operation. The team on board Seabed Constructor conducted an act of remembrance at the site, commemorating all who died during the Battle.
The film production company TVT has been recording the search from its inception five years ago. Already, experts who have viewed unedited clips confirm that they reveal new information about this important episode in British and German naval history and in the history of the Falkland Islands . At the time of this announcement, first showings of the completed film are being held in the UK and the Falkland Islands .
The Falklands Maritime Heritage Trust is a charity with the aim of advancing the education of the public in the historical and social significance of the maritime heritage of the Falkland Islands .
For a video of the moment of discovery of SMS Scharnhorst and for photographs, please contact:
FMHT@celicourt.uk
For further information:
Celicourt Communications
+44 (0)208-434-2643
Mark Antelme / Ollie Mills
FMHT@celicourt.uk